Scott Adkins, trained in karate, capoeira, muay Thai, ninjitsu, wushu, krav maga, judo, kickboxing, kung fu, and among others, has been kicking and punching his way into action movies and Hollywood stardom since the early 2000s. The English actor studied under some of the best martial arts film choreographers in Hong Kong, including Corey Yuen and Jackie Chan, after not making it through the prestigious Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. Adkins has also proved his mettle as a supporting actor and stunt double in some high-profile Hollywood productions, not to mention being a producer and screenwriter for old-school-style action films. Let’s look at some of Scott Adkins’ best movies – the ones with the most epic choreography and those that get the adrenaline pumping. And no, we’re not including his gig as Deadpool in X-Men Origins.
20. Extreme Challenge (2001)
One of Scott Adkins’ earliest lead roles, Extreme Challenge thrust the budding action star into the gritty world of underground fight tournaments – a scenario that would later become an integral part of his career. He stars as Pete, a determined martial artist navigating a dangerous circuit where every brawl could be his last. Featuring lots of intense fight scenes, Extreme Challenge would set Adkins on his path as an action icon, even before Mile High put him on everyone’s radars for good.
19. Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing (2006)
Directed by Isaac Florentine, this gritty sequel pivots from the boxing-centric original to deliver a brutal, no-holds-barred showcase of mixed martial arts – and Adkins’ star power. This is also the movie that gave us the legendary Yuri Boyka: a character that would become a cornerstone in Adkins’ career. His fight scenes – particularly the climactic showdown with Michael Jai White’s ex-champ – are masterclasses in precision, blending taekwondo, kickboxing, and judo into a symphony of violence.
18. Assassination Games (2011)
Assassination Games is Scott Adkins at his most cold-blooded. Teaming up with Jean-Claude Van Damme (yes, the Van Damme) Adkins plays Roland Flint, a brooding assassin out for revenge against a sadistic crime lord. The movie’s got all the grit of a ’90s straight-to-VHS banger, complete with all the mindless violence, gritty setpieces, and Jean-Claude Van Damme you can dream of. Adkins leans into the darkness here, balancing Van Damme’s weathered charisma with a quieter, coiled intensity. It’s not Shakespeare, but when you want two action legends trading bullets and roundhouse kicks? This one’s a bloody good time.
17. Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (2012)
Coming late into the party for a franchise like Universal Soldier can be rough, but Scott Adkins more than lives up to the hype in Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning. Here, he’s not playing second fiddle to Van Damme or Dolph Lundgren; he’s the tormented lead, John, a man hunting the truth (and his own memories) in the middle of a nightmarish conspiracy. The film trades the series’ campy roots for a Jacob’s Ladder vibe, making Day of Reckoning one of the most horrifying entries in this series.
16. The Accidental Spy (2001)
Before he was kicking other action icons, Scott Adkins was just a fresh-faced Brit getting tossed around by Jackie Chan. In The Accidental Spy, Adkins lands his first major film role as a no-nonsense henchman. Spoiler: He doesn’t win the fight. But hey, getting schooled by Chan in your debut? That’s quite the honor. Though his screen time is brief, Adkins holds his own, flashing the physicality and intensity that would define his career.
15. The Pink Panther (2006)
Look, we all know that 2006’s The Pink Panther relies entirely on Steve Martin’s comedic timing and Jean Reno’s deadpan delivery, but let’s take a second to appreciate Scott Adkins’ gloriously random cameo as Jacquard, a French soccer star. Yes, French. And yes, he’s flanked by Jason Statham – another Englishman cosplaying as a Parisian athlete. Adkins is on the screen for a minuscule amount of time, but he manages to strike an impressive bicycle kick that would make even Cristiano Ronaldo jealous.
