Let's be real for a second. We’ve spent the last few years watching "action" movies where the actors are basically puppets being yanked around by wires, or worse, buried under so much "shaky cam" and rapid-fire editing that you can’t actually see a single strike. It’s been exhausting.
Honestly, the genre felt like it was stuck in a rut. But something shifted recently.
We’re seeing a massive pivot back toward actual technique. 2026 is shaping up to be the year where new martial arts movies stop pretending and start performing again. We aren't just talking about big-budget sequels, though those are coming. We’re talking about a genuine return to form where the performers—people like Andrew Koji, Iko Uwais, and even the aging legends—are putting their bodies on the line to give us something visceral.
The Video Game Curse is Actually Breaking
If you’d told me three years ago that the most anticipated martial arts flick of 2026 would be a Street Fighter reboot, I probably would’ve laughed. We all remember the Jean-Claude Van Damme version. It was... a choice.
But look at the roster for the upcoming Street Fighter (October 16, 2026). They didn't just cast "famous" people; they cast fighters. Andrew Koji, who basically carried the Warrior series on his back with some of the best Wing Chun/Jeet Kune Do choreography on TV, is playing Ryu. Noah Centineo is Ken. More interestingly, they’ve pulled in Vidyut Jammwal, a legit Kalaripayattu expert from India, to play Dhalsim.
This isn't just a "superhero" movie with a different skin. Director Kitao Sakurai seems to be leaning into the 1993 period setting, focusing on a World Warrior Tournament that feels more like Bloodspot than Avengers.
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Then there’s Mortal Kombat 2. It’s been a long wait since the 2021 film, but the buzz around the 2026 release is different. They finally brought in Karl Urban as Johnny Cage. More importantly, the production team acknowledged that the first film’s fights were a bit "choppy." This time, they’ve had years to refine the stunt work, and with a mid-2026 release window, the expectation is a hard-R rating that actually respects the martial arts instead of just the gore.
The Return of the "Real" Specialists
While Hollywood tries to figure out its life, the international scene is where the actual heat is. Iko Uwais is the name you need to be tracking this year.
The man who gave us The Raid has finally stepped behind the camera for his directorial debut, Timur. It’s not just a vanity project. Reports from the set suggest a "60% fighting, 40% drama" ratio, which, frankly, is exactly what we want from him. Uwais is also producing Ikatan Darah (Blood Bond), which is reportedly pivoting toward a more "comical" but fight-heavy tone.
"It's a good challenge," Uwais recently noted regarding his transition to directing. He’s focusing on high-stakes, close-quarters combat that avoids the "floaty" look of modern CGI-heavy cinema.
What’s Happening in the East?
If you like your Kung Fu with a bit of "Holy crap, how did they film that?" then The Furious is the one you’re waiting for. Directed by Tanigaki Kenji—a protege of Donnie Yen and a legend in his own right—this movie has been the talk of the stunt community for months. It’s visceral. It’s graphic. It’s basically a love letter to the 80s Hong Kong "bullet ballet" style, but with modern technical precision.
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Then there is the curiosity of Kung Fu, the Taiwanese mega-production from Giddens Ko. Set for a February 2026 release, this isn't a remake of the old TV show. It’s a $9 million epic (huge for that region) about a resurrected Kung Fu master in the modern day. It sounds weird, but with Korea’s Triple A stunt team handling the action, the choreography is expected to be world-class.
Are the Legends Done? Not Quite.
Donnie Yen is a machine. He’s 62 and still signing three-movie deals.
The big news is Ultimate Code Break, where Yen is re-teaming with Jackie Chan. Now, look, we have to be realistic here. Jackie is in his 70s. He isn't going to be sliding under moving trucks anymore. But Yen is serving as the action choreographer, and he knows how to make Jackie look like a million bucks using timing and environmental play rather than just raw speed.
It’s a heist movie, but when you have those two on screen, the "martial arts" element is baked into the DNA.
The 2026 Martial Arts Watchlist (Simplified)
| Movie Title | Estimated Release | Why You Should Care |
|---|---|---|
| Kung Fu | February 2026 | Biggest Taiwanese action budget in a decade; Korean stunt team. |
| Mortal Kombat 2 | Mid-2026 | Johnny Cage finally arrives; refined choreography. |
| Street Fighter | October 16, 2026 | Andrew Koji as Ryu. Enough said. |
| The Furious | 2026 (Global) | Tanigaki Kenji's masterpiece of "visceral struggle." |
| Timur | 2026 | Iko Uwais' directorial debut. Expect pure Silat mayhem. |
Why These New Martial Arts Movies Actually Matter
Most people think martial arts cinema is just about people hitting each other. It’s not. It’s about the physics of storytelling.
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When you watch Scott Adkins (who is also popping up in Reckless and The Rip in 2026), you’re watching a guy who understands how to tell a story through a sequence of movements. The "new" wave of films is moving away from the "superhero landing" and back toward the "exchange."
We’re seeing a rise in what fans call "The New Golden Age," where the stunt performers are finally getting the credit—and the directing chairs—they deserve.
Common Misconceptions
- "It's all CGI now." Actually, no. While the backgrounds might be digital, the trend in movies like The Furious and Timur is "practical-first."
- "Jackie Chan is retired." He’s been "retiring" since 2012. He’s still producing and appearing in films like Karate Kid: Legends (which kicked off the current hype cycle in late 2025) and the upcoming Ultimate Code Break.
- "Martial arts movies are a niche market." The box office for John Wick and the streaming numbers for Cobra Kai proved that the "general" audience is starving for well-shot fight scenes.
What You Should Do Next
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, stop watching the trailers and start following the Action Choreographers.
Names like Tanigaki Kenji, Larnell Stovall, and The 87North Team are better indicators of a movie's quality than the lead actor. If their name is on the credits, the movie is worth your time.
Keep an eye on the smaller streaming releases from Well Go USA and Lionsgate this year. Often, the best new martial arts movies of 2026 won't be the $200 million blockbusters, but the $10 million passion projects from Indonesia, South Korea, and Vietnam.
Search for the "Fantasia Film Festival" or "NYAFF" (New York Asian Film Festival) schedules as they come out later this year. That’s where the "underground" hits that eventually go viral on social media always start. Stay focused on the movement, not just the marketing.