By Any Means (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

By Any Means is a historical thriller set in 1960s Mississippi, where a young Black FBI agent investigates killings targeting civil rights leaders alongside mafia hitman Greg Scarpa. Starring Mark Wahlberg and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, the film explores a dangerous investigation shaped by justice, violence and vengeance.

By Any Means is a 2026 drama, thriller and historical film directed by Elegance Bratton and written by Sascha Penn. Set in 1960s Mississippi, it follows an FBI investigation into brutal attacks on civil rights leaders and the unlikely alliance formed to pursue the perpetrators.

Mark Wahlberg stars as mafia hitman Greg Scarpa, alongside Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as FBI agent Wayne Strider. The film’s premise places law enforcement and organized crime on the same side of a deadly investigation, creating a conflict between official justice and personal revenge.

By Any Means movie details

Story without spoilers

The story centers on Wayne Strider, a young Black FBI agent sent to Mississippi during the civil rights era. He is tasked with investigating a wave of killings aimed at civil rights leaders, a case that proves difficult for the FBI to solve through conventional means.

Strider is eventually forced to work with Greg Scarpa, a notorious mafia hitman. Their partnership leads them into a dangerous pursuit connected to the violence, while the line separating justice from vengeance grows increasingly unclear. The film’s setup combines a historical setting, a crime investigation and an uneasy alliance between two very different figures.

What to expect

The supplied genre information points to a film that blends historical drama with thriller and crime elements. Its setting connects the investigation to 1960s Mississippi, the civil rights movement and attacks associated with the Ku Klux Klan.

The central tension comes from the partnership between an FBI agent and a mafia hitman. Viewers can expect the story to focus on the investigation, the risks of confronting organized violence and the moral complications created when justice is pursued through unconventional methods. The film is listed with a runtime of 1 hour and 47 minutes.

Cast and creative team

By Any Means is directed by Elegance Bratton and written by Sascha Penn. Mark Wahlberg plays Gregory Scarpa, while Yahya Abdul-Mateen II portrays Wayne Strider. The cast also includes Nicole Beharie, Josh Lucas, David Strathairn, Giancarlo Esposito as Vernon Dahmer, Ethan Embry, LisaGay Hamilton, LaChanze and Alanna Masterson as Connie Scarpa.

• Mark Wahlberg as Gregory Scarpa
• Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Wayne Strider
• Nicole Beharie
• Josh Lucas
• David Strathairn
• Giancarlo Esposito as Vernon Dahmer
• Ethan Embry
• LisaGay Hamilton
• LaChanze
• Alanna Masterson as Connie Scarpa

Release and production context

By Any Means is listed as a 2026 release with a release date of September 2, 2026. The film runs for 1 hour and 47 minutes, is produced in the United States of America and is in English. Its production companies are Hammerstone Studios, Thunder Road, Freedom Principle, Municipal Pictures, North.Five.Six., Script 2 Screen, Wonder Street and LB Entertainment.

Production companies: Hammerstone Studios, Thunder Road, Freedom Principle, Municipal Pictures, North.Five.Six., Script 2 Screen, Wonder Street, LB Entertainment

Reported production figures:
Budget $30,000,000

By Any Means official trailer

Watch the official trailer on YouTube

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With its 1960s Mississippi setting and unusual central partnership, By Any Means brings together historical drama, crime and thriller elements. The supplied premise keeps the focus on an FBI investigation into violence against civil rights leaders and the difficult choices that follow when official methods are not enough.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb