Rebecca Ferguson has this incredible knack for stepping into action roles where she doesn’t just show up—she takes over the screen, turning every fight, chase, and tense standoff into something unforgettable. Her characters are tough, smart, and full of fire, making audiences forget she’s sharing the spotlight with massive stars like Tom Cruise or Timothée Chalamet. From spy thrillers to sci-fi epics, here are her best action performances that absolutely stole the show, broken down role by role with all the details on why they hit so hard.
Start with her breakout in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation from 2015. This is where Ferguson first grabbed everyone’s attention as Ilsa Faust, a former MI6 agent who’s as deadly as she is mysterious. Picture this: the movie kicks off with Tom Cruise hanging off a plane, but soon enough, Ilsa is the one flipping the script. She saves Ethan’s life in a brutal underwater sequence, then betrays him just to keep things interesting. Critics raved about her. The New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis said she holds her own both on the ground and in the air, proving she could match Cruise’s stunts blow for blow.[1] What makes Ilsa steal the show? It’s her knife fights—sharp, quick, no nonsense—and that motorcycle chase through Morocco where she’s weaving through traffic like it’s nothing. Ferguson trained hard for those scenes, doing her own stunts where she could, and it shows in every gritty punch. The film was directed by Christopher McQuarrie, and it grossed over 680 million worldwide, but fans kept coming back for Ilsa, not just the gadgets.[1]
She didn’t stop there. Ferguson brought Ilsa back in Mission: Impossible – Fallout in 2018, cranking up the intensity even more. This time, Ilsa is neck-deep in a plot to stop nuclear bombs, teaming up and clashing with Ethan Hunt while hiding her own secrets. Remember the bathroom fight? It’s one of the series’ best, with Ilsa taking down goons left and right, her moves precise and fierce. She also pulls off a sniper shot from a helicopter that saves the day, showing she’s not just a fighter but a tactician. Her chemistry with Cruise sparked rumors, but it was all about the action—high-altitude HALO jumps, car crashes, and hand-to-hand combat that left bruises on everyone involved. Fallout earned even more praise for Ferguson, with many calling her the franchise’s secret weapon. She balances vulnerability with killer instinct, making Ilsa the emotional core amid all the explosions.[1]
Fast forward to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One in 2023, and Ilsa is still dominating. Here, she’s up against an AI villain called the Entity, pulling off train-top fights on a crumbling bridge that’s one of the most edge-of-your-seat sequences ever. Ferguson shines in a quiet knife duel early on, then ramps it up with chases through Rome’s streets in a yellow Fiat, dodging bullets and flipping cars. Her death hits hard because by now, fans saw her as the unbreakable force keeping Ethan grounded. She reprised the role across multiple films in the series, solidifying her as a staple.[1][5] These Mission movies turned her into an action icon, with practical stunts that feel real—no green screen shortcuts.
Shifting gears to sci-fi, her role as Lady Jessica in Dune from 2021 is pure action poetry. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Jessica is a Bene Gesserit warrior-mother protecting her son Paul Atreides on the desert planet Arrakis. Ferguson nails the fights with her Voice technique—a hypnotic command that stops enemies cold—mixed with hand combat using crysknife blades. The ornithopter escapes and sandworm rides amp up the tension, but it’s her stealth takedowns in the shadows that steal scenes. She’s fierce yet maternal, training Paul in combat while battling the Harkonnens. The film swept awards, and Ferguson’s physical transformation—learning martial arts and sand walking—made Jessica unforgettable. Dune Part Two in 2024 doubled down, with Jessica leading Fremen raids, her action scenes blending mysticism and brutality amid massive worm battles and shield fights.[4]
No list skips Hercules from 2014, where she plays Atalanta, an archer-warrior in Dwayne Johnson’s mythical adventure. Ferguson holds her own as the skilled huntress, nailing bow shots during centaur attacks and ship battles. Her character adds grit to the band of mercenaries, with standout moments like picking off foes from treetops. It’s underrated, but her athleticism shines, proving she could do bows and arrows before superheroes made it trendy.
Then there’s The Kid from 2019, a gritty Western where Ferguson is Sara, a no-nonsense lawman protecting Billy the Kid’s kin. She draws first in saloon shootouts, rides hard through dustups, and faces down outlaws with a shotgun. It’s raw action—horse chases, ambushes, quick-draws—where her quiet intensity makes every bullet count. Critics loved how she flipped Western tropes, turning Sara into the hero who steals the final showdown.
Don’t sleep on Men in Black: International from 2019 either. As Riza Stavros, a weapons dealer, Ferguson brings sexy danger to the alien-hunting franchise. She’s got high-tech gunfights in Marrakech markets, dodging energy blasts and flipping through hoverbike chases. Her betrayal twist leads to a epic finale atop the Brooklyn Bridge, lasers flying. Paired with Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, she out-acts them in the chaos, making Riza the slick villain you root for.
Upcoming, Mercy in 2026 looks set to blow minds. Ferguson stars as Judge Maddox, an advanced AI presiding over a high-stakes trial where Chris Pratt’s detective has 90 minutes to prove innocence or face execution. Trailers show intense action: bomb threats, truck chases downtown, terrorist handbooks, and Ferguson voicing the unyielding judge directing the chaos. It’s a sci-fi thriller with IMAX 3D fights, conspiracies, and moral twists—Pratt racing against her clock while uncovering plots. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, it promises Ferguson dominating from the courtroom to explosive climaxes.[2][3][5][6] Early buzz calls it her darkest role yet, blending brains and high-tension action.
Back to earlier gems, Despite the Falling Snow in 2016 has her as Katya, enduring Cold War espionage with tense infiltrations and escapes. It’s subtler action—sneaking through snowy forests, evading KGB tails—but her physicality in chases and fights packs a punch.
In The Greatest Game Ever Played from 2005, a young Ferguson dips into sports action as a caddy in golf showdowns, but it’s her later roles that exploded.
Alcatraz in 2012 TV series saw her as Katie, dodging traps in a prison breakout plot, with chase scenes through historic cells.
The White Queen miniseries in 2013 launched her, with battle cameo
