Still got a licence to thrill! Classic action stars like Bond and Rambo remain Brits' favourites - as poll shows we're all BORED of superhero flicks

Published: 01:29 BST, 11 October 2026 | Updated: 01:47 BST, 11 October 2026

Brits still enjoy classic action stars such as James Bond and Rambo more than modern-day superhero films, a poll has found.

The surprising study has found it is Britain's youngest generation, Gen Z, who have the most fatigue with the genre popularised by Marvel over the last 20 years.

A staggering eight in ten 18-to-29-year-olds said they were tired of the films compared to seven in ten Brits across every demographic.

Despite the new Spider-Man film 'Brand New Day' grossing over $2.5billion worldwide, the research suggests UK film fans feel on-screen heroes with superpowers may have had their day.

The chief complaints about superhero movies were that 'stories feel too similar or predictable' and that they 'rely too much on CGI and visual effects' over an engaging plot. 

Superhero franchises now have dozens of movies in their cinematic universe - with Marvel boasting a whopping 38 films in its catalogue.

This has led film fans to complain that the movies 'require too much prior knowledge of other movies or series' or they are 'overly commercial or franchise-driven'.

Sean Connery as James Bond has been named as the nation's favourite action hero

Tom Holland as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Although the movie grossed over $2.5billion worldwide, the research suggests UK film fans feel on-screen heroes with superpowers may have had their day

Instead, the study of 2,000 people found that Brits enjoy more realistic heroics, with Sean Connery's James Bond coming out on top with 38 per cent of the vote.

He was closely followed by Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones on 37 per cent and Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator in third, with 34 per cent.

Schwarzenegger starred as the cyborg assassin in the franchise's first outing in 1984, famously warning 'I'll be back' - a promise he kept in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and a string of follow-up films.

Iconic action star Sylvester Stallone - most famous for his roles as Rocky and Rambo - was listed as the seventh favourite hero.

Bruce Willis as John McClane in Die Hard and Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in the Mission Impossible films, joined both Roger Moore and Daniel Craig as Bond in the top ten.

Additionally, Great Action's research found seven in ten fans believe these icons of classic action movies are more authentic than the super-powered heroes of today.

And six in ten said classic action heroes were 'more attractive' than those found in modern flicks.

Of these film fans polled, many have also grown tired of the frequent narrative which always focuses on the 'good guy', as seven in ten film fans agree the bad guys make better central characters.

Great Action, which conducted the poll, is showing a host of classic action films throughout this autumn, including Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines at 9pm on Monday, alongside Robert Mitchum war classic Anzio and Sean Penn's The Gunman.

The channel's Kate Gartland said: 'While superheroes may be dominating the box office, our study shows many Brits are looking for a more grounded hero on the telly.

'At Great Action, we give action fans films with real-life grit and larger-than-life heroes – just a little closer to reality.'