The “Extraction” series has emerged as a leading success among Netflix’s original films. When the first installment was released in 2020, it quickly soared to become Netflix’s most-viewed movie ever. Following its performance, “Extraction 2” arrived three years later, pleasing fans of the initial movie, prompting Netflix to swiftly approve a third entry after the sequel’s debut.

In our review of “Extraction 2,” we highlighted some significant narrative weaknesses, yet praised the film for delivering high-octane action scenes, including an unforgettable long take. The sequel followed mercenary Tyler Rake (played by Chris Hemsworth) and his ally Nik Khan (portrayed by Golshifteh Farahani), while broadening the storyline by introducing a new enigmatic figure, The Man in the Suit (Idris Elba). The film concluded with a cliffhanger, as Tyler and Nik set off on a mysterious new mission, leaving room for “Extraction 3” to explore new horizons.

As “Extraction” remains among Netflix’s top-viewed original films, excitement for the third installment is palpable. Although “Extraction 3” might still be a little way off, we’ve compiled all the current information available about the upcoming film to ease the wait.

The original “Extraction” debuted in 2020, and the sequel arrived on Netflix in 2023. There hasn’t been an official release date for “Extraction 3” announced at the time of this writing, but there are a couple of reasons to think that the new movie will continue the pattern and premiere in 2026.

Chris Hemsworth offered an update on “Extraction 3” when asked by Collider about the movie in July 2024. Hemsworth said, “We’re in the middle of putting it together now, and writing it, and just trying to crack the story.” That comment at least let fans know that work on “Extraction 3” really was underway, but an update later that same year was even more encouraging.

Joe Russo, a writer and producer on the “Extraction” movies along with his brother Anthony, told Collider in October 2024 that they were in the midst of working on the story. “We’re hoping to go into production next year,” he said, adding, “It’s definitely filming next year. I’m just being cagey because it’s more fun.” Based on that comment, “Extraction 3” should be filming sometime in 2025, which makes a 2026 release date highly likely.

The “Extraction” movies are giant action extravaganzas, but like all of the best action movies, the characters still matter. Chris Hemsworth’s Tyler Rake is the core of the franchise, so of course he’ll return in “Extraction 3.” Almost as important as Tyler is his partner Nik Khan, played by Golshifteh Farahani, who’s also all but guaranteed to show up for the third film.

There’s one more major character that we definitely know will be in “Extraction 3.” The second film introduced a mysterious unnamed figure played by Idris Elba, and the ending of “Extraction 2” shows the mysterious Man in the Suit pulling Tyler out of prison and reuniting him with Nik for a brand new mission. The final scene of the movie is pure sequel bait, but in case there was any doubt about the importance of Elba’s character going forward, Joe Russo promised he’ll be back. Russo told Collider, “Yes, we know who [Elba’s] character is. It was built that way. If you like that relationship between Idris and Chris, you’re gonna enjoy ‘Extraction 3.'”

Most of the vital elements that made the first two “Extraction” movies so successful will be back in place for Tyler Rake’s third outing. We’ve already mentioned how the two most important franchise cast members, Chris Hemsworth and Golshifteh Farahani, will be back for the threequel, but the key players behind the franchise are all aboard for the third entry as well.

When he signed on to direct the first “Extraction,” Sam Hargrave was an incredibly experienced stuntman and coordinator who’d only directed one feature-length movie. Hargrave ended up being the perfect man to shoot the intense action in “Extraction.” He came back to direct the sequel, and he’ll be behind the camera again for “Extraction 3.”

The “Extraction” series also wouldn’t exist without the Russo brothers. The “Avengers: Doomsday” filmmakers were writers and producers on the first two films, and fans can expect their signature style to return in “Extraction 3.” Joe Russo has confirmed that he’ll be writing the screenplay for the third film, so Tyler Rake’s next adventure will likely be every bit as gripping as his last two were.

Considering how coy the Russos have been about the expected release date for “Extraction 3,” you can imagine that they’re keeping the upcoming movie’s plot details to themselves too. For now we don’t have much official information to go on when it comes to guessing the story of “Extraction 3.” The Russos have confirmed that Idris Elba’s The Man in the Suit character will return, and they’ve hinted at him having a much larger role in the story.

Joe Russo has also expressed some interest in exploring more of Tyler Rake’s backstory. In an interview with GamesRadar, Russo said, “[Tyler is] a very emotionally wounded character, so there’s good storytelling there I think in respect to his backstory, and, you know, his relationship to violence is one that’s built around self-loathing and guilt. And so, it adds a lot of texture I think, which allows us to tell more stories about him.” Russo’s comments don’t reveal any specific plot details, but if he wants to dig into Tyler’s backstory and sense of guilt, then “Extraction 3” might end up being the darkest movie in the series.

There are still some confusing moments and loose plot threads in “Extraction 2,” like Tyler’s last-minute extraction from prison, that can be carried over and explored in the next film. But most of the big questions about the story revolve around The Man in the Suit. Maybe the identity of his secret employer will provide the connection to Tyler’s dark history.