14. Day Shift (2022)
Day Shift introduced audiences to a world where vampires roam the streets as Jamie Foxx and Dave Franco work to protect their city and make some money for the vampire hunters’ guild. Scott Adkins came into play alongside Steve Howey as Diran and Mike Nazarian, or the Nazarian brothers. Badass fighters, as always, when Day Shift first came out, the only thing fans were talking about was wanting to have their own Nazarian brothers spin-off.
13. Close Range (2015)
Once a soldier, now a rogue and an outlaw, Colton MacReady is ready to do whatever it takes to protect his sister and young niece from a dirty sheriff and the drug cartel that has him in their pocket. It all started with a flash drive that no one understood how dangerous it was. Filled with action, crime and thrills, Close Range was an underrated movie that flew under the radar for way too many people.
12. Max Cloud (2020)
When a teenage gamer opens a portal that leads her into her favourite video game, she discovers that she’ll have to beat the game to escape the dangerous intergalactic prison where she’s been stranded. It’s a story we’ve seen done in sci-fi countless times before, but Max Cloud still manages to keep things entertaining thanks to its relentless action and over-the-top B-movie sensibilities.
Scott Edward Adkins plays the titular Max Cloud, a Flash Gordon-like hero who will help young Sarah return to the real world while protecting her from some of the galaxy’s most terrible villains. Max Cloud is just quirky fun that never takes itself too seriously – just as these movies need to be.
11. The Expendables 2 (2012)
Speaking of B-movies, the Expendables franchise based its identity on being a love letter to the testosterone-fueled action movies of the eighties. The Expendables 2 might be the best one in the series, introducing even more veteran action stars to the mix for the ultimate eighties joyride.
Joining Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham in the second movie is Scott Adkins, who plays Hector, the right-hand man to the evil – and appropriately named – Vilain. The martial artist was previously set to appear in the first Expendables movie but had to turn down the role due to contract obligations with Undisputed III: Redemption.
10. Triple Threat (2019)
Directed by Jesse V. Johnson, Triple Threat is an action-packed film that proves that excellent combat choreography can elevate the quality of any movie. In the flick, a group of mercenaries inadvertently release a malicious gang leader who’s hellbent on tying loose ends, with deadly consequences.
A common trend you’ll notice in many of this list’s entries is that Scott Adkins is simply phenomenal playing the bad guy in movies. That talent is fully displayed here, as he plays Collin, a fearsome leader and the movie’s almost undefeatable antagonist.
9. One Shot (2021)
When it comes to action movies, Scott Adkins isn’t just limited to martial arts movies and flashy stunts, as he proves in the outstanding civil conflict film One Shot. Released in 2021, the movie chronicles a covert mission by CIA operatives as they transport a prisoner off of a black site. Needless to say, things went south very fast during the operation.
The movie reunites director James Nunn, known for his low-budget action movies, with Scott Adkins. The result is a movie that feels more like a video game and less like a civil severe conflict drama – and sometimes, that’s all we want from films.
8. Avengement (2019)
Scott Adkins stars in Jesse V. Johnson’s film as Cain Burguess in this gritty tale of revenge. After spending years of interrogation in prison, Cain escapes and swears to claim his vengeance on those who made him a cold-blooded weapon. Avengement is unapologetic, and its masterfully crafted stunts alone are worth the watch.
One scene, in particular, is inside a pub where Cain takes out an entire gang by himself. Numerous outlets have nominated the impressive combat scene as one of the best brawls of the decade – and we’re talking about a decade that saw the release of all three John Wick movies here.
7. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
Speaking of a John Wick film, as the fourth chapter rolled around, the prolific action film series finally saw it fit to include the legendary Scott Adkins in a form you probably weren’t expecting when you went into the movie. Wearing a fat suit and appearing as Killa alongside other amazing martial artists like Marko Zaror and Shamier Anderson, Adkins proved that he can fight under any circumstances. I’m sure that when you saw Killa whipping the floor with Wick for a few moments, you were just as shocked as I was to see it going down that way. A Killa Harkan prequel TV series, anyone?
6. Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019)
The epic conclusion to the Ip Man saga features Bruce Lee’s legendary master going to the U.S. to oversee the rising popularity of Wing Chun in America. Much to his dismay, the martial arts community seems to be enraged at Bruce Lee for teaching kung fu techniques to the Americans, while one of Lee’s students tries to introduce Wing Chun into the U.S. Army’s hand-to-hand combat techniques.
Sergeant Barton Geddes (played by Adkins) vehemently opposes kung fu teachings. Blinded by his hatred towards the Chinese, Geddes tries to prove the Marines’ karate superiority—with unsurprising results, considering this is a kung fu movie.
5. Accident Man (2018)
Written, produced, and starring Scott Adkins, Accident Man is an exhilarating thriller that never disappoints with its over-the-top action scenes and witty dialogue. Adkins plays Mike Fallon, the so-called “Accident Man;” a hitman who specializes in making his hits look like accidents will have his life turned upside down when he hears about the deliberate death of his beloved ex.
Accident Man stars a decent number of stunt and action stars, such as Ray Park and Martin Ford.
4. Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear (2013)
The sequel to the 2009 cult hit Ninja, Shadow of a Tear, sees ninjutsu master Casey Bowman sprinting back to action. Isaac Florentine’s Ninja II seems like a proper return to the form of the late 1980s ninja films, and action fans are all in for it.
Once again, Scott Adkins reprises his role as American ninjutsu master Casey. This type of movie is non-stop action from beginning to end, never letting those pesky things like a “plot” get in the way of the fun. It’s just old-school cool; that’s what it is.
3. Doctor Strange (2016)
Scott Adkins’ foray into the MCU movies didn’t end well for his character. He played Lucian Aster in the 2016 movie Doctor Strange, a role that saw him being the right-hand man to Mads Mikkelsen’s Kaecilius. Lucien is one of the only human characters Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr Strange outright destroys in a movie, which might not bode all too well for Adkins’ future in the MCU.
Even Adkins seems to regret playing the character, as he confessed in an interview with The Illuminerdi that he feels like he “[blew] his chance to be in the Marvel Universe.” Don’t worry, Scott: there’s always the DCEU.
2. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
A modern civil conflict film classic directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty chronicles the arduous and often controversial that was the hunt for Osama bin Laden following the events of the Twin Towers. The movie goes into great detail about how the CIA and the Navy S.E.A.L.s Team 6 worked together to pinpoint the location of one of the most wanted men in U.S. history.
Despite having only a tiny role, Adkins’ contribution to the movie as it is proved Zero Dark Thirty’s whole point: this was a joint operation where no person stood above others. Everyone had to pull their weight to find bin Laden. Ultimately, Adkins’ character, John Simmons, was just another cog in the CIA’s master plan.
1. Boyka: Undisputed (2016)
The top of the list is no surprise. The fourth instalment of the combat franchise, Boyka: Undisputed, allows Scott Adkins to do what he does best: show off all forms of martial arts. Directed by Todor Chapkanov with Isaac Florentine producing, the story follows Yuri Boyka’s journey to redemption in Russia, where he competes in a series of MMA street brawls to free a widow (whose husband he mortally wounded in the ring) from the clutches of the Russian mafia.
It’s easily one of Scott Adkins’ best movies to date — offering a good mixture of well-choreographed combat scenes and drama. It’s gritty, angry and a satisfying ending to the franchise.
Honourable mentions: The Debt Collector, Green Street Hooligans: Underground, The Bourne Ultimatum, Special Forces, Hard Target 2.
RELATED: Interview: Scott Adkins Talks Take Cover, Action Movies, and Our Never-Ending Batman Pleas
What are your favourite Scott Adkins movies? Also, check out our exclusive video of Scott Adkins Batman audition and why Mortal Kombat’s Joe Taslim wanted Scott Adkins as Johnny Cage.
I think the perfect comic character for Scott Adkins
It would be Wildcat (Ted Grant).