When it comes to TV series, Apple TV may have solidified its position as a major player with all the Emmy nominations this year, and it seems that it is gradually aiming to perfect its A-list film game. Mayday can be considered as one fine step in that direction. The movie, which was initially announced in 2024 and officially announced by Apple TV on February 3, 2026, generated quite a buzz with the unusual pairing of Ryan Reynolds and Sir Kenneth Branagh for an action-packed buddy comedy. 

The newly launched trailer for the comedy thriller further adds fuel to all that hype and takes it to an astronomical level.

Ryan Reynolds’ great escapades in Russia with an unlikely ally

Reynolds’ character experiences a severe PTSD reaction at the start of the trailer of Mayday, recalling a covert mission in which he used a parachute to escape a lethal attack. It turns out that an ex-KGB agent found him and saved his life. The two make an odd combination, even though they are still engaged in the Cold War.

Mayday is an action-packed, genre-bending buddy comedy that completely reimagines the spy thriller. During the height of the Cold War, hotshot U.S. Navy pilot Lieutenant Troy “Assassin” Kelly is ordered on a top-secret mission into Russian territory. The operation fails, leaving him stranded behind enemy lines.

What is hilarious is that he is founded and cared for by an ex-KGB agent who, for some reason, loves America and everything about the country. He even helps Kelly get out of Russia, but obviously, it will not be easy, and that is where the real comedy thriller is. Ryan Reynolds‘ signature dry humor and Sir Kenneth Branagh’s thick Russian accent have already set the tone for this new duo in town.

Besides the chemistry between Reynolds and Branagh in the trailer, there is another talented duo attached to the project that makes it even more intriguing.

The writer-director duo behind Apple TV’s Mayday

Co-writers and filmmakers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are back again, this time with Apple TV’s Mayday, continuing their collaboration that has resulted in some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters and studio comedies. Daley went behind the camera and teamed up with Goldstein after starting his career as Sam Weir on the popular but short-lived early 2000s series Freaks and Geeks. 

They have collaborated on movies such as the Horrible Bosses series, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. David Morse, Maria Bakalova, and Marcin Dorocinski play supporting parts in Mayday. The movie starring Ryan Reynolds and Sir Kenneth Branagh will premiere globally on September 4, 2026, only on Apple TV+, which is set to release another great A-List feature before this one arrives.  

Are you excited to see Ryan Reynolds and Sir Kenneth Branagh together in Mayday? Do let us know in the comments.