20 Best Action TV Shows on Max 2026
Discover Max’s most exciting action-packed series, from Game of Thrones and The Last of Us to Banshee, Barry, and more must-watch picks.
If you want a lineup of high-energy series with big fights, sharp stakes, and standout performances, Max has plenty worth diving into. This guide rounds up the best action TV shows on Max, from the dragon-filled scale of House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones to the gritty survival drama of The Last of Us and the war epic Band of Brothers. You’ll also find genre-blending favorites like Banshee, Barry, and The Pacific, plus newer must-sees such as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. With adventure, drama, fantasy, and even a touch of romance in the mix, there’s something here for every mood. We’ve sorted through a broader list so you can jump straight to the shows that deliver the biggest payoff.
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01
Lanterns
action & adventure · crime · drama · mystery & thriller · science-fiction
Two intergalactic cops, new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, are drawn into a dark, Earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.
Directed by James Hawes, Geeta Vasant Patel, Alik Sakharov, Stephen WilliamsCast Aaron Pierre, Kyle Chandler, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna JagannathanMax -
02
House of the Dragon
action · adventure · drama · fantasy · romance
The Targaryen dynasty is at the absolute apex of its power, with more than 15 dragons under their yoke. Most empires crumble from such heights. In the case of the Targaryens, their slow fall begins when King Viserys breaks with a century of tradition by naming his daughter Rhaenyra heir to the Iron Throne. But when Viserys later fathers a son, the court is shocked when Rhaenyra retains her status as his heir, and seeds of division sow friction across the realm.
Directed by Clare Kilner, Geeta Vasant Patel, Miguel Sapochnik, Greg Yaitanes, Loni PeristereCast Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Sonoya Mizuno, Kurt EgyiawanMax -
03
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
action · adventure · drama · fantasy
A century before the events of Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros: a young, naive but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits await these improbable and incomparable friends.
Directed by Owen Harris, Sarah Adina Smith, Andrea HarkinCast Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell, Daniel Ings, Shaun Thomas, Danny WebbMax -
04
Band of Brothers
action · drama · history · war
Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as their journals and letters, Band of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men from paratrooper training in Georgia through the end of the war. As an elite rifle company parachuting into Normandy early on D-Day morning, participants in the Battle of the Bulge, and witness to the horrors of war, the men of Easy knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear - and became the stuff of legend. Based on Stephen E. Ambrose's acclaimed book of the same name.
Directed by David Frankel, Mikael Salomon, Tom Hanks, David Leland, Richard LoncraineCast Scott Grimes, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Shane Taylor, Donnie WahlbergMax -
05
Banshee
action · crime · drama · mystery · thriller
Banshee is an American drama television series set in a small town in Pennsylvania Amish country and features an enigmatic ex-con posing as a murdered sheriff who imposes his own brand of justice while also cooking up plans that serve his own interests.
Directed by Ole Christian Madsen, Greg Yaitanes, Loni Peristere, S.J. Clarkson, Miguel SapochnikCast Antony Starr, Ivana Milicevic, Ulrich Thomsen, Frankie Faison, Matt ServittoMax -
06
Lazarus
animation · action · adventure · sci-fi · thriller
In 2052, a Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist develops a drug called Hapna — a cure-all that has the unexpected side-effect of causing death three years later. In response to this threat, a special force of agents—nicknamed "Lazarus"— is assembled to take on the malevolent Skinner.
Directed by Shin'ichirō WatanabeCast Mamoru Miyano, Makoto Furukawa, Maaya Uchida, Yuma Uchida, Manaka IwamiMax -
07
Game of Thrones
action · adventure · drama · fantasy
Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros. Friction between the houses leads to full-scale war. All while a very ancient evil awakens in the farthest north. Amidst the war, a neglected military order of misfits, the Night's Watch, is all that stands between the realms of men and icy horrors beyond.
Directed by David Nutter, Alan Taylor, Alex Graves, Miguel Sapochnik, Mark MylodCast Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, Sophie TurnerMax -
08
Batman: The Animated Series
animation · action · adventure · crime · family · mystery · sci-fi
Vowing to avenge the murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne devotes his life to wiping out crime in Gotham City as the masked vigilante "Batman".
Directed by Kevin Altieri, Boyd Kirkland, Frank Paur, Dan Riba, Dick SebastCast Kevin Conroy, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Bob Hastings, Loren Lester, Robert CostanzoAmazon Prime VideoMax -
09
Barry
action · comedy · crime · drama
A listless hitman is enthralled by theatre acting and becomes eager to leave his old life behind in pursuit of a new career.
Directed by Bill Hader, Alec Berg, Hiro Murai, Maggie Carey, Liza JohnsonCast Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, Henry WinklerMax -
10
The Last of Us
action · adventure · drama · horror · sci-fi · thriller
Twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed, Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the United States and depend on each other for survival.
Directed by Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann, Peter Hoar, Ali Abbasi, Jeremy WebbCast Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal, Gabriel Luna, Isabela Merced, Young MazinoMax -
11
Peacemaker
action · adventure · comedy · crime · drama · fantasy · sci-fi
The continuing story of Peacemaker, a vainglorious superhero/supervillain who believes in peace at any cost — no matter how many people he has to kill. After a miraculous recovery from his duel with Bloodsport, Peacemaker soon discovers that his freedom comes at a price.
