10 Old-School Movie Action Heroes Who Need Rebooting

7. John Shaft (Shaft)

Why He Needs Rebooting: Shaft is probably the most niche action hero on this list, a product of the blaxploitation boom of the 1970s, a no-nonsense private detective who was originally played by Richard Roundtree in three movies and a short-lived TV show, before Samuel L. Jackson played a version of him in the 2000 reboot (though Roundtree also appeared as Shaft's uncle). Given how there's been a grindhouse revival in recent years with shlock like Tarantino and Rodriguez's Grindhouse project and films like the Machete series, it's time to bring Shaft back with the same grimy style and funky music that made him a hit the first time. Who Would Play Him: Michael Jai White is the only sensible choice here. The guy is an extremely skilled fighter, and has proven himself plenty charismatic in films like Black Dynamite and his small appearance in The Dark Knight.