Action movies come in many shapes and sizes, but few have the staying power of a great franchise. From James Bond’s globe-trotting espionage adventures to the high octane thrills of Die Hard and Mission: Impossible, the best action series create characters, set pieces, and worlds that audiences want to revisit for decades. For this list of the Top 10 Action Movie Franchises of All Time, we’re looking at more than box office success or the number of sequels. Longevity, consistency, memorable characters, cultural impact, and the ability to deliver genuinely exciting action all factor into the discussion. Some franchises have produced near-perfect runs, while others have survived disappointing sequels through the strength of their best films.
These are the franchises that have made the biggest impression on action cinema and the ones that continue to give audiences a reason to come back for more.
#10 – Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones has now had five big screen adventures, and while the first three remain the gold standard, the series has had a pretty solid run overall. Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade are an absolutely stellar trilogy, and even Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is still a pretty fun movie despite its reputation. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny brought Harrison Ford back for one final adventure, but it didn’t quite recapture the magic of the original trilogy. Still, it’s hard to argue against the staying power of Indiana Jones, especially when you consider the iconic character, incredible action sequences, globe-trotting adventures, and the fact that this franchise has remained recognizable for more than 40 years.
#9 – Star Wars
While Star Wars may not strictly be action movies, the nine-film Skywalker saga ranks among the greatest movie series of all time. I am a fan of the prequels, and there have been some great additions to the galaxy since the Original Trilogy, including Rogue One and The Force Awakens. Unfortunately, the sequel trilogy never quite lived up to the Original Trilogy, and the series has been somewhat hit or miss outside of the main saga. Still, Star Wars remains one of the most influential film franchises ever made, with some of the greatest characters, action sequences, creatures, and worlds in movie history. With The Mandalorian and Grogu adding another big screen adventure and Star Wars: Starfighter on the way, there is still life left in this galaxy far, far away.
#8 – The Terminator
With two classic films and four increasingly uneven sequels, this series has had a hard time recapturing the magic of James Cameron’s first two movies. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation, Terminator Genisys, and Terminator: Dark Fate have all had their fans, but none have managed to reach the level of The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. That’s a pretty big problem for a franchise built around one of the greatest science fiction action movies ever made and one of the greatest sequels ever made. Still, the quality of those first two films holds this series at a higher level than most others. The Terminator himself remains one of the most iconic characters in action movie history, and James Cameron is developing another Terminator story, so maybe this series still has another great chapter in it.
#7 – The Bourne Series
Each Bourne film seemed to improve over its predecessor until the Jeremy Renner-led spin-off The Bourne Legacy. While that was still a pretty damn good action movie, it didn’t have the same impact as the Matt Damon films. Damon and director Paul Greengrass eventually returned for Jason Bourne, but while it was nice to see the character back, it didn’t quite recapture the magic. Still, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum remain some of the best action and spy movies of their era, with brutal hand-to-hand combat, incredible chase sequences, and a grounded style that influenced the genre for years to come. With Damon still open to returning if the right story comes along, there is always the possibility that Bourne could pull off another great comeback.
#6 – X-Men
With more than a dozen movies and spin-offs under its belt, the X-Men series has had one hell of a run. There have certainly been some duds along the way, but at its best, this franchise has delivered some of the most interesting and enjoyable superhero movies ever made. The original X-Men trilogy got things started, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine carried the series through some rough patches, and the younger cast introduced with X-Men: First Class gave the franchise a fresh start. X-Men: Days of Future Past, Logan, and Deadpool showed just how much life these characters still had in them, while Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants brought the Fox era to a less-than-stellar conclusion. Now the X-Men are officially being brought into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with several classic X-Men actors returning in Avengers: Doomsday and a new X-Men movie currently in the works. There is still plenty of potential here, and that’s what keeps the X-Men at #6.
#5 – Die Hard
A with three great entries and a couple of lesser ones, Die Hard still remains a top-tier franchise, even if its days of adding to the story are now over. Die Hard, Die Hard 2, and Die Hard with a Vengeance are a hell of a trilogy, while Live Free or Die Hard was a pretty entertaining comeback before A Good Day to Die Hard brought things crashing down. Of course, the biggest reason there won’t be another John McClane movie is that Bruce Willis has retired from acting following his diagnosis with frontotemporal dementia. It’s a sad way for one of the greatest action heroes of all time to reach the end of the road, but at least we have those first three movies, which remain some of the best action films ever made. Nobody ever really figured out how to top McClane at his best.
#4 – Lethal Weapon
There are only four Lethal Weapon movies, but they are all really, really good. Even after all these years, the chemistry between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover remains one of the greatest things about the series, and director Richard Donner somehow managed to keep the formula fresh through four movies. There are really no missed beats in this entire series, which is why it gets such a high ranking here. Lethal Weapon became the template for countless buddy cop movies that followed, but very few ever managed to achieve the same combination of action, comedy, and genuine character development. There has been talk of a fifth movie for years, and Mel Gibson says the script is finished and he still hopes to direct it in honor of Donner. Whether that movie ever happens is another question, but Riggs and Murtaugh have already left behind one hell of a legacy.
#3 – Jurassic Park
I was ready to write off the Jurassic Park series after two lackluster sequels, but Jurassic World showed that this franchise could still be resurrected by a new generation, both on screen and off, and still be a worthy summer blockbuster. The Jurassic World trilogy kept the dinosaurs running and the box office numbers high, even if the quality wasn’t always on the same level as the original. Then Jurassic World Rebirth took things in a new direction with a new cast and a new story while still bringing the series back to the island where it all began. The original Jurassic Park remains the gold standard, but the fact that this franchise can keep finding new ways to bring dinosaurs back to the big screen all these years later is pretty damn impressive. There are very few movie series with that kind of staying power, and that’s why Jurassic Park lands at #3.
#2 – Marvel Cinematic Universe
Based on the fact that Marvel has been able to make dozens of interconnected films, along with TV series and other media, while building one of the biggest cinematic universes of all time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has earned the right to be this high on the list. Not every movie has been a winner, especially as the series has expanded well beyond the original Avengers saga, but the sheer scale of what Marvel has accomplished is pretty damn impressive. They took characters who had never been considered major movie stars, put them together across multiple franchises, and eventually brought them all into massive crossover events that changed the way Hollywood makes blockbuster movies. There have been some bumps along the way, but the MCU is still expanding and has plenty more stories to tell. That kind of ambition, consistency, and interconnected storytelling is something we had never really seen on this scale before Marvel came along.
#1 – James Bond
With 25 official films spanning more than six decades, Ian Fleming’s 007 is the grand champion of movie action franchises. Ranging from thrilling suspense sequences to over-the-top gadgets, characters, cars, villains, and one-liners, the Bond movies have always been able to reinvent themselves while still feeling like Bond movies. We’ve had gritty Bond, goofy Bond, suave Bond, and everything in between, with actors from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig putting their own spin on the character. Not every movie has been a winner, but that’s part of what makes this series so much fun. Bond can go from a grounded spy thriller to an absolutely ridiculous spectacle and then reinvent himself all over again. With Denis Villeneuve directing the next movie and Steven Knight writing the screenplay, 007 is getting ready for another new chapter. More than 60 years after Dr. No, James Bond is still the gold standard for action movie franchises.
