All aboard Bullet Train, the action movie starring Brad Pitt releasing on August 5 worldwide (UK August 3). But it’s not just Pitt in the summer blockbuster, the Bullet Train cast features a number of big names and familiar faces making up the roster of assassins ensuring a not-so-ordinary train ride.
Bullet Train is based on the novel by Kôtarô Isaka and tells the story of an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many jobs go off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug's latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe — all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives — on the world's fastest train.
Before you watch Bullet Train, meet the cast of actors and who they are playing right here.
Meet the Bullet Train cast — who's who...
Brad Pitt as Ladybug
Brad Pitt headlines Bullet Train as the main assassin, Ladybug, who just wants to take it easy with his next job. Of course, things aren’t going to be that simple considering the gallery of other assassins on board.
Pitt had been away from the big screen since 2019, when he starred in Ad Astra and his Oscar-winning role in Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood. He’s back in 2022 with a trio of movies, including Bullet Train, a supporting role in the now streaming The Lost City and the upcoming movie Babylon from La La Land director Damien Chazelle.
Sandra Bullock as Maria Beetle
We haven’t seen much of Sandra Bullock’s character, Maria, in the trailers for Bullet Train; as she is heard primarily in voiceover as Ladybug’s (Brad Pitt) contact. However, the role likely has more significance than that considering the original title for Isaka’s book that Bullet Train is based on was Maria Beetle.
This is actually the second time in 2022 that Bullock and Pitt are co-starring, the other being The Lost City.
Bullet Train could be the last time we see Bullock on the big screen for a while, as the actress told CBS Sunday Morning in March 2022 that her "work in front of the camera needs to take pause." She has no acting projects lined up at the moment, per IMDb.
Joey King as Prince
Joey King is one of the many characters with a competing interest to Brad Pitt’s Ladybug in Bullet Train. And even though King’s young look and appearance in the movie may make it seem she is not as much of a threat, you have to think that’s just a bit of deception and she’s going to be as formidable as anyone else.
Funnily enough, King playing a character named Prince is a coincidence since her most recent movie, The Princess (streaming exclusively on Hulu), saw her play the titular character. If you’re wondering where else you’ve seen King over the years, she has also starred in Netflix’s The Kissing Booth franchise and the TV miniseries The Act.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Tangerine
Aaron Taylor-Johnson looks to be one of the more prominent antagonists of Bullet Train, Tangerine, as the trailers for the movie have featured a fight sequence with him and Pitt that looks both intense and funny. We also know that Tangerine works closely with Lemon, who is played by Brian Tyree Henry.
Taylor-Johnson is well versed in the action genre, having starred in Kick-Ass and as Pietro Maximoff in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Some of his other well known roles include Nocturnal Animals, Godzilla and The King’s Man. Taylor-Johnson is returning to the superhero genre in 2023, leading the Spider-Man spinoff movie, Kraven the Hunter.
Brian Tyree Henry as Lemon
Brian Tyree Henry plays Lemon, the partner to Taylor-Johnson’s Tangerine. Just what Lemon and Tangerine are after on the train you’ll have to wait and see, but the duo look to be hilarious.
Henry has made a name for himself since he broke out with the TV series Atlanta. On the big screen, some of Henry’s biggest roles have come in Widows, If Beale Street Could Talk, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (and its upcoming sequel), Godzilla vs Kong and Eternals. Movie fans can also see him in 2022 with Causeway alongside Jennifer Lawrence.
Hiroyuki Sanada as The Elder
The Japan-set Bullet Train is going to feature one of the most recognizable Japanese actors in Hollywood today with Hiroyuki Sanada playing a character simply called The Elder. But you shouldn’t let the name fool you, he’s probably as dangerous as anyone on the train.
While you may not immediately be familiar with Sanada by name, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ve seen him before. Just in the last few years he’s appeared in Avengers: Endgame, Westworld, Mortal Kombat and Army of the Dead. Some of his past credits also include The Last Ship, The Wolverine, Rush Hour 3 and The Last Samurai.
Benito A Martínez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny) as Wolf
Bad Bunny has made the jump from music to acting, as he plays Wolf in Bullet Train. We know that this character has a personal beef with Ladybug (Pitt), even if the latter doesn’t remember it.
Bad Bunny, who is being credited with his real name Benito A Martínez Ocasio in the movie, has been getting his feet wet with acting in recent years. The Grammy winner first popped up on screen in F9: The Fast Saga and also appeared in multiple episodes of Narcos: Mexico.
Andrew Koji as Kimura
There hasn’t been much seen of Andrew Koji’s character in Bullet Train, Kimura, in any of the promotional materials. Though with previous credits that include Snake Eyes and Warrior, it's fair to guess that he is going to be playing another assassin on the train.
Michael Shannon as White Death
Michael Shannon stars in Bullet Train with the intimidating character name White Death. He earns that name from how the rest of the characters talk about him, as he leads a gang of assassins that apparently is waiting for whoever is still alive when the train reaches its destination.
Shannon is an Oscar-nominated actor for his roles in Revolutionary Road and Nocturnal Animals. His other well known credits include playing General Zod in Man of Steel, Take Shelter, Boardwalk Empire, Midnight Special, The Shape of Water, Knives Out and Nine Perfect Strangers. He’s also set to appear in the 2022 movie Amsterdam.
