Summary

• Mark Wahlberg will play a negative role in Mel Gibson's upcoming thriller Flight Risk.
• Wahlberg and Gibson's Flight Risk collaboration could get the former a part in Lethal Weapon 5.
• Owing to Wahlberg's history of working in buddy cop action comedies, he would be perfect for Lethal Weapon 5.

Mark Wahlberg's negative role in an upcoming thriller should set up his involvement in a $487 million franchise that would finally pay off his biggest career trend. Since his 1994 debut with Renaissance Man, Mark Wahlberg has come a long way as an actor and now has a resume that includes myriad films. The actor may be better known for doing comedy and action, but has even proven his acting forte in several serious films like Lone Survivor, Mile 22, and Patriots Day.

However, despite being in the acting business for over two decades, Mark Wahlberg has rarely taken on antagonistic roles. The last time he was seen as a full-fledged villain was in 1996's Fear. Fortunately, this is about to change since Wahlberg will be portraying a negative character in an upcoming thriller. This movie not only allows the actor to experiment with a new kind of role but also forks his acting career in a direction where he can land a part in another $487 million franchise.

What Is Flight Risk? Mark Wahlberg & Mel Gibson's New Movie Explained

Flight Risk Is An Upcoming Thriller With Wahlberg As Its Main Villain

With Mel Gibson at its helm, Flight Risk is an upcoming thriller in which an Air Marshall is given the task of flying a fugitive across the Alaskan wilderness. Although the journey initially seems to go as planned, unexpected and dark turns emerge when the Air Marshall realizes that the plane's pilot is not who he thinks he is. So far, only four cast members have been confirmed for Flight Risk. Among them, Mark Wahlberg is the lead, playing a hitman and pilot named Daryl Booth. Topher Grace, best known for playing Venom in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3, is an informant named Winston.

Michelle Dockery, of the Downtown Abbey fame, is also a part of the film's crew, portraying FBI Agent Madelyn Harris. Reports suggest that Monib Abhat (best known for his roles in NCIS: Los Angeles and Holidate) is also a part of the film's roster, but his role remains unknown. Despite being one of the leading stars in the film, Mark Wahlberg will be playing a negative role in Flight Risk. Most details surrounding his character are still shrouded in mystery, but the actor revealed (via Collider) that he plays the "craziest f--ker you’ve ever seen."

Why Flight Risk Should Lead To Mark Wahlberg Being In Lethal Weapon 5

Mark Wahlberg Would Be Perfect For The Buddy Cop Sequel

Since the inception of his acting career, Mark Wahlberg has taken on several diverse roles. His acting portfolio includes several serious movies, like The Departed, Arthur the King, The Fighter, and Deepwater Horizon. However, for the most part of his career, Mark Wahlberg has done films and franchises that combine action and comedy. From Daddy's Home to Ted, from Transformers to Pain & Gain, most of the actor's films dabble with high-octane action sequences and memorable humor. Owing to this, it is hard not to see him more as an action comedy actor who would be perfect for Lethal Weapon 5.

Since Wahlberg is also collaborating with Mel Gibson in the upcoming thriller, Flight Risk, the two could extend their team-up by maintaining the same director-actor relationship for Lethal Weapon 5.

Over the years, Mark Wahlberg has also appeared in several buddy-cop-style films, like Spencer Confidential, Broken City, and The Other Guys. These films have perfectly paved the way for him to star in the next installment of Lethal Weapon 5. Since Wahlberg is also collaborating with Mel Gibson in the upcoming thriller Flight Risk, the two could extend their team-up by maintaining the same director-actor relationship for Lethal Weapon 5. With the two powerhouses working together on the Lethal Weapon 5 film, it could easily become one of the best installments of the franchise.

Is Lethal Weapon 5 Actually Going To Happen?

Lethal Weapon 5 Has No Confirmed Release Window

Although the first four installments of the Lethal Weapon franchise were directed by Richard Donner, the director's demise led to Mel Gibson helming Lethal Weapon 5. As per reports (via The Sun), Donner had gotten pretty far with the movie's script before passing away and had even asked Mel Gibson to take over the project if he was not able to complete it. While some reports also suggest that Mel Gibson will be starring in the film, no confirmations surrounding this have been made yet.

Updates about Lethal Weapon 5's production (via Deadline) also revealed that the film would be developed for HBO Max and Gibson would start working on it after wrapping up his commitments to the John Wick spin-off series, The Continental. Since then, no new confirmations surrounding the movie's release window and filming have been made. Hopefully, it will pay off Mark Wahlberg's career trend by featuring him as one of its leading cops.