Warning! This post contains spoilers for The Fall Guy.

Summary

• The Fall Guy has the potential to be Ryan Gosling's first successful action franchise after previous setbacks.
• Critics and viewers are praising the film for its action scenes, chemistry between the leads, and homage to stunt performers.
• Gosling, Blunt, and director Leitch are enthusiastic about potential sequels, setting the stage for a franchise expansion.

Ryan Gosling's 8-year-old potential action franchise ended before it could expand with follow-ups, but The Fall Guy is receiving rave reviews from viewers and critics. The film is not only being praised for its spectacular action scenes but also for its ode to stunt performers and their oft-unnoticed hard work in movies.

Even the two leads in the film, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, have incredible on-screen chemistry, making its rom-com elements just as captivating and memorable as the action sequences. While only time will tell how The Fall Guy will eventually perform at the box office, the film has the potential to become a blockbuster that could pave the way for a franchise. If The Fall Guy's commercial numbers turn out to be as impressive as its reviews, it could even get Ryan Gosling his first well-rounded action franchise.

The Fall Guy Is Ryan Gosling's Best Action Movie Franchise Starter

The Fall Guy Is Ryan Gosling's Most Scalable Franchise

Ryan Gosling has starred in several action movies in the last decade. One of them was 2016's The Nice Guys, which had the potential to become a full-fledged franchise, given how it had a decent budget and some big names like Gosling and Russell Crowe associated with it. The Nice Guys also performed well among critics and still sits at an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 91%. Unfortunately, despite having all the ingredients of an action franchise starter, The Nice Guys was a box office failure, grossing only $62 million. With a budget of $125 million, The Fall Guy also has a long road ahead before it becomes a box office success.

However, its early projections suggest that it will have a solid $35 million to $40 million opening, which would set it on the right path toward becoming profitable. If its box office returns are favorable, The Fall Guy could become Ryan Gosling's first proper action franchise. Other than The Nice Guys, a few other Ryan Gosling films also had the potential to expand as franchises. For instance, since 2022's The Gray Man is based on a book series, it has enough source material content to grow its franchise roots. Unfortunately, the film failed to impress critics, leaving an air of uncertainty around the franchise's future.

A sequel and spin-off to The Gray Man are reportedly in the works because the first film performed well on Netflix. However, only time will tell whether they will come even close to being as scalable as The Fall Guy. 2011's Drive and 2017's Blade Runner 2049 were two other critically acclaimed action films that starred Ryan Gosling. Although, unlike Drive, Blade Runner 2049 faced some losses after its theatrical release, both films acquired a cult following, leaving enough room for action franchises. However, their conclusive endings made story extensions impossible. Fortunately, The Fall Guy does not face this challenge.

How The Fall Guy Sets Up A New Action Franchise For Ryan Gosling

The Fall Guy Has The Perfect Narrative Framework For A Franchise

Instead of treading the same path as the original TV show, The Fall Guy adopts minor story changes. For instance, unlike the show, where most episodes follow the bounty-hunting adventures of a Hollywood stuntman and his allies, the movie does not initially portray its main stuntman character as a bounty hunter. Instead, he gets introduced as a retired stuntman embroiled in a conspiracy after reluctantly returning to work on a film. This departure from the original premise not only allows the movie to etch its own identity but also helps it create a convincing origin story for a future bounty hunter.

The more Cole gets entangled in the world of chasing criminals like Tom Ryder and serving them justice, the more he will evolve into becoming a full-fledged bounty hunter in each follow-up of the film franchise.

After the first movie's events, The Fall Guy's sequels could adapt the show's formula and unfold a new bounty-hunting pursuit for Ryan Gosling's Colt and his team of stuntmen. The more Cole gets entangled in the world of chasing criminals like Tom Ryder and serving them justice, the more he will evolve into becoming a full-fledged bounty hunter in each follow-up of the film franchise. Since The Fall Guy intends to acknowledge how stuntmen play a crucial role in making an action movie successful, its sequels could further explore the inner workings of Hollywood's stunt community.

What Ryan Gosling Has Said About The Fall Guy's Franchise Future

Ryan Gosling Has Given Optimistic Updates About The Franchise's Future

When Ryan Gosling was asked (via Fast Company) about his thoughts on the franchise's future, he surprisingly revealed that "the sequel sort of wrote itself." He added they already know the story for the sequel and are hoping that people will like The Fall Guy enough for the franchise to grow. The Barbie actor said that he and everyone else involved with the film loved the characters so much that they could not help but wonder what would happen to them after the first movie's events. This helped them determine what the next phase of the franchise would be about.

The Fall Guy also has a mid-credits scene, which does not exactly set up a sequel.

In another interview (via Men's Health), director David Leitch opened up about his plans for the franchise's future and revealed he already has a few stunts planned for the sequel. Emily Blunt, too, seems ecstatic about doing more Fall Guy films. She said (via Gamesradar) that she would not just do one but many sequels and wishes to "go on a journey with these characters for multiple films." Blunt even cited the Lethal Weapon movies as an example to highlight how far she wants The Fall Guy movie franchise to go. Ryan Gosling, David Leitch, and Emily Blunt's shared ion and excitement about the franchise's future is great news.

Why The Fall Guy 2 Needs To Happen

The Fall Guy Holds Immense Franchise Potential

Many TV-to-movie adaptations fail to leave their mark. However, The Fall Guy is certainly an exception because it has all the markings of a blockbuster. From slambang action scenes to effective comedy, from a talented set of leads to compelling character beats, the movie presents itself as an almost perfect combination of all the elements one would expect from a Fall Guy movie remake. In addition, the film also pays homage to the stunt workers in Hollywood, which adds another layer of authenticity and reverence to its storytelling.

Since The Fall Guy is an incredible action flick with immense potential for franchise expansion, it would be disappointing if it ended with only one installment. Not to mention, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are also at the epitome of their acting careers after landing Academy Award nominations for their brilliant performances in Barbie and Oppenheimer, respectively. What better way to capitalize on their forward momentum and popularity than by continuing The Fall Guy franchise?