Directed by James Gunn, Alethea Jones, Greg Mottola, Brad Anderson, Jody HillCast John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Jennifer Holland, Steve AgeeMax -
12
Superman & Lois
action · adventure · drama · sci-fi
After years of facing megalomaniacal supervillains, monsters wreaking havoc on Metropolis, and alien invaders intent on wiping out the human race, The Man of Steel aka Clark Kent and Lois Lane come face to face with one of their greatest challenges ever: dealing with all the stress, pressures and complexities that come with being working parents in today's society.
Directed by Gregory Smith, Sudz Sutherland, David Ramsey, Ian Samoil, Elizabeth HenstridgeCast Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Alex Garfin, Inde Navarrette, Erik ValdezMax -
13
Dune: Prophecy
action · adventure · drama · sci-fi
Ten thousand years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, sisters Valya and Tula Harkonnen establish the fabled sect and female order that would become known as the Bene Gesserit to control the future of humankind.
Directed by Richard J. Lewis, Anna Foerster, John Cameron, Roxann Dawson, Daniel AttiasCast Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Chloe Lea, Travis Fimmel, Jade AnoukaMax -
14
Primal
animation · action · adventure · drama · fantasy · horror
A caveman forms a bond with a dinosaur as they struggle to survive in a hostile world.
Directed by Genndy TartakovskyCast Aaron LaPlante, Laëtitia Eïdo, Fred Tatasciore, Imari Williams, Jon OlsonMax -
15
My Adventures with Superman
animation · action · adventure · comedy · family · fantasy · romance · sci-fi
Twenty-somethings Clark Kent, the bright and driven Lois Lane, and their best friend Jimmy Olsen begin to discover who they are and everything they can accomplish together as an investigative reporting team at the Daily Planet.
Directed by Jen Bennett, Diana Huh, Christina Manrique, Grace Liu, Chris PalmerCast Jack Quaid, Alice Lee, Ishmel Sahid, Max Mittelman, Kiana MadeiraMax -
16
The Dark Wizard
documentary · action · biography
An unflinching portrait of Dean Potter, the world's most influential and controversial climber, base jumper and highline walker, who achieves jaw-dropping feats while battling his inner demons.
Directed by Peter Mortimer, Nick RosenCast Dean Potter, Dean Fidelman, Timmy O'Neill, Jim Hurst, Eric PerlmanMax -
17
Rome
action · drama · romance · war
A down-to-earth account of the lives of both illustrious and ordinary Romans set in the last days of the Roman Republic.
Directed by Michael Apted, Mikael Salomon, Allen Coulter, Alan Poul, Steve ShillCast Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker, Kerry Condon, James PurefoyMax -
18
Adventure Time
animation · action · adventure · comedy · family · fantasy · sci-fi
Unlikely heroes Finn and Jake are buddies who traverse the mystical Land of Ooo. The best of friends, our heroes always find themselves in the middle of escapades. Finn and Jake depend on each other through thick and thin.
Directed by Bong Hee Han, Larry Leichliter, Elizabeth Ito, Andres Salaff, Adam MutoCast John DiMaggio, Jeremy Shada, Tom Kenny, Hynden Walch, Niki YangHuluMax -
19
The Pacific
action · adventure · drama · history · war
Track the intertwined real-life stories of three U.S. Marines – Robert Leckie, John Basilone, and Eugene Sledge – across the vast canvas of the Pacific Theater during World War II. A companion piece to the 2001 miniseries Band of Brothers.
Directed by Jeremy Podeswa, Timothy Van Patten, David Nutter, Carl Franklin, Tony ToCast James Badge Dale, Joseph Mazzello, Jon Seda, Ashton Holmes, Josh HelmanMax -
20
Justice League
animation · action · adventure · family · fantasy · mystery · sci-fi
The long-awaited rebirth of the greatest superhero team of all time: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter.
Directed by Butch Lukic, Dan RibaCast Carl Lumbly, Phil LaMarr, Michael Rosenbaum, George Newbern, Maria Canals-BarreraMax
Wrapping Up
Whether you want swords, soldiers, zombies, or morally messy antiheroes, this list gives you a strong place to start. The mix of classic hits and newer releases makes it easy to find something that fits your taste, no matter which kind of thrill you prefer. Bookmark this page and come back when you’re ready for your next binge, because it’s updated regularly as new titles arrive and the roster changes. If you’re choosing what to watch tonight, these picks should make the decision much easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is this list updated?
We refresh this list regularly as titles are added or removed from streaming catalogs, so rankings and availability stay current.
Do I need a Max subscription to watch these?
Yes — every title on this list is currently available on Max. Availability can change, so we recommend checking the streaming link on each title before you start watching.
How are these action shows ranked?
We rank by a combination of audience rating and current popularity, so you're seeing the action titles people are actually watching right now, not just an old fixed list.
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Last updated: September 10, 2026