Mark Wahlberg has led one too many daunting projects that are spread across multiple genres, with video game-based action pieces being among them as well.
Like his 2008 action/crime from Irish director John Moore, Max Payne, for one to count, which may have received lukewarm reviews but was quite a successful piece when it comes to its box office scores, especially in the US.
Needless to say, Wahlberg performed epically in the movie; to the point where, perhaps, no one could play the character in live-action better. That said, even Moore thought through this very perspective before making the movie.
If anything, the filmmaker just may have even canceled his $80 million movie, perhaps, had the actor not signed on to star in it.
John Moore May Have Never Made Max Payne Without Mark Wahlberg
2008’s action/crime Max Payne and the titular video game series on which it is based features the story of the detective of the same name, hell-bent on finding and taking revenge on the culprits behind the murder of his wife and child.
Yes, that does sound somewhere along the themes of Keanu Reeves‘ John Wick character arc, but it was a cult classic itself nonetheless.
What’s more, this gritty cult hero was brought to life by none other than one of the most muscular actors in all of Hollywood: Mark Wahlberg.
And, needless to say, the actor didn’t hesitate to nail it in the brutal gun battles and ear-shattering explosions throughout the action sequences of the video game-based live-action adaptation of the same by the Irish filmmaker.
That being said, director John Moore also admitted during an interview with BBC that he wouldn’t have made the movie without Wahlberg. He said:
When I first played the game he popped right into my head. If Mark hadn’t said yes, we wouldn’t have had a movie.
Well, it seems like Moore decided on the most accurate casting for the job, considering how not only did The Family Plan actor give an outstanding performance, but he also understood his character fairly well, as per how he described him.
According to what BBC cites Wahlberg as having said about Payne and his movie:
The character is really appealing because he is driven by emotion. It isn’t just a nonsense, shoot ’em up action movie. There is some depth there.
Now that most certainly is true, especially when considering how the actor brought the character to life. But while that’s that, Wahlberg has also made it clear that he won’t be returning for a sequel.
Mark Wahlberg Won’t Be Playing Max Payne Again
While he did fulfill Moore’s heartiest wishes and joined the 2008 movie, the Arthur the King actor has also made it evident that he won’t be reprising the role anytime soon. Well, at least that’s what he said during the interview with BBC.
When asked about a potential sequel starring him, Wahlberg said:
Probably not. I’ve never done a sequel before. I’ve always looked for the next thing and to move forward.
That is, unless he gets to get his own back on Mila Kunis and Olga Kurylenko, both of whom played his co-stars in Moore’s game-based adaptation. As Wahlberg said, jokingly: “It’s always fun kicking someone’s ass, but not when it’s happening to you.”
For whatever it is worth, even though the film made a stunning $87.77 million from global box offices on its budget of $35 million (as per The Numbers), the lukewarm reviews it received from audiences and the 16% rating on the Tomatometer are enough to halt even ideas of any potential sequel.
That being said, despite acknowledging his commendable performance, it is only better that Mark Wahlberg doesn’t return to reprise his iconic role.
You can watch Max Payne (2008) on Prime Video.
