Matt Damon Starts A New Era After 113-Minute Thriller Confirmed As 2026's Biggest Streaming Hit

Between The Odyssey and a certain Netflix original thriller, Matt Damon is having an incredible 2026. In hindsight, Matt Damon's movie career is one of the most enviable in Hollywood. He has fronted award-winning dramas (Good Will Hunting) and hit franchises (The Bourne saga), in addition to working with some of the best filmmakers in the business.

Damon loves to make surprise cameos too, popping up in everything from Deadpool 2 to EuroTrip and the Thor movies. Like any A-lister, he's had his share of duds too; yet, it speaks to his savvy that he's been a bankable star for close to 30 years. 2026 has underlined that, especially with the billion-dollar success of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Not content to front one of the biggest theatrical movies of the year, Damon started 2026 with its biggest streaming success too.

The Rip is a gritty action thriller reuniting real-life besties Damon and Ben Affleck, playing two cops who uncover a huge money stash. This Netflix original received solid reviews and, according to Nielsen data, is the most-viewed streaming movie of 2026 thus far at 4.4 billion viewing minutes. To put that in context, the second most-viewed was Netflix's own War Machine (3.5 billion minutes), whilst Prime Video's top original movie, The Wrecking Crew, came in at 2.9 billion minutes.

The Rip & The Odyssey Have Re-Established Matt Damon As A Great Leading Man

Damon has always been a welcome presence, but the years leading up to 2026 were a little lean for him as a leading man. Despite receiving great reviews, the likes of Ridley Scott's The Last Duel and 2023's Air both bombed. Damon played a major supporting role in Chris Nolan's Oppenheimer, but that was ultimately the Cillian Murphy show. In fact, Damon hasn't had a solid theatrical hit as a lead actor since 2019's Ford v Ferrari.

That's what makes 2026 so impressive for the star, as he has firmly renewed his A-lister license. Both The Rip and The Odyssey were incredibly well-crafted, audience-pleasing fare that still gave Damon intriguing roles to play. They both offered him a change of pace also, as a gritty, 1970s-style crime thriller and an old-fashioned Hollywood epic aren't in his usual wheelhouse.

Why Matt Damon's 2026 Movies Have Been So Successful

Whether by accident or design, Damon couldn't have planned 2026 better for himself. Of course, it was Christopher Nolan who approached the star to front The Odyssey, and given the director's track record, it was really a no-brainer for Damon to sign up. This "risk" paid off in critical acclaim and box-office glory, and as the star himself admitted, The Odyssey will likely be one of the last epics shot in such a practical, grounded manner.

The overwhelming success of The Rip might have come as more of a surprise, though. On paper, this Netflix original had much to recommend it: a great cast and director in Joe Carnahan (The Grey), not to mention a killer hook. While the film has its issues, including a third-act twist that feels kind of goofy, it's perfect Friday night entertainment. It also helped that reviews for The Rip were real positive too.

Matt Damon's Upcoming Movies Can Continue This Trend

Damon doesn't appear to have any other acting roles in 2026 - though a cameo or two isn't out of the question - but he can continue his winning streak into 2027. He replaced Ryan Gosling in The Daniels' (Everything Everywhere All at Once) currently untitled next movie. While the plot for this sci-fi film has yet to be revealed, it is said to have shades of both Inception and The Breakfast Club.

Even if it isn't a smash success, at the very least, this movie should be a lot of fun. Given his rejuvenated leading-man career, it would be smart for Universal to get a sixth Bourne movie into production ASAP. Matt Damon has expressed interest in returning to the franchise over ten years on from the previous outing, Jason Bourne, while Edward Berger is currently attached as director.