7 Action movie franchises that feel like comic book adaptions

Action movies offer high-octane energy, and colourful and grandios narratives that repeatedly resemble comic books. These visually rich storytelling journeys embody the same rich visual language and heroic larger-than-life themes with their fearless protagonists, unwavering antagonists, and nail-biting moments that encapsulate the essence of the best comic book tales.

There are a lot of movies which are actually adapted from comic books. Similarly, there are several comic books that are based on action movies. While some movies have mirrored the medium’s visual and thematic flair by using bold graphic inspired imagery, exaggerated character types, and progressive plot structure. Those action movies deliver pulse-pounding showdowns that seem ripped straight from the pages of a comic book: vivid, visually striking, and brimming with epic energy.

Through this article, we will explore 7 such movie franchises that feel like comic book adaptations, revealing how their adrenaline-charged action, elaborate fictional world unforgettable heroes and villains reflect the signature elements of the genre. Each movie franchise presents a distinctive cocktail of action, style, and storyline that feels plucked straight from comic book pages.

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Fast and Furious

The Fast & Furious franchise may not have originated from any comic book, but it is a timeless saga with its unapologetic spectacles, which look like a visual sibling aligned with this genre’s conventions. This franchise reflects a vivid, larger-than-life comic book aesthetic, fearless protagonists, adrenaline-charged mayhem, and a storyline enriched with intensifying consequences and sentimental ties.

Dom Toretto, Brian O’Conner, and their squad are prototype characters with defining features that echo the traits of comic book protagonists. Han’s advanced driving techniques and Tej’s technological brilliance flaunt a superhero level ability, comparable to a comic book hero squad. Their group camaraderie, a consistent motif, stabilizes the frenzy; an unshakable team spirit reminiscent of The Avengers.

The adrenaline-fueled showdowns feel ripped straight from the panels of a graphic novel—gravity defying moves or gadget loaded mid-air theatrics that echo the spectacle of Iron Man and Spider-Man. The franchise plays a crucial role in global schemes, where stakes grow larger on a universal scale, and global rescue operations, which emulate the scale of comic book tales. Next level cyber genius, tech welding antagonists, could drop into a Marvel film without missing a beat. Fast and Furious kicked off as a down-and-dirty underground racing story, later shifting gears into a high-octane superhero scale franchise.

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Taken

Taken was an adrenaline-fueled action franchise featuring Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills, an outsized protagonist with good vs evil showdowns that channel the same narrative energy of comic books. This franchise combined heart-pounding action with graphic novel aesthetics. Through its central character, Taken reflected sequential art tales in its foundation.

Almost an unbeatable protagonist burdened by a dark past, a prototypical figure, Bryan Mills was a retired CIA operative inspired by immovable ethical standards. His talents were enhanced by years of secret missions, which straddled the line of superhuman, eliminating foes with accuracy like famous masked vigilantes of comic books. The easy-to-follow storyline of the franchise is primarily concerned with a mission to save his family from a comic book style villain. It was similar to the uncomplicated moral stance of old-school comic book stories. Seemed straight out of a superhero epic, where expansive crime syndicates are single handedly defeated by the hero, as the franchise showed the overblown consequences of illicit trafficking groups. Mill’s character left a lasting impact because of his unwavering search for his daughter, that struck a shared dread in its viewers, giving the franchise its comic book-like quality.

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Mission Impossible

Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible is more of a comic book franchise in cinematic form, with its turbo-charged intelligent missions and heart stopping action moves. Despite not being based on a comic book, this film offered superhuman icons, sophisticated story structure, and high-impact visuals. Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt was the purest example of a comic book savior. His incredible display of strength, like conquering skyscraper heights, holding on to soaring aircraft, and escaping explosive blasts, made him as close to a comic book hero as one can get.

