Mark Wahlberg completely unrecognizable in new movie 'By Any Means,' trailer goes viral

The trailer for the 1960s civil rights thriller co-starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II drops ahead of its September 2026 release

Mark Wahlberg's look in his upcoming movie "By Any Means" might have people looking twice.

Basic info:

  • Plot: Inspired by a true story, a young Black FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is sent into 1960s Mississippi to investigate a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders. Forced to work alongside notorious mafia hitman Greg Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg), he finds himself pulled into a deadly hunt where justice and vengeance begin to blur. When the system is broken, two men divided by everything agree on one thing: the law has limits. They don’t.
  • Cast: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Wahlberg, Nicole Beharie, Josh Lucas and Giancarlo Esposito.
  • Release date: Sept. 4, 2026

Mark Wahlberg attends The Netflix Cup, a live Netflix Sports event, at Wynn Las Vegas Golf on November 14, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. ((Photo by Greg Doherty/Getty Images for Netflix © 2023))

Mark Wahlberg unrecognizable in new movie.

The preview for "By Any Means" hit the internet on Wednesday, and one thing became crystal clear immediately:

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Mark Wahlberg looks like a completely different person.

Mark Wahlberg attends the "The Family Plan 2" world premiere at the Curzon Mayfair in London on Nov. 11, 2025. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Not a little bit different! Wahlberg is completely unrecognizable in the role as infamous gangster Greg Scarpa.

The trailer has generated significant attention after getting more than 12 million views on YouTube in under a day.

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Give it a watch below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

Like I said, the popular actor looks like a completely different person. Whoever is responsible for the makeup or facial prosthetics did an incredibly impressive job.

It's always a bit neat when you see an actor or actress radically change their appearance for a role. Takes things to another level.

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There's no doubt that's what Wahlberg did here.

For comparison, check out the movie poster below.

Now, check out the photo of Mark Wahlberg in his regular form below.

Mark Wahlberg attends the F1 Grand Prix at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit in Las Vegas, Nev., on Nov. 22, 2025. (Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images)

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What do you think of Wahlberg's transformation? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.