TORONTO — Actor Mahershala Ali, a two-time Academy Award winner, is set to showcase his action skills in the upcoming film "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother," which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and will be released in select theaters on September 25 before expanding nationwide in October.

Ali stars as Latif, a widowed Muslim hitman who balances the demands of raising three children—including a baby—with his clandestine work as a contract killer. Distinctively, Latif operates under a strict no-gun rule. The plot intensifies as Latif’s search for breast milk for his allergic infant—since formula is not an option—draws the ire of dangerous adversaries allied with a fanatical anti-porn evangelist, portrayed by John Cho.

For Ali, 52, the role marked a pivotal opportunity to engage in physical, action-oriented performance rarely afforded to him despite his history in sports and numerous genre projects. A former college basketball player at St. Mary’s College of California, Ali had previously taken roles in action films but often did not participate in the core physical sequences. He cited "Jurassic World Rebirth," where his character’s involvement was mostly limited to driving or running, and "Predators," where his character dies early on, as examples.

Ali had initially prepared extensively for the Marvel "Blade" reboot, training in swordsmanship and various martial arts for over a year beginning in 2022. The preparation was interrupted by a knee injury requiring surgery, and ultimately, the "Blade" project did not come to fruition. That director Bassam Tariq, who had been attached to "Blade," later collaborated with Ali on "Your Mother," offering the actor a renewed chance to utilize the skills he had developed.

Despite working with a significantly smaller budget and condensed preparation time compared to blockbuster productions like "Blade" or James Bond films, Ali adapted by rehearsing choreography between takes and camera setups. He described the experience as "so fun," particularly scenes involving combat with multiple opponents using a blade.

Ali expressed pride in the film's action sequences, noting that Marvel’s earlier investment in his training indirectly benefited "Your Mother." He said that the training paid for by Marvel helped him execute the physical demands of his current role, ensuring that his preparation would not go to waste.

Directed by Tariq, "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother" combines action with dramatic depth, offering audiences a complex portrayal of a man navigating the intersecting challenges of family, morality, and violence.