Like the Justice League, his IMF squad, along with digital mastermind Benji and skilled field agent Ilsa, reflected superpowered squads; every team member made their mark, overcoming foes with their distinctive abilities. There were highlighted moments that emphasized breathtaking visual scale beyond the laws of physics, be it the Burj Khalifa climb in Ghost Protocol or the helicopter chase in Fallout, this franchise’s action-packed moments were ultimate comic book showdowns. Mission: Impossible magnified over-the-top visual design with its high-tech instruments, auto-deleting messages, and audio transformation devices. This franchise tapped into the enchanted colourful power of comic books, provided jaw-dropping action with a heroic twist, though it was based on a covert operation.

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The Raid

The Raid, with polished action sequences and high stakes drama on a mythic scale, is a perfect match for the comic book genre. This franchise chronicled the journey of a top-tier officer, Rama, with pulse-pounding action and thrill. In the first part, he found himself sealed inside a towering complex crawling with cold-blooded gangsters while he was targeting a ruthless narcotics kingpin. The second installment raised the stakes and widened the world, dragging Rama into the gritty depths of the city’s underbelly.

With its nonstop momentum, each bone-crunching fight scene reflected the bold drama of the illustrated pages of a comic book, where every fight felt like stepping into a comic’s vibrant centerpiece. The defining feature of the franchise was a thrilling demonstration of pencak silat’s fluidity and power, an Indonesian martial art, which enhanced the realism of every blow and movement. Dynamic cinematography and skull rattling sequences went head to head with the flamboyant but rooted, gritty brawls worthy of comic book legends. In 2016, a companion comic saga was announced by Titan Comics, with Gereth Evans and XYZ Films, showcasing exclusive adventures of the Raid ensemble. It captured the high-octane thrills on the comic pages, which solidified its place as a comic book staple.

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John Wick

John Wick can be seen as a comic book story camouflaged as something new. Though it didn’t stem from any comic book, with its fabled essence and breakneck pacing, it delivered the energy and style of a panel-to-screen adaptation. It commanded the attention of the audience with its epic archetypes, striking visual flair, and complex narrative landscape, and felt ripped straight from the pages of a comic book.

At its heart this franchise was centered around the indestructible protagonist John Wick starring Keanu Reeves, a seasoned killer turned recluse referred to as the “Baba Yaga”, embodying an unwavering sense of calm. As he was provoked by emotional heartbreak, he pursued revenge, echoing the beginnings that define the essence of comic book legends.

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The Expendables

The Expendables franchise can be considered a cinematic comic book in disguise, which crashed into the frame, a live-action action-comedy epic, stripped of paper but not punched. Loaded with adrenaline-pumping mayhem, exaggerated personalities, and a throwback to the testosterone-fueled swagger of the 80s, driven by a dynamic group of central players and a story that detonates with every twist, evoked the style of a graphic novel.

The franchise chronicled the adventure of premier hired combatants, under the leadership of Sylvester Stallone’s Barney Ross, who confronted the most daunting missions with unwavering determination and heavy artillery. The arrangement reflected the classic formation of a comic book squad, like the Justice League, where a mix of legendary characters came together for a common mission. Be it any one of the Expendables, Jason Statham’s knife-wielding Lee Christmas or Dolph Lundgren’s Volatile Gunner, every member of the team projected the aura of unique iconic heroes with a standout identity. The franchise showcased a visual approach that embraced a graphic novel-inspired look, with high-octane and unpredictable action sequences. Packed with witty comebacks and sharp retorts, this franchise brought a raw, retro allure, mirroring the punchy, quick-witted repartee reminiscent of comic book heroes.

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Unbreakable

M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable franchise was a subtle comic book saga on screen, which delivered layered character insight with a sense of raw believability. A hesitant powerhouse cloaked in ordinariness, Bruce Willis as David Dunn and a mastermind of mythic proportions in a fragile shell, Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price, the franchise gave a fresh twist to classic genre conventions in a way that feels genuinely relatable. By avoiding the tropes of spandex and superpowers, it embraced a comic-inspired foundation with believable character psychology. Even as it took notes from superhero conventions, it offered an entirely original storyline and cast of characters by M. Night Shyamalan. According to him, although the film alluded to comic books and centered around superhero concepts, the franchise was not pulled from any established comic book source. The franchise extended its universe with Split and Glass, constructing a detailed and quiet realm, where superpowered beings stayed out of the spotlight.