This Actor Dominated 2025, and We Need To Give Him His Flowers

Josh Brolin's career has gone through waves of success. While he established himself with 1985's The Goonies, his career went through an over 20-year dip until a major comeback with No Country for Old Men and 2008's Milk, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Brolin would go on to steady success over the next decade, but he truly ingratiated himself with a new generation of fans when playing Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame and appearing in Denis Villeneuve's Dune films as fan favorite, Gurney.

While many fans will believe this is the pinnacle of any actor's career, Brolin has outdone himself in 2025, appearing in several films that have not only performed well at the box office but also received critical and fan praise. Topping the run he had in the MCU and Dune, Brolin has used 2025 to show just how wide his range is, giving varied performances that reflect the films' themes. He may not be the lead of these films like in Infinity War, but playing the supporting or antagonistic role has allowed his skills as an actor to be the main highlight.

Josh Brolin's Outings Have Been Commercial, Critical, and Audience Successes

An actor's year can be judged in many ways. How did the critics review the films they appeared in? How much money did their films generate, and how much did fans enjoy these films? When it comes to measuring Brolin's entries against these qualifiers, even if he can't be credited with the entirety of the outcome, he has been in a plethora of films that have dominated the cinematic zeitgeist. Although The Running Man was not an immediate box office hit, it has enjoyed a resurgence on streaming.

His other two outings in 2025, Zach Cregger's Weapons and the latest entry in Rian Johnson's Wake Up Dead Man, were undeniable successes. Weapons dramatically outperformed its $38 million budget, generating over $252 million worldwide, and is considered one of 2025's best horror movies. Similarly, Wake Up Dead Man dominated Netflix in its opening week, receiving 20.2 million views and a 92% critics' score, representing the successful continuation of a beloved IP. As previously stated, of course, Brolin cannot be considered the sole reason for these positive figures. However, what it does represent is how Brolin was consistently on screens, whether that be at home or in the cinema, and each time he was, people came away from the viewing with a pleasant experience.

Josh Brolin Excels in All Three of His Roles in 2025

If this were merely an extra, or Brolin appeared in meaningless roles throughout each film, then this wouldn't be cause to celebrate for the actor and his fans. However, he never fades into the background in any of Weapons, Running Man, or Wake Up Dead Man. Not only does he play key roles in all three, but each one allows Brolin to show a different side to him than his stoic characters in Marvel and Dune. Yes, in Weapons, you could argue he is still playing a strong-and-silent archetype, but that ignores all the subtle vulnerabilities he displays throughout the film. When he gives the heartbreaking monologue to his son during the dream sequence that Gladys (Amy Madigan) interrupts, his slow descent into teary eyes and guilt-ridden aversion to looking his son in the eye nails Weapons' grounded stakes that, even though there is an evil witch afoot, this is really a story about the safety of children and parents' responsibility in that mission.

Certainly, in neither Wake Up Dead Man nor Running Man can one accuse Brolin of playing his role with reserve. In Running Man, his arrogant smirk accompanies every scene he's in, especially when Brolin's Killian gleefully tells Glen Powell's Ben that he is going to compete in the game show, whether he likes it or not. Brolin's smug delivery highlights how Ben is merely a pawn to the elites, which sets the tone for Ben's rage throughout the rest of the film. In Wake Up Dead Man, Brolin's performance is intensely complex and unstable, portraying an urgency not present in his other roles. He screams and shakes with rage while preaching, foaming at the mouth, conveying the character's desire for control as he refuses to hide how he feels about those around him, which ultimately gets him killed when he openly tries to turn his back on his disciples.

Overall, Brolin hasn't just shown up in each film; he has consistently stolen the spotlight. Whether he is being ruthless in Wake Up Dead Man, depressed in Weapons, or smug in Running Man, Brolin has proven he can turn his hand to any role that piques his interest, making him one of the most fascinating actors to watch moving forward in 2026 and beyond. Thanos may go down as his most talked-about role, but it is 2025 that should be remembered as when he dominated cinema more than anyone else.

Wake Up Dead Man is now available to watch on Netflix in the U.S.