Ryan Reynolds is back with a new action comedy as Mayday arrives on Apple TV today, September 4, 2026. The movie pairs Reynolds with Kenneth Branagh for a Cold War adventure that mixes espionage, survival, action, and comedy.
Mayday comes from writers and directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the filmmaking duo behind Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Game Night. The new Apple Original Film runs for 1 hour and 50 minutes and carries a PG-13 rating.
- Release date: September 4, 2026
- Where to watch: Apple TV
- Runtime: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Genre: Action comedy
- Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh, Maria Bakalova, Marcin Dorociński and David Morse
What is Mayday about?
Spoilers for the basic premise of Mayday follow.
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Set in 1987 during the Cold War, Mayday follows Lieutenant Troy “Assassin” Kelly, a hotshot U.S. Navy pilot played by Reynolds. Troy receives a top-secret assignment that sends him into Russian territory, but the operation quickly goes wrong and leaves him stranded behind enemy lines.
His chances of getting home change after he meets Nikolai Ustinov, played by Branagh. Nikolai is a former KGB agent with an unusual fascination with American culture, making him an unlikely person for Troy to trust while surrounded by Soviet forces.
The two eventually form an alliance as Troy searches for a way out of Russia. Their mismatched personalities provide much of the comedy, while the mission gives the movie room for aerial sequences, chases, espionage, and other action set pieces.
Mayday is a standalone movie, so viewers do not need to watch a previous film or season before starting it. The story introduces Troy, Nikolai, and their Cold War mission from the beginning.
Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh lead the movie
Reynolds takes the central role as Troy Kelly, continuing the fast-talking action-comedy style seen across several of his recent films. However, Mayday places that character inside a 1980s military and spy setting, with the film also playing with familiar action-movie ideas from that period.
Branagh’s Nikolai gives Troy an unexpected partner once the mission falls apart. Nikolai has his own history with the Soviet system, while his interest in American culture creates another connection between the two men as they attempt to survive.
Maria Bakalova stars as Anna Ustinov, while Marcin Dorociński plays Alexander Volkov and David Morse appears as Harold Kelly.
The movie also marks Reynolds’ first film release since Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024, giving fans another major starring role after a two-year gap.
Mayday is now streaming globally on Apple TV. If you plan to watch Troy and Nikolai’s Cold War escape mission this weekend, let us know what you think of the movie in the comments.
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