An upcoming Mark Wahlberg movie shares so many story beats with a $224 million-grossing Nicolas Cage action flick that it is hard not to see it as an unofficial sequel to the classic Cage film. While Nicolas Cage has been redefining his career with a mix of eclectic roles for quite some time now, Mark Wahlberg, too, is seemingly stepping away from his usual fare of action comedies to experiment with something different. Although Wahlberg usually plays heroic roles in action and comedy movies, his next film will surprisingly feature him as an antagonist.

Given how Mark Wahlberg was last seen as a full-fledged villain in 1996’s Fear, this new change in his career trajectory alone makes his next film incredibly exciting. However, as the movie’s trailer and plot promise, it will seemingly offer a lot more than a villainous Mark Wahlberg. In more ways than one, it will be similar to a classic Nicolas Cage movie from the late ’90s, potentially instilling nostalgia in those familiar with Cage’s early line of work.

Flight Risk Feels Like The Perfect Spiritual Sequel To Nicolas Cage’s Con Air

Flight Risk & Con Air Feature Similar Hijacking Scenarios

As Flight Risk‘s trailer and official synopsis suggest, it features Mark Wahlberg as its main villain. Wahlberg’s character initially comes off as a pilot whose sole purpose is to fly an Air Marshal and a fugitive to a desired location. However, things take a dark turn when the character turns out to be a hitman assigned with the job of eliminating the fugitive before the flight lands. With what follows, the Air Marshal overpowers Wahlberg’s character and ties him down, but encounters a whole new challenge: neither she nor the fugitive knows how to fly the aircraft.

In many ways, Flight Risk‘s storyline seems reminiscent of the 1997 film Con Air. Directed by Simon West, Con Air features Nicolas Cage as an honorably discharged Army Ranger who is given a sentence of seven to ten years after killing a man in self-defense. When he finally receives parole after eight years and boards a flight back home to reunite with his family, other prisoners hijack the plane, hoping to escape the country. Like Air Marshal from Flight Risk, Nicolas Cage’s Cameron is forced to play along with the hijackers while formulating his own plan to stop them.

Con Air’s Reputation Has Significantly Improved Since Releasing In 1997

Nicolas Cage’s Return To Form Has Made His Previous Films More Popular

Even though Con Air was a box office success when it premiered in 1997, critics did not give it favorable reviews. However, over time, it has garnered somewhat of a cult-classic status like several other Nicolas Cage movies. Although Cage is not as big of an oddball in Con Air as in several other films, like Mandy and Ghost Rider, the movie still makes enough room for him to put his charisma and unique acting gimmicks on full display.

Given how Mark Wahlberg is also experimenting with a villainous role after ages in Flight Risk, it would be interesting to see how his hijacking film will compare to Con Air. With Mel Gibson as its director, Flight Risk not only has the potential to top Con Air but also to rank among some of the classics in the hijacking sub-genre, like Speed. However, only time will tell whether the Mark Wahlberg film will earn the same cult-classic title as Nicolas Cage‘s Con Air down the line or become another forgettable addition to the genre.