Liam Neeson’s Missed Action Franchise

Among Liam Neeson’s top films are several action thrillers from the past 25 years, but only the first installment of “Taken” series has proven to be a lucrative franchise for him. He was offered an opportunity to reprise his role in another action series with one of his films, but he didn’t end up taking it. The movie that was initially planned for this sequel was the 2014 release, “Non-Stop.

Known for his outstanding role in the Best Picture winner “Schindler’s List” and leaving an indelible impact on both the dramatic and fantasy genres with performances in “Star Wars” and “The Chronicles of Narnia”, Neeson remains closely linked to the film “Taken”. While the initial movie about a former CIA agent rescuing his daughter is a timeless hit, subsequent sequels received progressively less favorable reviews.

In the movie “Non-Stop”, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (known for “Orphan”), Liam Neeson plays Bill Marks, a former NYPD officer who is now a Federal Air Marshal and struggles with alcoholism. The story unfolds as Marks receives messages from a mysterious killer threatening to kill a passenger every 20 minutes unless their financial demands are met. With the clock ticking, it’s up to Marks to identify the killer before the tragic deaths begin.

Non-Stop Was Liam Neeson’s Best Potential Replacement For Taken

This Could Have Been Neeson’s Die Hard Franchise

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with director Jaume Collet-Serra back in 2011 on a film titled “Unknown”. Interestingly enough, this was two years before my role in “Non-Stop”. What makes “Unknown” unique among action thrillers is that it delves deeper into the realms of the mind. In this movie, I portray a character who regains consciousness after a coma, only to find himself unrecognized by those around him. The challenge for my character is to validate his identity, as another man lays claim to being him.

In “Non-Stop,” we find a suspenseful tale reminiscent of “Unknown,” but instead of city streets, the drama unfolds high above the clouds on an international flight. As passengers mysteriously meet untimely ends, suspicion falls upon Liam Neeson’s character, Bill Marks. However, by the film’s conclusion, Marks uncovers the identities of the plane’s terrorists and successfully thwarts their plans, vindicating himself and emerging as a hero.

The casting of Liam Neeson as a Federal Air Marshal sets the stage for a fresh series, focusing on his character, potentially marking a return or further escalation of his law enforcement role. In the movie Taken, Neeson portrays an individual with unique abilities to eliminate adversaries, while in Non-Stop, he resembles Bruce Willis in Die Hard, suggesting that multiple sequels could follow.

Non-Stop Didn’t Have To Stop At One Movie

Non-Stop Was One Of Neeson’s More Successful Action Movies

The film “Non-Stop” was a huge success at the box office, earning $222.8 million against a production budget of $50 million, firmly establishing Liam Neeson as a reliable action movie star with significant drawing power. Similarly, actors like Denzel Washington and Keanu Reeves have leveraged their experience in their later years by taking on successful action franchises such as The Equalizer and John Wick, both of which spawned sequels.

Despite focusing solely on the “Taken” series as an ongoing project, Liam Neeson took on various standalone action movies, including “Non-Stop”. Following “Non-Stop”, he reprised his role in another “Taken” film that amassed $327 million against a production budget of $48 million. However, the box office returns for Neeson’s other one-time action thrillers started to decline, with the 2024 release of “Absolution” earning just $4.2 million.

It’s plausible that continuing the storyline of a well-received film such as Non-Stop with a sequel could have led to greater success for Liam Neeson, since audiences might already be invested. Interestingly, in 2025, Non-Stop regained popularity on Netflix, suggesting a continued fascination with the character Marks and potential interest in additional content featuring him.

Additionally, Idris Elba played a comparable character in 2023, but this time in an Apple TV+ streaming series titled “Hijack.” Similar to his role in “Non-Stop,” Elba’s character is on a plane and confronts a hijacking and terrorists. Unlike Liam Neeson, Elba didn’t hesitate to take on more, and there’s even talk of a second season. This suggests that the storyline could have easily continued beyond “Non-Stop.

Why Non-Stop 2 Is Highly Unlikely To Happen Now

Neeson Plans To Stop Acting In Action Thrillers

It seems exciting to contemplate a sequel for the movie “Non-Stop,” especially for those just discovering it this year. However, given Liam Neeson’s recent statements about retiring from action movies, it appears unlikely that such a project is in the works now. In conversations about his acting career, Neeson has hinted at his age being a significant factor, and he expressed a desire not to rely too heavily on his stuntman, Mark Vanselow.

At the age of 72, eventually, it must come to an end. Audiences are too perceptive to be deceived. I prefer not to have Mark perform my action scenes for me.

Afterward, Neeson mentioned that he had a specific deadline for phasing out his roles as the main action-thriller protagonist. As per the actor’s statement, around the end of 2025, he intends to halt accepting roles in action films. Consequently, it seems unlikely that the Non-Stop series, which is an action thriller, will continue with Neeson as its lead character at this point.

It’s intriguing to note that Liam Neeson is 72 and believes he can no longer maintain pace in such movies. Similarly, Denzel Washington, who’s 70, has been pondering retirement. On the other hand, Keanu Reeves, at 60, still seems to have a few more years to continue with roles like his iconic one in the John Wick series. However, for Neeson, movies such as Non-Stop may be drawing to a close.

2025-07-07 16:19