Skip to content
maxnews
People

The Best Young Action Movie Stars Under 45

When it comes to the best young action movie stars under 45, Hollywood features a dynamic lineup of talent redefining what it means to be an action hero. These stars bring fresh energy and charisma to the genre, captivating audiences with their physicality, versatility, and on-screen presence, making them the go-to actors for high-octane roles. Chris Hemsworth has become synonymous with action-packed films, thanks to his iconic portrayal of Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His ability to blend humor, strength, and vulnerability has made him a standout in the action genre. Donald Glover, while often recognized for his music and comedic prowess, has made significant strides in action roles, including his turn in Solo: A Star Wars Story as the charismatic Lando Calrissian. Gal Gadot, breaking barriers and redefining the female action hero, has left an indelible mark with her powerful performance as Wonder Woman, inspiring audiences worldwide. Now it’s your turn to weigh in. Check out our list and vote on your favorite action movie actors under 45. These stars continue to push the boundaries of the genre, and your votes can highlight who truly brings the most excitement to the big screen.

Entries
66
Votes
34.8K
Updated
3 days ago

Tap upor downto vote. Your vote is added to Ranker's counts.

Voting identifies your browser with an anonymous fingerprint, stored only as a salted hash, to count one per visitor. Privacy

Source: Ranker, ranked by its voters.

  1. 1

    Chris Hemsworth

    Chris Hemsworth is best known for his role as Thor in the MCU. He's arguably become a more interesting actor since Taika Waititi gave the God of Thunder some comedy chops in Ragnarok.

    75% upvoted
  2. 2

    Scarlett Johansson

    She's Black Widow in Iron Man 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and all of the subsequent Avengers films, which is probably a safer bet than trying to revive Motoko Kusanagi as a white woman in 2017's Ghost in the Shell remake.

    70% upvoted
  3. 3

    Henry Cavill

    71% upvoted
  4. 4

    Tom Holland

    Best known as Spider-Man, the young Brit can also be seen in Doug Liman's 20199 dystopian thriller Chaos Walking. As an added bonus, he's a trained gymnast, meaning Holland really can do all his own stunts.

    65% upvoted
  5. 5

    Michael B. Jordan

    Fahrenheit 451 was met with mixed reviews, but it does serve as a reminder that Wallace from The Wire can imbue even the silliest of roles with drama. A double-dipper in the MCU, Jordan's played both the Human Torch in Fantastic Four and the villainous N'Jadaka (AKA Erik "Killmonger" Stevens) in Black Panther.

    64% upvoted
  6. 6

    Elizabeth Olsen

    The lone X-Man (or woman!) in The Avengers, this Scarlet Witch has been upstaging her Full House-starring siblings with leading roles in adaptations of the horror-thrillers Oldboy, Silent House, and Godzilla.

    62% upvoted
  7. 7

    Jennifer Lawrence

    Just based on prior performances, you could already put J-Law in the Action Hero Hall of Fame. She's played roles from Katniss to Mystique, with detours into space travel (Passengers) and spying (Red Sparrow). Look out for her reviving her X-Men role in 2019's Dark Phoenix.

    62% upvoted
  8. 8

    Florence Pugh

    61% upvoted
  9. 9

    Sebastian Stan

    Yes, he's the MCU's Winter Soldier. But as audiences of I, Tonya know, the Romanian actor can be just as dangerous with a sagging mustache as he is with a machine gun and robot arm. Look for him in We Have Always Lived in the Castle, I'm Not Here, Destroyer, and reprising his role as Bucky Barnes in the next Avengers.

    57% upvoted
  10. 10

    Emilia Clarke

    This Game of Thrones actress jumps from dragons to a falcon (the Millennium kind) in the Star Wars prequel Solo.

    58% upvoted