- Netflix has released the first trailer for new movie War Machine
- The Alan Ritchson-led sci-fi action film will drop on March 6
- It's drawn amusing comparisons it to a beloved game series and the MCU
Netflix has unveiled the first trailer for its new sci-fi action movie War Machine – and people are humorously calling it out for ripping off a much-loved videogame series.
The film, which stars Reacher lead Alan Ritchson, will premiere on the world's best streaming service on Friday, March 6. Here's the trailer if you missed its initial reveal yesterday (February 4):
And, if it wasn't abundantly clear what the new Netflix movie is about from said teaser, here's the official logline for War Machine: "During the final stage of US Army Ranger selection, an elite team’s training exercise turns into a fight for survival against an unimaginable threat."
Co-written and directed by Patrick Hughes (The Hitman's Bodyguard, The Expendables 3), the Ritchson-led vehicle will also feature household names including Dennis Quaid (The Substance, The Day After Tomorrow), Jai Courtney (The Suicide Squad, Kaleidoscope), and Esai Morales (Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8).
What are people saying about War Machine?
But, you're not here to learn more about War Machine's cast and crew or its story, are you, dear reader? You want to know what everyone is saying about what looks to be the latest addition to Netflix's growing back-catalog of shamelessly derivative films.
Considering that its Big Bad appears to be a giant, bipedal, weaponized robot, it didn't take long for people to compare to War Machine to Metal Gear Solid. Indeed, in the hours following the trailer's release, fans flocked to Reddit, the ResetEra forums, and X/Twitter to liken War Machine's android villain to the superweapons that appear throughout the beloved video game franchise that celebrated game designer Hideo Kojima originally created for Konami.
Comment from r/movies
That wasn't the only fun that fans poked at War Machine. Many were quick to point out that its title is identical to that of the superhero moniker adopted by Marvel character James 'Rhodey' Rhodes. That's the individual who was initially played by Terrence Howard in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) before he was replaced by Don Cheadle.
"That's not Don Cheadle," ResetEra user Max|Payne dryly noted. "[I] thought this was [for the] MCU," Jawmuncher also opined, before CarbonCrush added "Terrence Howard finally got himself a suit."
Comment from r/movies
The jokes don't stop there, either. From amusing comparisons to family friendly flick The Iron Giant and other 'US personnel versus a killing machine' films like Predator, people have had a field day putting the proverbial boot into the forthcoming film.
Heck, some fans have even pointing out that Netflix has already made an original movie called War Machine. That movie, which came out in 2017, was a satirical war comedy directed by Mark Mylod and starred none other than Brad Pitt. Clearly, the streaming giant has run out of film title ideas.
Two original Netflix films with the same titles less than a decade apart is kinda funny to me pic.twitter.com/A4gfzCw5SfFebruary 4, 2026
Will you be watching War Machine when it arrives next month? Or are you just going to get your Ritchson fix when Reacher season 4 lands on Prime Video? Let me know in the comments.
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