It seems like any and everyone in Hollywood is jumping at the chance to be part of the Fast and Furious finale. The family was growing as Fast alum Tyrese Gibson welcomed the newest addition, Jason Momoa, into the franchise. Even The Marvels’ Brie Larson has pitched herself for a possible Fast and Furious movie. There seemed to be another star vying for a spot in Fast 10 and 11 – Uncharted’s Mark Wahlberg. A mini-Max Payne reunion between him and Ludacris sparked speculation over Wahlberg’s involvement in the decades-long franchise.
Wahlberg and the rapper costarred in the 2008 video game movie Max Payne where the Uncharted star took on the title role. The two former co-stars caught up while at one of Mark Wahlberg’s favorite spots – the gym. While the two stars were pumping some iron, Wahlberg teased a possible project between him and Ludacris in the Instagram post below.
Both actors looked quite jacked while catching up at the gym. Mark Wahlberg and Ludacris appear to be in top shape, maybe just enough to do another action flick together. Unfortunately, Wahlberg didn’t announce he was joining the Fast and Furious franchise. But he did leave the door open for another film he and the entertainer could star in next. Both men seemed more than eager to make a Max Payne follow-up a reality.
What Could Be Their Max Payne Follow-Up?
It's been over a decade since Mark Wahlberg and Ludacris starred in Max Payne. Wahlberg went all badass as the beloved video game detective trying to clear his name after being framed for two murders. The rapper played Lt. Bravura, who oversaw bringing him in. The two co-stars played cat and mouse games the entire time, ending in Payne being surrounded by the SWAT Team.
But a lot has changed since Wahlberg and Ludacris played adversaries in the 2008 action film. Maybe this time, they will play on the same side – good or bad. The entertainer has gotten his fill of high-octane action with the Fast and the Furious series. Mark Wahlberg hasn’t been a slouch in that department either with fare like Mile 22, Infinite, and Uncharted. It seemed like the actor was jumping at the opportunity to star alongside the rapper again.
Meeting up at the gym showed both men have worked on their physiques since Max Payne. Maybe it could lead to another action flick or a possible start of another franchise. Ludacris isn't too sad about the Fast and Furious franchise ending, and maybe looking for another franchise to hop into. Wahlberg doesn’t have a current franchise so this could be the perfect opportunity for them to start a new one.
Maybe they could go back and reboot the Max Payne character in a new film. There are still two Max Payne games Mark Wahlberg and Ludacris could revisit or make a completely original story for the characters.
Mark Wahlberg has been pushing to get his take on the superhero genre Six Billion Dollar Man made for some time. If things don't work out, maybe he and Ludacris could jump into the genre as the leads of an original or untapped comic book IP to bring to the big screen. Again, the gym snapshot showed they are physically ready to take on a superhero duo.
At the end of the day, it was nice to see the two former co-stars catch up years after coming head-to-head in the video game movie. If you want to watch all the twists and turns Max Payne dealt with, you can catch the film along with other great movies on HBO Max. Of course, Mark Wahlberg and Ludacris still have other upcoming releases coming out in 2022.
