Cameron Diaz’s First Movie In 10 Years Is Now On Netflix & It Was Worth Her Coming Out Of Retirement For

After ten years of being retired from acting, Cameron Diaz is back and better than ever in her new Netflix action movie, Back in Action, which is most definitely worth coming out of retirement for. Diaz’s career first began in 1994 when she made her feature film debut in The Mask, at just 21-years-old. From there, Diaz continued earning greater and greater roles, ranging from romantic comedies like There’s Something About Mary to more serious projects like Being John Malkovich. These days, Diaz is also remembered for her franchise films like Charlie’s Angels and Shrek.

To say the least, Diaz boasts an impressive career, which is why many were so disappointed when the actress decided to leave her profession. After starring in three successive Movies in 2014 – The Other Woman, Sex Tape and Annie – Diaz announced that she would be retiring from acting in order to focus on her family. Diaz has been married to musician Benji Madden since 2015, and the pair have two children together. Although Diaz’s career seemed to be at its end, just ten years later, the actress is finally making her return to Hollywood, starting with her new Netflix movie.

Back In Action Is A Great Return For Cameron Diaz

Diaz Made A Good Choice For Her Big Return

Back in Action is already proving to be a solid return for Diaz. The movie follows two former CIA spies whose secret identities are suddenly blown, forcing them to dust off their old skills for espionage. Truthfully, Back in Action is not a fantastic movie, and Diaz has definitely appeared in much better. However, that does not diminish the fact that this is a good start for the actress. Regardless of the story or the writing, Diaz sparkles in this new role, reviving the magic that made audiences fall in love with her in the first place.

In this way, Back in Action is not just a silly action romp, but hints at a much deeper story of people returning to what they do best.

Part of what makes Back in Action so fun is how meta it is. Although Diaz and her co-star Jamie Foxx are supposed to be playing spies, there is a sense of reality to their characters’ situation. Like their characters, both Diaz and Foxx have been notably “out of action.” Diaz has been retired for a decade, meanwhile, Foxx also put his career on hold while dealing with a stroke in 2023. In this way, Back in Action is not just a silly action romp, but hints at a much deeper story of people returning to what they do best.

Back In Action Could Give Cameron Diaz A New Franchise

Back In Action Is Just The Start For Diaz

Another exciting element of Back in Action is that it could start a new franchise for Diaz. The end of Back in Action heavily implies the possibility of a sequel, and Diaz and Foxx could easily return to continue the stories of Emily and Matt. This could be the perfect avenue for Diaz, and Back in Action has created at least one more job for her to pursue in the near future. Back in Action 2 could even raise the stakes by including more stars who have been out of the acting game for a significant period of time.

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Then again, Back in Action doesn’t necessarily need a second movie to jumpstart Diaz’s return to acting. If anything, Back in Action was the launching point from which Diaz can rebuild her career. These days, countless actors who were considered to be outdated have made splashy returns to the big screen, including Demi Moore in The Substance or Pamela Anderson in The Last Showgirl. In this way, Diaz’s best bet may be an Oscar-bait type movie that could show off her dramatic acting chops. Diaz’s talent deserves a strong project to go with it.

Is Cameron Diaz Making Other Movies?

What To Expect From Diaz’s Return

Princess Fiona in human form smirking smugly while holding an arrow in Shrek.

Regardless of what the future may or may not hold for Diaz, there are some projects that the actress is confirmed to be doing. In 2026, Diaz will reprise her role as Princess Fiona in Shrek 5. She also has another movie currently in post-production called Outcome. This star-studded film follows Keanu Reeves as Reef Hawk, a famous actor who has taken a break from the screen to build himself a new home. Yet, when a video of him doing something questionable is used against him, Reef must confront everyone he has ever wronged in Hollywood.

Based on these two projects alone, Diaz’s return to acting has certainly been worth the wait. From the goofy good times of Back in Action to the return of a truly iconic character like Fiona, Diaz is giving audiences exactly what they would have hoped for. Even Outcome looks like it has the potential to be a hilarious and exciting project. All in all, Back in Action is hopefully just the start of a fantastic return for Cameron Diaz.

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Back in Action follows former CIA operatives Emily and Matt, who are thrust back into espionage years after retiring to raise a family. Released on January 17, 2025, the film unravels their return to the clandestine world when their identities are exposed.

Release Date

January 17, 2025

Cast: Cameron Diaz
, Jamie Foxx
, McKenna Roberts
, Glenn Close
, Kyle Chandler
, Andrew Scott
, Jamie Demetriou
, Fola Evans-Akingbola
, Anna Stadler
, Tom Brittney
, Adam Basil
, Erol Ismail
, Lee Charles
, Alfredo Tavares
, Ruth Clarson
, Julia Westcott-Hutton
, Katrina Durden
, Robert Besta
, Bashir Salahuddin
, Ben VanderMey
, Jude Mack
, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo
, Tobi Bamtefa

Director