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Edgar Wright's The Running Man reboot makes Glen Powell as a chaotically unhinged version of Arnold Schwarzenegger's character and we're here for it
Ben Richards of the 80s was an unstoppable killing machine, but Edgar Wright's 2025 The Running Man gives us a beautifully updated version of the character.
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It has been nearly 40 years since the last time The Running Man graced the big screen, and Edgar Wright’s version feels like a whole different animal from the first film. Where Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Ben Richards was an unstoppable, hulking force of nature, Glen Powell feels like he’s surviving on pure spite and we’re here for it.
The plot of the 2025 The Running Man movie feels closer to the original Stephen King novel – instead of being a wrongly convicted military officer, Glen Powell’s version is a down-on-his-luck civilian taking part in the deadly game show to pay off his crushing medical debt. The 1987 film was a very typical Arnold Schwarzenegger movie of that era. It is heavy on action and light on the social commentary that seems to be intact in Edgar Wright’s version. However, the biggest difference is how completely unhinged Glen Powell’s portrayal seems to be.
Sure, we get to see Powell flex his bicep as he catches an electric prod, but for the most part, he is clearly running for his life. He’s outclassed and outgunned by the endless waves of people trying to kill him for the prize fund. He is unrelentingly angry about his situation, something that he covers up by being endlessly snarky and crude. He isn’t the unstoppable force of nature that Arnie was, but that is kind of the point.
We’ve moved on from just wanting to see giant men punch their problems into orbit and this new version of The Running Man feels like it understands that. It is an updated movie – with a more relatable lead – for the modern era.
The Running Man is out on November 7, 2025.
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