The Wrecking Crew‘s Jacob Batalon, Morena Baccarin, and Director Ángel Manuel Soto on finding the balance of tone and those insane stunts.
The Wrecking Crew is a high-octane action comedy that masterfully balances laugh-out-loud moments with edge-of-your-seat tension. Designed to feel both familiar and unique, the film honors the legacy of classic action-comedies like Lethal Weapon and Die Hard by blending dark themes with cohesive humor. It’s a film that aims to deliver a fresh experience for a new generation while maintaining the heart that makes action movies memorable.
Mama’s Geeky recently sat down with the stars of the film, Jacob Batalon and Morena Baccarin, alongside director Ángel Manuel Soto, to discuss the making of this wild ride. From the instant chaos of their first meeting to the terrifying reality of practical helicopter stunts, the trio shared what it took to bring this wreckage-filled world to life.
Finding the Balance: Chaos, Comedy, and Heart
Tessa Smith: Can you all – Jacob and Morena from the acting side, and Ángel from the director side – talk about really balancing the tone here? I was cracking up, but I was also hanging onto the edge of my seat.
Morena Baccarin: We all basically met on set and were thrown into a car together. It was instant chaos. A lot of the tone came from watching the boys bounce off each other and me wondering how I was the only female there. It was equal parts being flabbergasted, tickled, and super irritated at the same time.
Jacob Batalon: I agree. If you put a bunch of random people in a car and the script just says “go crazy and scream,” good things tend to happen.
Ángel Manuel Soto: Everybody understood who their character was and what they were supposed to do in the moment. There is action and comedy, but there is also heart. I wanted the action to be brutal, but I didn’t want it to pull people out of the experience. By sprinkling humor and emotion, you experience action through the character, not just through punches and explosions.
The Wrecking Crew Stunts Are No Joke
Tessa Smith: Was there a stunt that, when you were reading the script, you went, “Ooh, I don’t know how we’re gonna pull this off,” but then you did?
Morena Baccarin: For a brief second, I was like, “Do I have to drive in real life?”. Like, stunt drive while a ninja on a motorcycle has a gun in my face?. In your fantasy, you do all of it, but I had to ask if I was actually qualified.
Jacob Batalon: I came into it understanding that I wasn’t going to do any of my stunts. There was just no way. You want me to flip off a truck? No way. I just wanted to be in the movie.
Ángel Manuel Soto: For me, it was “how are we gonna do the helicopter thing?”. I have a helicopter in Blue Beetle, but that was all CG. Our initial plan was always to do it all on camera. All of the helicopter chase was real helicopters and real cars. It made me feel like a grown-up kid playing with toys in real life. Thanks to our stunt team and John Valera, they were able to execute it safely. Seeing the audience reaction to that means everything.
For more behind-the-scenes stories and a deeper look into the film’s production, be sure to check out the full interview video!
About The Wrecking Crew
In this action comedy, two estranged half-brothers, Jonny (Jason Momoa) and James (Dave Bautista) are forced to reunite after their father’s mysterious death. As they set out to uncover the truth, buried secrets resurface and loyalties are tested, unveiling a conspiracy that can tear their family apart. Together, they are ready to WRECK anything that gets in their way.
Set in the streets of Hawaii, the film is directed by Angel Manuel Soto (Blue Beetle) and also stars Claes Bang, Jacob Batalon, Stephen Root, and Morena Baccarin.
The Wrecking Crew will be available globally on Prime Video on January 28, 2026.
