Lots of action shows begin with some no-nonsense badass fully in charge of their faculties, but “Man On Fire” starts with a man who just plain isn’t. Before anything even happens in the story, Creasy is a suicidal, messy shell of his former peak CIA agent self. But, as with other iterations, that lack of stability is the hook. This isn’t “Reacher,” and a muscular heroic soldier boy doesn’t blow into town to set things right. “Man on Fire” is about a once-capable man on the brink of collapse forced into a heroic situation, which is far more emotionally compelling.
The new Netflix series, based on the A.J. Quinnell “Creasy” book series and the 2004 Tony Scott action film starring Denzel Washington, revisits John Creasy, an ex-agent pulled back into danger to protect a young girl while dealing with emotional damage that doesn’t switch off just because the job demands it. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II takes on the role, and Steven Caple Jr. (“Creed II,” “Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts”) directs the first two episodes, setting a tone that stays rooted in character even as the scale expands.
On this week’s Bingeworthy podcast, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Steven Caple Jr. talk through how they approached a character with built-in expectations, and why this version works by refusing to smooth out the edges.
Abdul-Mateen II had a direct answer when it came to following in the footsteps of Denzel Washington. He chose not to reach out to the actor or engage with that comparison.
“I like to put myself in a position to win,” he said. “If I go into a situation saying, ‘How do I live up to the great Denzel Washington? I mean, that’s a lose-lose situation.”
Instead, he focused on what actually connects people to the character beneath the surface.
“When you pull it apart even more, it’s like, ‘oh, [fans] like the heart and the soul,” he explained. “So how can I then go and make sure that we’re offering some heart and some soul in a way that I would wanna do it?”
That shift defines how this version of Creasy is introduced. He isn’t presented as capable. He’s presented as someone who failed repeatedly and likely shouldn’t even be here.
“The truth is bleak for him,” Abdul-Mateen II said. “This guy is not ready for this job, like at all, he should not be there… then the cinematic law says, okay, well, let’s throw him in there anyway and see what he does with it.”
Everything builds from that gap. The action doesn’t come from control. It comes from someone trying to keep up with a situation already moving faster than he is. That restraint carries into the performance itself. Abdul-Mateen II keeps pulling things back and stripping away dialogue wherever possible.
“I tend to think that less is more,” he said. “You’d be surprised at how little you actually need.”
And when the show does turn more and more violent, it stays tied to what’s happening internally rather than drifting into spectacle.
“The emotionality of the circumstance always comes before the action,” he said. “If I’m gonna throw this punch, why throw a right instead of a left?”
Caple Jr. approached the material from the same place. The scale was there, but it wasn’t the reason to do it. The character was.
“Is he going to redeem himself? Is he going to resurrect himself?” Caple Jr. said. “Those are themes that I’m really drawn to.”
The series still delivers its larger moments, including practical effects that give the world weight—one of those practical moments included blowing up an actual building in Mexico.
“We did actually blow up a building,” he said. “We had one shot at it… But ultimately, for the city to allow us to do that on location to make it feel real was pretty awesome.”
There’s room for the story to continue if the series moves forward, but the focus stays on what’s in front of them.
“I would love to come back,” Caple Jr. said. “It’s something I will continue to explore for sure.”
Away from Creasy, the conversation also drifted into upcoming and adjacent projects, offering a quick look at what both creatives are circling next.
On “Wonder Man”, Abdul-Mateen II lit up when talking about sharing scenes with Ben Kingsley, emphasizing the give-and-take that shaped their dynamic. “Good actors make their scene partners look good,” he said. “We were just really bouncing off of each other with a mutual respect and appreciation for the craft.” He added that the show’s response has been meaningful, noting that audiences “really felt seen in that.”
Caple Jr., meanwhile, addressed his status with “Transformers,” making it clear he has stepped away for now while the studio figures out its next move. “As of right now, they’re figuring out what they’re doing with it at Paramount,” he said, adding that after a VFX-heavy project, he was “looking for something different in terms of the palette,” which made “Man On Fire” the right pivot.
But his “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” film did tease a rather large crossover between the Transformers and G.I. Joe universes, which Caple Jr. is still quite confident will happen. “From what I’m hearing, you may get more,” he teased.
He also confirmed being on board and developing “I Am Legend 2” with writer Akiva Goldsman: “Yes, we are still developing ‘I Am Legend 2’.” Caple said. He was also praising the script’s direction despite initial hesitation about revisiting the story. “I wanted to say no, because I was hoping that there was no story left,” he admitted. “But they created something really cool and special. I’m like, yeah, I would love to see this.”
Taken together, those projects sketch a busy road ahead, even as both remain focused on whether this new version of Creasy earns the chance to continue.
“Man on Fire” hits Netflix on April 30th. You can listen to the full interviews with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Steven Caple Jr. via The Playlist Podcast Network on your app of choice, or you can watch the video of our Yahya Abdul-Mateen II interview on The Playlist’s YouTube page via the embed below.
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