Several superhero films have been released in 2025, but Macon Blair’s reboot of “The Toxic Avenger” might be the best one. Sure, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is an appealing utopian text, and many audiences were fond of the hokeyness of “Superman,” but “The Toxic Avenger” is handily the most fun and easily the grossest. Peter Dinklage gives a surprisingly committed performance as the put-upon janitor Winston Gooze, while Luisa Guerreiro (speaking with Dinklage’s voice) is even more impressive as the post-mutation Winston, a.k.a. the Toxic Avenger. Blair’s film takes place in a dystopian world of foul steam, mutagenic chemicals, and toxic greed. Evil pharmaceutical companies are happy to poison the populace, and the ultra-wealthy “titans of industry” are happy to watch the weak die. In this regard, “The Toxic Avenger” is tragically timely.
But at the same time, there are scenes of acidic urine, face-melting gore, and monster mayhem. The villain of the film, Bob (Kevin Bacon) has a sniveling sidekick/brother, Fritz (Elijah Wood), who looks like Riff-Raff from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Fritz controls a horrorcore metal band called The Killer Nutz, whose members also serve as corporate assassins. That is to say that “The Toxic Avenger” may be politically timely, but it also has the advantage of being slimy, nauseating, and entertaining. Indeed, it’s pretty marvelous when Toxie swings his chemical-soaked mop at a bad guy’s head and melts it entirely.
“The Toxic Avenger” premiered at Fantastic Fest way back in 2023, but it had trouble finding distribution (perhaps because it’s so weird and slimy). Fans of Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz’s original 1984 “Toxic Avenger” film were eager to see Toxie’s new adventure, but the remake remained frustratingly out of reach for years. Finally, Cineverse stepped in and released the movie in theaters at the end of August. Now, after a brief theatrical run, “The Toxic Avenger” is coming home.
Specifically, “The Toxic Avenger” will become available to buy or rent on premium video on demand (PVOD) starting September 30, 2025. It will also be released on physical media a month later on October 28.
The digital version of “The Toxic Avenger” will be available through your favorite PVOD platforms and should be easy enough to find. There will also be five physical editions of the film for you to choose from, should you decide to pick it up on physical media starting around Halloween. They are as follows:
Version #1: There’s a DVD release, natch. This is for people who don’t want to spend a lot or haven’t yet upgraded to Blu-ray. Don’t make fun of people who only use DVDs in 2025. They’re still watching movies, aren’t they?
Version #2: There’s a Blu-ray release, billed as the Collector’s Edition, allowing you to see Toxie’s pustules better.
Version #3: There’s a 4K plus Blu-ray release. How badly do you want to see those pustules? If you need ’em in 4K, this edition will have you covered.
Version #4: The 4K/Blu-ray version will also have an optional steelbook case for aspiring collectors who prefer the nifty, heftier package. And who doesn’t like a hefty package?
Version #5: Amazon is offering a 4K UHD + Blu-ray Collector’s Edition that also includes the original 1984 version of “The Toxic Avenger” (also in 4K), which is a must-have for any collection.
Versions 2 through 5 will also contain the same special features. Those include a behind-the-scenes documentary titled “A Toxic Environment,” a director’s commentary track from Macon Blair, a segment titled “Toxic Shock with Tiffany Shepis (the famed scream queen and face of Troma), and a 40th anniversary retrospective.
And speaking of the “Toxic Avenger” sequels, the Cineverse website currently offers access to the original 1984 “The Toxic Avenger,” along with 1989’s “The Toxic Avenger Part II,” 1989’s “The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie,” and 2000’s “Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV.” It also carries all 13 episodes of the 1991 animated series “The Toxic Crusaders.” Perhaps it’s time you familiarize yourself with the entire “Toxic Avenger” phenomenon.