John Creasy is back in Netflix’s new reimagining of Man on Fire based on the original novel by** A. J. Quinnell**. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as the international man of action in the new series, and Collider has an exclusive preview sneak peek from the series that shows exactly how deadly his iteration of John Creasy is. The series will premiere on Netflix on April 30.

In our exclusive sneak peek, which takes place during Creasy’s days as a Special Forces operator, he’s coordinating a mission with the help of his CIA contact (Scoot McNairy, Halt and Catch Fire). After some light-hearted back and forth with his teammates, the mission is a go…but soon, things go very wrong. There’s much more opposition than they’d planned for, and soon even Creasy’s impromptu command center is overrun by gunmen. What happens next is a brutal explosion of action that proves Abdul-Mateen’s Creasy is just as capable as Denzel Washington’s interpretation of the character…if not more. Will this be the incident that makes Creasy leave the service and become a bodyguard-for-hire? You’ll have to tune in to Netflix next month to find out.

Casting (Re)Directors — The Collider TV Quiz! ](/tv-quiz-mar-20-2026-recast-roles-family-matters/)

When a new actor takes over an existing role, audiences can be wary. On this first day of spring, let’s look at some characters who got fresh starts.

Collider also had the chance to talk with writer and showrunner Kyle Killen about his new vision of the series. Killen was one of the people who discovered Tony Scott’s 2004 big-screen version of *Man on Fire *after its theatrical run, and found that “it hits in a way that sticks with you because there’s an emotional core under all the action. A broken man resurrected by connection amidst an impossible struggle against overwhelming odds. That’s a story that resonates across time, and I don’t take the opportunity to tell it lightly.” He also delved into the film’s source material, a series of thriller novels by A.J. Quinnell, but don’t expect “a direct adaptation”: Killen instead found the “spiritual and emotional core” of the books, which helped him move the story from Italy (where the novel is set), and Mexico (where the 2004 was set) to modern-day Brazil.

As he puts it, “Quinell’s stories are less about places than people, and when we looked around at where he’d be most likely to find the kind of trouble that Creasy would respond to, Brazil offered a compelling case. A beautiful land and people fighting against a dedicated few out to corrupt and spoil it.” Killen was also effusive in his praise for Mateen, telling Collider:

“He has a strength and charisma that draws you in even when he’s playing a character trying to keep people out. Creasy is so scarred from the events in his past that he’s unwilling to let anyone get close. It takes a special actor to make that magnetic. Yahya is exactly that special actor.”

The late Tony Scott brought his unique directorial style to the 2004 film, and Killen wanted to pay tribute to him in a special way, explaining: “Everyone involved reveres the work that Tony did, and we tried to honor it not by apeing it, but by letting it inspire us to be distinct in our own way. Steven Caple Jr. understood the assignment and guided us to something that feels fresh and original while also feeling connected to its roots. That’s no easy task, and we’re incredibly fortunate we found a director who was up to it.”

Man on Fire will premiere exclusively on Netflix on April 30. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates and watch our exclusive sneak peek above.

](/tag/action/)

](/tag/thriller/)

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Bobby Cannavale

Scoot McNairy