“Collateral” (2004) is a film that stars Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx as the hitman, taxi driver, and cab driver. Max was on his regular night shift, collecting strangers and dropping the people off at their respective locations. But, things take a dark direction when he meets Vincent, who is in a hurry that includes killing a minimum of five people in the night. Max has to carry ahead with Vincent’s plan as police investigate the bodies of dead people left by the cops. While there’s a myriad of fascinating things in ‘Collateral,’ one scene that stands out is the one that occurs at the beginning of the film, when Vincent is presented to us. Vincent comes into contact with another character who is played by Jason Statham, and the character of their conversation is a source of some questions.
The Transporter, a film by the late actor Statham, was released in 2002, two years before the release of “Collateral.” The closeness of both films, as well as the common themes of men who wear good standing in the field of committing crimes with no question asked and without hesitation, makes one think that the appearance of Statham in ‘Collateral’ indicates that both films are to one universe. Is Jason Statham’s role in “Collateral” Frank Martin from ‘The Transporter Is Frank Martin from ‘The Transporter? Let’s find out.
Jason Statham’s The Transporter’s Connection to Collateral, Explained
While actors are known for having brief and often blink-and-you’ll-miss cameos in random films, Jason Statham’s appearance in ‘Collateral’ makes one stop and think whether it actually means something. When someone of the stature of Jason Statham is seen in a movie, it’s either because the character itself is extremely impressive, even if the role is short. Also, there’s a connection between the directors and actors that have been working with each other or having a relationship with each other in the real world.
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The role played by Statham in “Collateral” is only a few seconds, and it could have been lost if it weren’t for the actor. Additionally, there is no evidence of a connection or even a public connection in the film between Statham and Cruise Cruise, Michael Mann, or any other person associated with both films. So, why did Statham accept the part?
Regarding the character, the role is listed with the title Airport Man on the film’s IMDb page. In the short exchange that occurs between Airport Man and Vincent, this mysterious man trades the briefcase and Cruise’s character. It appears that his sole task is to hand over the box to Vincent. The job description of Airport Man corresponds to the character of another actor, Statham: Frank Martin. In the film ‘The Transporter,’ Martin is a freelance driver employed by criminals for all kinds of deliveries. The job requires him to keep to the agreement and not swap names, and not to open the parcel. We receive the same feeling as Airport Man. He doesn’t even speak to Vincent. However, some important things are exchanged between the two.
It seems like Airport Man was hired to deliver the briefcase to Vincent. When he was completed, he left without ever looking back. Do you think this means the Airport Man is Frank Martin? An answer that is positive to this question will help to dispel that doubt that is lingering in the mind of one’s self regarding the reason Statham picked the role when any other uninteresting actor could have done it. Did it happen that Statham wanted to share his stage alongside Tom Cruise or be directed by Michael Mann, even if only for a brief moment? The only reason that makes sense is that he had to reprise his role in The Transporter, which implies that ‘Collateral’ was set within the same cinematic universe.
With the introduction of Marvel and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the concept of cameos has taken on a greater significance when it comes to shared universes. However, in 2004 it was not that important. In addition, it was pointless to establish this shared universe since following this film, we did not watch “The Transporter,” which was the second film in the series. They didn’t connect to Cruise’s character, the people he worked for, or even LA. Making a connection like this but not making any effort to address it seems to be a waste of time for the filmmakers. Furthermore, nobody from the ‘Collateral or ‘The Transportation series ever has confirmed, or to be more precise, denied the connection. What’s the problem? Why is Jason Statham in ‘Collateral’?
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The most crucial aspect of the introduction to characters similar to Vincent is the fact that a viewer will be able to immediately recognize that they’re not your typical person. For mercenaries, it’s generally done by showing their work in which they kill someone and demonstrating their capabilities in various ways. You must be aware that this person is risky and must be kept on the lookout for. “Collateral” takes place in the course of the day, and the limitations of the timeline do not allow it to present the audience with an impressively staged action scene. Additionally, Vincent is supposed to be so proficient in his work that he can slip between scenes without anyone being aware. He doesn’t wear any clothes and has a normal appearance that does not cause anyone to look at Vincent. His introduction is supposed to reveal this aspect of his personality, but it’s also meant to inform us there’s something sinister about him. That’s why”the” Airport Man comes in.
If an unknown actor or someone who had never been in the industry before had been chosen for the role, the public would not have been paying interest to him, particularly in the case where Tom Cruise is next to the actor. The story requires to be watched closely by The Airport Man so that we are aware that he’s a shady character also and that a dirty exchange is going on between Vincent and Vincent. To make the viewers take a closer look at Airport Man, the filmmakers needed someone who would shock the viewers enough to cause them to take a second look. They wanted someone who was already an established actor, preferably well-known in the action genre, and Statham was a perfect choice.
In the manner he intended, his presence in the film makes people wonder why he’s present and what his appearance has to do with why you’re here, even all those years after this film’s debut. In light of this, it is possible to conclude that the film’s makers achieved their goal and the viewers drawing the connection between ‘Collateral’ as well as ‘The Transporter’ is an unintentional but intriguing result of their choice to cast Statham.
