Co-writer and director Patrick Hughes has expressed interest in continuing the story.

Will there be a *War Machine *sequel? Here’s what the director has teased (and what Alan Ritchson thinks)

Co-writer and director Patrick Hughes has expressed interest in continuing the story.

By Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at **. She has been working at * *since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify.

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March 10, 2026 2:18 p.m. ET

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Alan Ritchson as 81 in 'War Machine'. Credit:

Ben King/Netflix

- *War Machine *premiered on Netflix on March 6.

- It stars Alan Ritchson as an U.S. Army Ranger hopeful whose final test pits him against an otherworldly threat.

- The ending leaves the door open for a potential sequel.

**Warning: This article contains spoilers for *War Machine*.**

Part 1980s action flick, part sci-fi thriller, *War Machine *delivers the kind of pulse-pounding spectacle we rarely see from straight-to-streaming films.

Co-written and directed by Patrick Hughes, the film stars Alan Ritchson (*Reacher*) as a staff sergeant known only as 81 who endures an insanely grueling bootcamp to become a U.S. Army Ranger. It's an undertaking in honor of his brother (Jai Courtney), who died in his arms on the battlefield.

While his fellow soldiers start bonding and embracing the Ranger dream, 81 keeps to himself and stays focused on making it to the finish line. But the final test spirals out of control, forcing the group to battle a virtually unstoppable enemy.

*War Machine *is currently dominating the Netflix charts, and its open-ended finale hints that the story might not be over just yet. So, will there be a sequel? Here's everything we know so far.

What is *War Machine *about?

(L to R) Jack Patten as 109, James Beaufort as 23, Alan Ritchson as 81, Alex King as 44, and Blake Richardson as 15 in 'War Machine'.

Ben King/Netflix

Two years after his brother's death, Ritchson's character enlists to join the Rangers and is assigned candidate number 81. Throughout the brutal section program, he quickly proves his exceptional skill and discipline, but he refuses to connect with his fellow recruits. And, despite his prior experience as an Army leader, 81 chooses to forgo any leadership roles.

After 81 nearly drowns during an underwater drill, the regiment leaders (played by Dennis Quaid and Esai Morales) express concern that his PTSD from losing his brother might put him at risk or affect the team. They suggest he leave the program, but he refuses, determined to make it to the end.

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As the recruits push through the toughest weeks of training, the narrative occasionally cuts to TV news reports of an asteroid entering Earth's atmosphere, leaving NASA utterly perplexed. That enigmatic celestial event later plays a pivotal role in the recruits final trial.

For their last mission, the team must take out a captured classified aircraft and extract a pilot being held prisoner. But things go off the rails when they encounter a towering machine hellbent on annihilating them all.**

What happens at the end of War Machine?

Alan Ritchson as 81 and Stephan James as 7 in 'War Machine'.

Ben King/Netflix

In the epic final battle, 81 rams the machine with a bulldozer, trapping it against a rock wall. He then triggers a conveyor belt overhead to dump an avalanche of rocks onto it. With its ventilator now blocked, the machine explodes.

81 then hauls 7 (Stephan James) back to camp, only to discover that the "asteroid" has split into numerous pods. Now, the entire planet faces a full-blown invasion by machines akin to the one 81 just destroyed — and even more are on the way.

As the siege escalates, militaries around the world have mobilized under "Operation Global Shield." 81 shares crucial tactics for taking down the machines, earns his Ranger tab, and immediately jumps back into the fight.

He soon boards a helicopter to join the counterattack, and as it lifts off, a sergeant on board scans the roster of Rangers. He notices 81, who has fallen asleep after his exhausting battle.

Despite 81's heroics, the threat is far from over. Alien pods continue to ravage Earth, signaling that the machine invasion is only getting started. All the while, 81's true identity remains a mystery — no one knows his name, and the film ends without revealing it.

Will there be a *War Machine *sequel?

The alien machine in 'War Machine'.

Nothing is official yet, but both Hughes and Ritchson have expressed interest in returning for a *War Machine *sequel. Hughes told ScreenRant that he initially wrote *War Machine *as a "fully formed standalone story," but if he ever got the chance to continue it, he knows "exactly where it's going."

"It's impossible not to, as a writer, to think about," Hughes added. "I fell in love with the character of 81, and the universe of sort of everything he's going through. So look, if that call comes in, then yes, I'm ready to pull the trigger."

Ritchson echoed Hughes' excitement, claiming there are already "tons" of ideas for 81. "*War Machines* is going to be sick. The whole thing, we got a whole thing," he said.

In a separate interview with Decider, Ritchson joked that they're "ready to shoot" the sequel right now. Meanwhile, Hughes shared his vision: "For me, I wanted to tell a film that started with the micro, and ended with the macro," he said. "And I thought that was a really unique take on the genre that we were working in. Let’s see what happens."

Ritchson even threw in a humorous pitch for a *War Machine *sequel, saying, "81 goes to Paris, and he stays at Le Bristol, and he gets that really lovely chicken truffle soup that they have."

Where can I watch War Machine?

Alan Ritchson as 81 and Stephan James as 7 in 'War Machine'.

Ben King/Netflix

*War Machine *is now streaming on Netflix.

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