After playing a brooding vigilante in Prime Video’s Reacher, Alan Ritchson dials up the action in Netflix’s new sci-fi action venture, War Machine. Motivated by his brother’s death, Ritchson, who plays 81 in the movie, joins the  Ranger Assessment and Selection Program to honor his memory. However, things take a turn for the worse when the RASP recruit gets outmaneuvered by an alien threat, which wreaks havoc during their final assignment.

For much of the runtime, the movie works as a survivor thriller, with many of the recruits attempting to escape the alien robot. But most of them meet their end at its hands, leaving Ritchson’s 81 and his partner 7, played by Stephan James, to make the final stand.

Does Alan Ritchson’s 81 Survive War Machine?

While they are outgunned by the alien threat at almost every turn, thanks to the opening bit with his brother, 81 learns the alien, despite appearing invulnerable, does have a weakness, its exhaust port.

After successfully luring the alien robot to a construction site, where the duo of 81 and 7 makes their final stand, he rams the alien with a heavy-duty front-end loader, allowing 81 to pour debris into the pinned-down robot’s exhaust ports using a conveyor belt. Things don’t conclude there, as 81 and an injured 7, who is unable to walk, are forced to make a desperate escape to avoid the vicinity of a huge explosion.

The scene sees 81 dragging 7 to safety, mirroring the opening, where he was unable to save his brother. But all is not well for them yet, as it’s revealed that the alien robot they encountered during the RASP wasn’t alone, with Dennis Quaid’s base leader unveiling to 81, and in turn the audience, that the Earth is under an alien invasion.

So does 81 defeat the alien invasion? Not quite. While he destroys one alien robot, Sheridan’s revelation confirms the threat is far larger than a single encounter, setting the stage for a much bigger fight should a sequel follow.

Will War Machine Return for a Sequel?

A still from War Machine | Credit: Netflix

Although the reception to the movie, which has debuted on Netflix, will play a major role in potential future follow-ups, the sequel tease will leave fans craving for more. With early reactions lauding it as an entertaining popcorn flick, a follow-up could have the potential to deliver something more extravagant.

Even though director Patrick Hughes envisioned the movie as a fully-formed standalone story, the writer/director confessed he has already mapped out the broader narrative should Netflix opt to proceed with sequels (via Screen Rant).

No, no. When I sat down and wrote War Machine, I was like, this is a fully formed standalone story, and heaven forbid—touch wood—if I ever got the opportunity to take it further, I know exactly where it’s going, and I’ve sketched it out. It’s impossible not to, as a writer, to think about. I fell in love with the character of 81, and the universe of sort of everything he’s going through. So look, if that call comes in, then yes, I’m ready to pull the trigger

Considering this movie has all the makings to become a streaming success, there’s a good chance this won’t be the last we hear from 81 and War Machine, which bears huge franchise potential.

FeatureDetailsMovieWar Machine (2026)IMDb Score6.8/10 (as of March 7, 2026)Rotten Tomatoes (Tomatometer | Popcornmeter)80% | N/A (as of March 7, 2026)PopcornmeterN/A (Initial Release Phase)DirectorPatrick Hughes (The Hitman’s Bodyguard)Lead CastAlan Ritchson, Dennis Quaid, Stephan James, Jai CourtneyGenreSci-Fi, Action, Military ThrillerRelease DateMarch 6, 2026 (Netflix)Runtime107 Minutes

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War Machine is currently streaming on Netflix (USA).
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