'Afterburn' Trailer with Dave Bautista Sparks Mixed Reactions: Fans Praise Action, Question Plot
Will a star-studded cast save Afterburn from its shaky plot?
Dave Bautista is back with a new sci-fi action flick called Afterburn, and trust me, it’s not your usual post-apocalyptic story. After a solar flare wrecks Earth’s atmosphere, only the toughest survive — and Bautista plays a treasure hunter on a mission to find the Mona Lisa somewhere in a drastically changed Europe. Sounds wild, right?
He’s joined by Olga Kurylenko (you might recognise her from the Marvel'sThunderbolts) and the ever-charismatic Samuel L. Jackson, so the cast is definitely stacked. The director, J. J. Perry, is no stranger to action, having helmed the zombie-packed Day Shift for Netflix.
While there’s no official release date yet, insiders suggest we’ll see it hit screens in late 2025 or early 2026. The trailer already sets the tone with plenty of thrilling action and a world that clings tightly to relics of the past — even when everything else has fallen apart.
Exclusive first trailer for ‘AFTERBURN’, a new action thriller starring Dave Bautista, Olga Kurylenko and Samuel L. Jackson
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 2, 2025
The film follows a treasure hunter who ventures to Europe to uncover the Mona Lisa after a solar flare destroyed the Earth's eastern hemisphere pic.twitter.com/tqXliCu4lb
It’s a fresh take on the genre, mixing survival stakes with a surprising cultural quest. Bautista’s rugged charm fits perfectly into this gritty landscape, and the supporting cast adds layers that promise more than just explosions.
Of course, not everyone’s convinced. Some fans on X have their doubts. one joked,
One joked, "Plot twist: Samuel L. Jackson’s been the Mona Lisa this whole time." Others are sceptical about the science behind the story, with comments like, "Wtf is with stupid plots like losing part of the atmosphere which is basically impossible."
And a few are cautious after recent disappointments: "Will watch it for my Asian brother Bautista BUT PLEASE!!! Be better than Army of the Dead." Still, most agree the trailer itself is a strong hook: "It’s a great trailer, though."
