The Toxic Avenger
Movie, 2023, The remake, Set in St. Roma's Village
The Toxic Avenger is #6 of 6 in release order and #6 of 6 in chronological order in the The Toxic Avenger.
The story
When a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze, is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, he’s transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger. Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to savior, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community.
The Toxic Avenger recap
The Toxic Avenger (2023) follows Winston Gooze, a sick janitor at a crooked drug company, who is left for dead in toxic sludge and rises as a mutant hero. Macon Blair wrote and directed the remake, which opened Fantastic Fest in September 2023 and reached US theaters on August 29, 2025 through Cineverse. Winston (Peter Dinklage) is raising his stepson Wade (Jacob Tremblay) in St. Roma's Village and cannot afford treatment for his brain disease. He breaks into the BTH vault the night whistleblower J.J. Doherty (Taylour Paige) comes to steal evidence, and the company's punk-band hit squad, the Killer Nutz, shoot him and dump him in waste. He comes back with a glowing mop and a mutated body that spits out bullets. BTH chief Bob Garbinger (Kevin Bacon) and his brother Fritz (Elijah Wood) want his blood to build super soldiers. Stands alone and needs nothing before it.
The Toxic Avenger ending explained
The Toxic Avenger ends with Bob drinking an untested serum made from Winston's blood, killing mobster Thad Barkabus, and then losing to Winston; Bob's assistant Kissy mutates herself too and is beaten in turn. Winston wakes in hospital, his disease cured, while Bob's crimes are exposed and Fritz is arrested. He and Wade accept each other as father and son. Unlike the 1984 original, Winston is a grown stepfather rather than a teenage gym janitor, and Melvin Ferd appears as a reporter.
Post-credits scenes
Yes. The Toxic Avenger has a post-credits scene showing Kissy alive but badly burned, followed by Winston teaching the audience how to make a grilled cheese sandwich.
Where to watch The Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger is streaming on Hulu in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 5.8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 86%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV, the latest.
- Chronological order: after Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV, the last.
What to watch before The Toxic Avenger
In release order, the essentials before The Toxic Avenger (2023) are The Toxic Avenger (1984), The Toxic Avenger Part II (1989), The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie (1989), and Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (2000).
Cast
- Peter Dinklage as Winston / Toxie, the Hero
- Jacob Tremblay as Wade, the Kid
- Taylour Paige as J.J. Doherty, the Wild Card
- Julia Davis as Kissy Sturnevan, his Associate
- Jonny Coyne as Thad Barkabus, the Big Boss
- Elijah Wood as Fritz Garbinger, his Creepy Brother
- Kevin Bacon as Bob Garbinger, the Villain
- David Yow as Guthrie Stockins, the Wise Hobo
- Sarah Niles as Mayor Togar
- Shaun Dooley as Mel Ferd, the Crusading Reporter
- Luisa Guerreiro as Toxie, the Bod
- Annette Badland as Daisy, the Shopkeeper
Directed by Macon Blair.