Jean-Claude Van Damme Gets Revenge In Darkness Of Man, See The Action Icon Still Busting Heads

By TeeJay Small | Published

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Action icon Jean-Claude Van Damme is finally making his long-awaited return to the butt-kicking genre this year, as seen by the latest trailer for his new film Darkness of Man. The film, which appears to be a neo-noir thriller made from equal parts John Wick, Taken, and Roadhouse, is set to premiere on May 21. The trailer is available to view on YouTube now, under the Saban Films YouTube channel.

In the trailer for the upcoming film, Jean-Claude Van Damme appears to be a former Interpol operative who goes to war with violent gang members after becoming embroiled in a conspiracy surrounding a bloody turf war.

Check out Jean-Claude Van Damme in the trailer for Darkness of Man.

The trailer for Darkness of Man pulls no punches and showcases violence towards women and children, attacks on innocent civilians, and random store owners being shaken down by mob affiliates in the center of a lawless city simmering in crime.

With all this on his shoulders, it seems clear that Jean-Claude Van Damme has plenty of bad guys to punch, kick, shoot, and maim in the film.

Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in Darkness of Man, going to war with gang members in order to protect a family and city.

Jean-Claude Van Damme’s character also functions as a surrogate father figure for those impacted by gang violence in Darkness of Man, including a young boy named Jayden and his hapless family. The film is written and directed by James Cullen Bressack, who is best known for helming films within this niche such as Hot Seat, Beyond The Law, Murder, Anyone? and Fortress.

Unlike many old-school Jean-Claude Van Damme flicks, Darkness of Man appears to be quite gritty, with realistic violence, blood, and serious consequences for his character if he makes one wrong move. Luckily, Van Damme has joined the ranks of television tough guys who have only gotten cooler with age, alongside classic Hollywood figures such as Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Liam Neeson, and others.

Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in the film alongside a laundry list of underrated talent, including Emerson Min, Peter Jae, Andrey Ivchenko, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines‘ Kristanna Loken, and legendary Onyx rapper Sticky Fingaz.

Van Damme also contributed to the screenplay for Darkness of Man and has referred to the film as a passion project in recent outings. Clearly, a great deal of love and care has gone into the production.

Unlike many old-school Jean-Claude Van Damme flicks, Darkness of Man appears to be quite gritty.

With any luck, the film may serve as something of a major resurgence for Jean-Claude Van Damme, as the action star is also slated to appear in several other projects in the coming year. In addition to his leading role in Darkness of Man, Van Damme is also poised to play a fictionalized version of himself in the upcoming animated movie What’s My Name? The acclaimed action aficionado is also listed on IMDb in films titled Le jardinier, Silent Kill, and Kill Em All 2.

Jean-Claude Van Damme has fought his way out of many impossible situations throughout his filmography in a wide variety of films that span the spectrum of quality. With any luck, Darkness of Man will showcase the best of what the 63-year-old actor has to offer and inspire droves of fans to turn up in theaters.