Extraction kicked off a successful action franchise thanks to Chris Hemsworth and Joe and Anthony Russo. Hemsworth brought some surprising soulfulness, not to mention a killer’s edge, to mercenary Tyler Rake, while the Russos brought the same mix of character-driven story and high-octane action that fueled their work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It might be hard to imagine anyone else other than Hemsworth playing Rake, but he wasn’t the first choice for the lead. Dwayne Johnson was originally slated to play Rake, back when Extraction had a different title and different release plans, but a massive shift in his career — and the Russos’ — led to Extraction’s current form.
Dwayne Johnson and the Russos Aimed To Make ‘Extraction’ Under a Different Name

Image via Netflix

A little-known fact about Extraction is that it’s based on a graphic novel. That graphic novel, Ciudad, was co-created by the Russos with Andre Parks and Fernando León González, and was also originally supposed to be the title of the film when Johnson was attached in 2012. It was also a different time for all parties involved. Johnson had just appeared in Fast Five, which transformed the Fast & Furious franchise into a box office juggernaut and a must-see film series.

The Russos, on the other hand, only had one film to their name: the critically panned You, Me, and Dupree. However, the duo was gaining acclaim for their sitcom work, including the beloved paintball episodes of Community. (The way those paintball fights were staged suggested that the Russos could pull off action well.) However, there was a major shift in everyone’s careers that led to Ciudad taking a back seat.
The Russo Brothers Got Involved With the MCU

The Russos would eventually back out of Ciudad to direct Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which launched their tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only would the brothers return for Captain America: Civil War, but they ended up directing two of the MCU’s biggest films: Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The Russos’ Marvel work led to critical acclaim, while also making them household names. Likewise, Johnson would continue to rack up bigger roles in action films like San Andreas, Rampage, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. This led to him becoming one of the biggest movie stars in the world and thus committing to a number of projects. These divergent paths also meant that Ciudad wouldn’t see the light of day in its original form.

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Eventually, 2018 would see Ciudad reimagined as Dhaka, with Sam Hargrave tapped to direct and Chris Hemsworth in the leading role of Tyler Rake. Though the Russos were no longer directing, they were serving as producers under their newly formed AGBO banner, while Joe Russo also penned the screenplay. But the new cast and crew had connections to the Russos; Hemsworth starred as Thor in Infinity War and Endgame while Hargrave had plenty of stunt work under his belt, doubling for Chris Evans in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and doing second unit work on Infinity War. The results speak for themselves, as Hemsworth gave Rake some much-needed depth while also participating in some brutal fight sequences.
What’s Next for the Netflix Action Franchise?

Image via Netflix

Extraction would wind up as one of Netflix’s most streamed movies, and led to a sequel, Extraction 2. This was a genuine surprise, considering the first Extraction ends with Rake being shot through the neck and falling into a river. Hargrave even confirmed that Extraction was meant to be a singular film before the reaction from test audiences led him to rework the ending. A third film is in the works, with a TV spin-off also being developed for Netflix. The Russos, meanwhile, are preparing their return to Marvel Studios so they can helm Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Johnson, on the other hand, saw his career hitting a speedbump with Black Adam and Red One, which weren’t particularly well-received. There’s a very good chance that if the Russos had managed to make their original version of Extraction with Dwayne Johnson, all of their careers would have looked very different. But the end result is better, as Hemsworth proved to be the right actor for Tyler Rake.

Extraction

Release Date

April 24, 2020

Runtime

117 minutes