Man on Fire (TV series)
2026 American TV series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Man on Fire is an American action thriller television series loosely based on the 1980 novel by A. J. Quinnell. Originally set in Italy/Malta by Quinnell, this series takes place in modern-day Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Kyle Killen is the showrunner and an executive producer of the series, which stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as an ex-mercenary out for revenge.
| Man on Fire | |
|---|---|
Release poster | |
| Genre | Action thriller |
| Created by | Kyle Killen |
| Based on | |
| Showrunner | Kyle Killen |
| Written by | Kyle Killen |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Max Aruj |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original languages |
|
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Running time | 42–59 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | April 30, 2026 |
The series consists of seven episodes and was released on Netflix on April 30, 2026.[1] It received generally positive reviews from critics.
Premise
John Creasy is a former U.S. Army Special Forces Captain, who after leaving the military did contract work for the CIA. On his last assignment in Mexico City, his entire team was ambushed and killed. Four years later, Creasy is suffering from PTSD, drinks heavily and works in a warehouse. After a failed suicide attempt, his friend Rayburn recruits him to a security assignment in Brazil. Shortly after arriving in country, a bomb detonates killing Rayburn and his entire family with the exception of their daughter Poe. Creasy then embarks on a revenge spree against the people who committed the bombing leading him to uncover a major conspiracy.
Cast
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as John Creasy, a former U.S. Army Special Forces Captain
- Billie Boullet as Poe Rayburn, Paul's eldest daughter
- Scoot McNairy as Henry Tappan, Senior Officer at the CIA
- Alice Braga as Valeria Melo, a professional driver who becomes Creasy's friend and confidant
- Bobby Cannavale as Paul Rayburn, Creasy's friend, and a former U.S. Army officer
- Paul Ben-Victor as Moncrief, Director of the CIA
- Thomás Aquino as Prado Soares, Head of Security for the Brazilian President
- Iago Xavier as Vico
- Jefferson Baptista as Livro
- Ravel Cabral as Emanuel Ferraz
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "One" | Steven Caple Jr. | Kyle Killen | April 30, 2026 | |
|
John Creasy, a former US Army Special Forces Captain, leads private security jobs for the CIA. During an operation in Mexico City, Creasy’s entire team is killed. Four years later, Creasy remains affected by PTSD and attempts suicide. Paul Rayburn, his friend, offers Creasy work with his private security company in Rio de Janeiro to help him recover. Arriving in the city, Creasy stays with Rayburn and his family, including his rebellious teenage daughter, Poe. Rayburn’s company is contracted to provide security for luxury condos, built as part of a redevelopment plan by Brazilian President Carmo, who is running for re-election. Soares, Carmo’s head of security, fears the condos are terrorist targets aimed at sabotaging Carmo’s campaign. Soares is unimpressed with Creasy but agrees to hire him on Rayburn’s recommendation. Creasy struggles to adjust back to working life and bonds with Poe, who feels homesick. Creasy also bonds with driver Valeria after getting drunk at a bar and brutally fending off two muggers. On the same night, Poe sneaks out to a party and returns home just as a bomb destroys her family’s condominium. Rayburn, the rest of his family, and approximately 600 others are killed. Creasy goes to Poe, who the Brazilian authorities want to detain as a witness. He negotiates a deal with Carmo and Soares for Poe’s testimony in exchange for her return to the US and his protection. Creasy also vows to hunt down Rayburn’s killers. | |||||
| 2 | "Two" | Steven Caple Jr. | Kyle Killen | April 30, 2026 | |
|
En route to Poe giving her testimony, Creasy averts a planned attack on their convoy. Arriving at an air base, Creasy agrees to remain in Brazil and work with Soares, who wants an outsider involved as he is suspicious of leaks to the terrorists from within the Brazilian security forces. Creasy interviews Poe, extracting key details about the bombers' transport. However, just as Poe gets on a jet to fly back to the US, the air base is attacked. Creasy fights off the attackers and saves Poe’s life. He also kidnaps Tiago, the sole surviving attacker. Creasy contacts both Valeria and Henry Tappan, his former CIA handler, for help protecting Poe. Valeria takes Creasy and Poe off-grid, hiding them within her favela. Creasy interrogates Tiago, discovering that the air base attackers were gang members hired by Osmar, a leader of the terrorist group. President Carmo contacts CIA Director Moncrief and Tappan, expressing concern at Creasy going rogue. Moncrief assures Carmo that the CIA is prepared to ‘neutralise’ Creasy if necessary. | |||||
| 3 | "Three" | Vicente Amorim | Kyle Killen | April 30, 2026 | |
| 4 | "Four" | Vicente Amorim | Kyle Killen | April 30, 2026 | |
| 5 | "Five" | Clare Kilner | Kyle Killen | April 30, 2026 | |
| 6 | "Six" | Clare Kilner | Kyle Killen | April 30, 2026 | |
| 7 | "Seven" | Michael Cuesta | Kyle Killen | April 30, 2026 | |
Production
Development
Netflix ordered a new adaptation of Man on Fire by A. J. Quinnell in March 2023 from New Regency Productions and Chernin Entertainment. After having been previously adapted for film in 1987 and in 2004, this adaptation would be a television series that would also adapt the follow-up novel The Perfect Kill. Series creator Kyle Killen was hired as the showrunner and writer while also serving as an executive producer.[2][3]
Casting
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was cast as the lead in June 2024, and Steven Caple Jr. was hired to direct the first two episodes. Both of them joined the series as executive producers alongside Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan, Natalie Lehmann, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Tracey Cook, Scott Pennington, Ed McDonnell, Michael Polaire, and Stacy Perskie.[4] Additional cast members were announced through October 2024, including Billie Boullet,[5] Bobby Cannavale,[6] Alice Braga, Scoot McNairy, and Paul Ben-Victor.[7]
Filming
The series was shot in Mexico City where Abdul-Mateen was injured on set, forcing a brief production pause.[8] Max Aruj composed the score for the series.[9]
Release
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 62% approval rating based on 34 critic reviews.[11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gave a score of 61 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[12]
See also
- Man on Fire, released in 1987.
- Man on Fire, released in 2004, directed by Tony Scott and starring Denzel Washington.
- Ek Ajnabee, a Hindi-language adaptation directed by Apoorva Lakhia and starring Amitabh Bachchan.[13]
- Aanai, a Tamil-language adaptation, directed by Selvaa and featuring Arjun Sarja.[14]
