Matt Damon’s The Martian Becomes Streaming Hit on Apple TV

Matt Damon stars as the legendary Greek king Odysseus in The Odyssey, battling mythical monsters, hostile gods, and relentless storms on his long journey home to his wife. Christopher Nolan’s epic has earned more than $1.2 billion worldwide, ranking among the biggest releases of 2026 alongside Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Bringing Damon back from remote peril has become a familiar theme across his career. He portrayed a missing soldier across occupied France in Saving Private Ryan, a young cowboy seeking a fresh start in All the Pretty Horses, and an isolated astronaut stranded on an icy world in Interstellar. Now, another standout entry in that unofficial collection is finding fresh momentum on streaming.

Ridley Scott’s sci-fi adaptation The Martian, based on the bestselling novel by Andy Weir, reached No. 4 on Apple TV’s U.S. movie chart according to FlixPatrol after joining the platform’s library. The resurgence coincides with renewed interest in Weir’s work as Project Hail Mary heads toward its own theatrical premiere.

The Martian remains a high point in Damon’s sci-fi career

The Martian follows astronaut Mark Watney, who is left behind on Mars when his crew presumes him dead during an intense dust storm. Watney survives only to find himself stranded millions of miles from Earth with dwindling supplies and damaged communication gear.

Relying on his training as a botanist and mechanical engineer, Watney cultivates crops inside the habitat, extends his rations, and builds a makeshift communication link with NASA. His solitary struggle quickly sparks an international rescue mission to bring him home.

Damon anchors an ensemble cast that features Jessica Chastain as Ares III mission commander Melissa Lewis, Chiwetel Ejiofor as NASA director Vincent Kapoor, and Sebastian Stan as flight surgeon Chris Beck. The lineup also includes Kate Mara, Michael Peña, Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean, Mackenzie Davis, Jeff Daniels, and Donald Glover.

The film achieved major commercial and critical success upon its release in 2015. It grossed roughly $630 million globally, collected seven Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor, and holds a 91% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Upcoming Matt Damon projects

Damon continues to line up high-profile genre work. He will lead the upcoming sci-fi project from directing duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. Damon described the 2027 film as an inventive blend of The Breakfast Club, Inception, anime, and Last Week Tonight.

He will also team up again with Ben Affleck for Animals, a crime thriller produced for Netflix with Affleck directing. Viewers looking for more of Damon on streaming can currently find The Rip on Netflix, which follows Miami police officers navigating a massive cash discovery, as well as Neill Blomkamp’s sci-fi action thriller Elysium.

Source: Polygon