Although Jason Statham has built a career as a major action star, the disappointing A Working Man suggests it may be time for him to shake things up. Having got his start in all-time great crime movies like Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, audiences have been watching Statham kick ʙuтт for nearly three decades now.

Statham’s action legacy includes hits like the Transporter films and the Fast & Furious series, but recent roles have shown his tough-guy persona growing tiresome. It’s true that A Working Man reunited Statham with The Beekeeper director David Ayer, but the film hints it may be time for Statham to explore a bold new direction in his career.

Jason Statham’s Action Thriller Formula Is At Risk Of Becoming Stale

The harsh truth about A Working Man is that it ironically just didn’t work and stands as a forgettable action movie full of dull performances, forgettable characters, and generic stuntwork. While there was a fun energy to Statham’s previous role for Ayer in The Beekeeper, everything about this release just felt tired and hackneyed.

A Working Man followed the typical formula of an ex-Marine who wants to leave his violent past behind, being forced back into action to save a young girl. This is a setup we’ve seen countless times before in movies like Taken, and this by-the-numbers film didn’t add anything new or interesting to the concept.

Statham is an actor brimming with potential, and he’s capable of delivering truly electrifying performances. Yet, in A Working Man, his character of Levon Cade feels like a carbon copy of his past action heroes, and the film’s relentlessly self-serious tone turns what could be a thrilling, action-packed showdown into a lackluster and exhausting experience.

Even with a script co-written by Sylvester Stallone, A Working Man lacked a unique idenтιтy, and when compared to modern action triumphs like John Wick, it just felt like everyone was phoning it in. With Statham’s next two upcoming projects both being action thrillers, it feels like he’s in danger of fatiguing audiences with too many similar films one after another.

In 2026, Statham will star in Jean-François Richet’s Mutiny, an action thriller about a man on the run after he’s poised to take the fall for a murder he didn’t commit. Director Ric Roman Waugh has also cast Statham in an upcoming unтιтled action thriller that looks set to deliver more of the same from the star.

Statham Is Brilliant At Comedy & Needs To Do More

The biggest issue with A Working Man was that it was so humorless, and a sprinkle of comedy would have done it a world of good. Statham has the comedic skills needed to pull this off and has proven in movies like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, as well as Spy, that he can hold his own in a funny film.

Some of Statham’s very best performances were in comedies, as he has the impressive ability to deliver truly absurd dialogue with a straight face. This means that in roles like Rick Ford in Spy, he’s able to subvert his typical action hero persona by leaning into parody and self-awareness.

While some Statham comedies like Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre didn’t get much love from critics, his performance still stood out as he held his own alongside the likes of Aubrey Plaza and Hugh Grant. Statham has what it takes to be a huge comedy star; he just needs to lean into this side of his skillset more often.

Jason Statham Should Follow Liam Neeson’s Career Switch

A Working Man played out like a dollar store Taken knockoff, but the truth is that Statham was right to take cues from Liam Neeson; he just chose the wrong example. While Neeson’s action movie credentials are just as impressive as Statham’s, he’s found renewed success in recent years by embracing comedy with The Naked Gun.

This is the path Statham should embrace going forward, letting him lean into his strengths while avoiding the fatigue of formulaic thrillers. Just as Neeson reinvented himself to keep his action career fresh, Statham has the chance to do the same and prove he’s capable of more than his usual tough-guy routine.

Despite his range, Statham risks earning a reputation for playing it safe and repeating himself. A Working Man epitomizes this problem, offering nothing new to the action thriller genre. Unlike Ayer’s The Beekeeper, which was at least absurd enough to grab our attention, this one lacked spark and only highlighted how stale Statham’s formula has become.

Statham has been a reliable screen presence for decades, but his longevity now depends on shaking things up before audiences tire of him and stop turning up for disappointing movies like A Working Man. Jason Statham is at a crossroads and must decide if he wants to keep churning out forgettable thrillers or take risks that redefine his career.

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