‘Man on Fire’ tests soldier’s second chance

Man on Fire centres on a Special Forces soldier attempting to rebuild his life, but unresolved personal demons stand in the way of a true fresh start.

The action thriller, based on author AJ Quinnell’s novel, is streaming on Netflix from today (30 April 2026). Steven Caple Jr (Creed II and Transformers: Rise of Beasts) directs the first two episodes.

The protagonist, John Creasy, once a highly skilled Special Forces mercenary known for surviving the most extreme conditions, now faces severe PTSD and inner turmoil. Efforts to start over are disrupted as circumstances draw him back into conflict, forcing him to confront both external threats and his own past.

When a skyscraper is flattened by a mysterious group of bombers, Creasy returns to duty, not only to track those responsible, but also to protect Poe, the daughter of a former Special Forces teammate who witnessed the attack. Their uneasy partnership places both in danger, as the investigation deepens and pushes Creasy into a confrontation that could determine whether he can move forward or remain defined by his past.

Creasy is played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen ll, whose previous roles include Cal Abar in Watchmen and Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections. The cast includes Billie Boullet (World-Breaker) and Alice Braga (City of God), with Scoot McNairy (True Detective) and Bobby Cannavale (The Watcher) as guest stars.