How and Where to Watch Ryan Reynolds' 'Mayday' on Apple TV+

Kenneth Branagh directing Ryan Reynolds in a Cold War-set spy comedy is precisely the kind of genre collision that tends to either confound or delight — and Mayday, now available to stream, has arrived with enough pedigree and conceptual ambition to make the case for the latter. The film launched exclusively on Apple TV+ on September 4, 2026, bypassing a conventional theatrical run in favor of the platform's growing slate of prestige-adjacent originals.

What Is 'Mayday' About?

According to Just Jared, Mayday centers on Lieutenant Troy "Assassin" Kelly, a hotshot U.S. Navy pilot played by Ryan Reynolds, whose top-secret mission into Soviet territory goes catastrophically sideways at the height of the Cold War. Stranded behind enemy lines and fully expecting the worst, Kelly instead encounters Nikolai Ustinov — a gruff, culturally Americanized ex-KGB operative brought to life by Branagh — and what follows is an unlikely alliance that the film pitches as equal parts espionage thriller and character-driven comedy.

The premise owes a passing debt to the odd-couple spy films that flourished in the 1960s and '70s, but the Cold War backdrop and the tonal blend of tension and humor give Mayday its own distinct personality. Reynolds, whose comedic instincts have grown considerably more layered since his Deadpool years, finds a natural foil in Branagh, an actor-director whose range stretches from Shakespeare to Agatha Christie. The pairing is, on paper at least, genuinely interesting.

A Strong Supporting Cast

The ensemble surrounding the two leads is worth noting. Maria Bakalova, who has demonstrated remarkable range across films like Borat, Bodies Bodies Bodies, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, appears in a supporting role, as does Marcin Dorociński, familiar to audiences from The Queen's Gambit and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Veteran character actor David Morse, whose long career spans The Green Mile, House, and HBO's Treme, rounds out a cast that brings considerable dramatic credibility to what might otherwise read as a lightweight genre exercise.

The film carries a PG-13 rating and runs 111 minutes — a runtime that suggests the filmmakers kept the pacing tight rather than indulging the kind of bloat that can weigh down action-comedy hybrids.

Where and How to Watch

Mayday is streaming now, exclusively on Apple TV+. The platform is currently offering a seven-day free trial for new subscribers; after that, the service costs $14.99 per month in the United States. There is no theatrical release associated with the film, so a subscription is the only avenue to watch it.

For Reynolds, the project represents yet another chapter in a remarkably active recent period. Fans who have been following his off-screen appearances — from cheering on Canada at the 2026 World Cup to crashing the Avengers: Doomsday panel in his Deadpool gray suit — will find him here in a more grounded, performance-driven mode, trading superhero spectacle for Cold War wit.

Reynolds' Evolving Career Choices

It's worth contextualizing Mayday within the broader arc of Reynolds' filmography. After the Deadpool franchise redefined his Hollywood standing, his post-Deadpool & Wolverine choices have leaned toward projects that test different registers. Those curious about how his earlier missteps have shaped the landscape around him might also find value in reading about how Lanterns is rewriting the Green Lantern story after his 2011 stumble with the character.

Mayday is available to stream on Apple TV+ right now.