The Running Man: Josh Brolin Reveals Why He Joined Edgar Wright’s Survival Thriller

Josh Brolin opens up about working with Edgar Wright on The Running Man and what makes his villain Dan Killian a manipulative mastermind.

- November 12, 2025 | 6:23 PM IST

Josh Brolin Reveals Why He Said Yes To Edgar Wright’s The Running Man (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Josh Brolin is all set to return to the big screen in a completely new avatar with Edgar Wright’s upcoming action thriller The Running Man. The film, set for release on November 14th, reimagines the cult 1987 sci-fi classic through Wright’s signature storytelling style. Brolin plays Dan Killian, a powerful media figure who controls a deadly game show where survival means fame — and failure means death.

For Josh Brolin, this project isn’t just another big-budget action flick — it’s a collaboration years in the making. Having known Edgar Wright for a long time, the actor revealed that this film finally gave them the perfect chance to work together. With a strong cast led by Glen Powell and Colman Domingo, The Running Man promises to deliver an intense and character-driven spectacle.

Josh Brolin On His Character Dan Killian

During the global promotions of the film, in an interview with Rolling Stone, Josh Brolin spoke candidly about the film. He said, “Dan Killian runs everything. I don’t know if he’s created the show, but he’s running the show as a puppet master, and he’s very good at manipulating situations in order to exploit them and get the best ratings possible. Knowing that what people seem to want to see is whether people are able to live up to a potential, and most people are not.”

When asked what drew him to the role, Brolin credits director Edgar Wright and the ensemble cast. “Edgar, first and foremost. Glenn and Colman, I was told about them first and foremost, which was very, very attractive to me. I’d seen Glen in Top Gun: Maverick, and I thought he was very good. And I’d seen Colman in Sing Sing. But Edgar, I’d known Edgar for a long time, so we were always looking for something to do together, and this was it. With Edgar, it’s specific. It’s his friendship. You know, I think that he’s proven to be a really great filmmaker, so I can rely on that. But then, beyond that, there’s a shorthand that we have that you don’t normally have with directors whom you don’t know and don’t have the history that we do. And we have a long history together,” he said.

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Talking about his experience with the team, Brolin says, “It’s a good cast. You know, I’m lucky because, you know, Weapons was a good cast. (Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery), also a great cast. You know, I’ve been very, very fortunate. But people who are professional and aren’t like Killian, bloated with their own egos, they come to the set knowing their stuff. They’re into it, and that’s great to be around. I’m a big fan of Glen’s. I have been, I think, personally, professionally, both. He’s great. Colman, same. I didn’t get to work with Michael Cera, but I thought he was great. Lee Pace, I think he’s great. So I’m just, it’s one of those things that I’m very, very lucky to be working with the people that I am.”

The Running Man follows Ben Richards, a man who enters a deadly reality competition to earn money to save his sick daughter. Survive 30 days and win $1 billion, while elite Hunters, including McCone, try to kill you. The Running Man releases in theaters on November 14, 2025.