Matt Damon’s $630 Million Sci-Fi Epic Is About to Leave Streaming

Matt Damon’s critically acclaimed sci-fi drama has been a staple on streaming, but one major platform is about to say goodbye to the movie. While it’s not his genre of choice, Matt Damon has starred in some incredible, and incredibly underrated, sci-fi gems. He blended sci-fi with intense action in Elysium and was the most hated character in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. But when Matt Damon teamed up with Ridley Scott, he delivered one of the best sci-fi movies in years: The Martian. It’s a shame the film is about to leave streaming.

The Martian is currently streaming on Netflix. But just like Mark Watney on Mars’ surface, it’s about to be left behind. The Martian will leave Netflix on January 1. It might not be the most typical Christmas movie, but it’s your last chance to stream The Martian while it’s still on Netflix.

Released in 2015, The Martian is based on the book of the same name by Andy Weir (who also wrote Project Hail Mary). Damon stars as Watney, a botanist and member of a NASA expedition to Mars to collect samples. But when a dust storm separates him from the group, the team flees the Red Planet, accidentally leaving Mark behind to survive by himself. The Martian stars a tremendous cast alongside Damon, including Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jeff Daniels, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Wong, Donald Glover, Sean Bean, Mackenzie Davis, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, and Kristen Wiig (we told you it’s a good cast!). The official synopsis reads:

“When astronauts blast off from the planet Mars, they leave behind Mark Watney, presumed dead after a fierce storm. With only a meager amount of supplies, the stranded visitor must utilize his wits and spirit to find a way to survive on the hostile planet. Meanwhile, back on Earth, members of NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring him home, while his crew mates hatch their own plan for a daring rescue mission.”

‘The Martian’ Is Ridley Scott’s Highest Grossing Movie (So Far)

20th Century Fox

It might not have the epic battles of Gladiator or the gruesome horror of Alien, but audiences absolutely adored The Martian during its theatrical run, and in the years since on streaming. The Martian holds a joint audience and critics rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. “Exciting, heartwarming, humorous, basically real, even though the book on which it is based is science fiction. Matt Damon and the rest give wonderful performances. Not surprising,” wrote one user on Rotten Tomatoes.

That love from audiences also translated to big bucks at the box office. The Martian is Ridley Scott’s highest-grossing movie, by quite a wide margin. The film earned over $630 million during its theatrical run. That puts it $127 million above the original Gladiator (Scott’s second-highest-grossing film), and $170 million over 2024’s Gladiator II.