Cast of The Rip: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck Full List 2026

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have made a habit of pushing each other to deliver their best work, so fans had plenty to celebrate when Netflix dropped The Rip on January 16, 2026. The crime thriller pairs the longtime friends in a Miami-set narcotics unit story that’s rooted in an actual 2016 case where a police raid uncovered $20 million stashed in a residence — and critics noticed, awarding it a 79% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 146 reviews.

Lead Actor: Matt Damon · Co-Star: Ben Affleck · Director/Writer: Joe Carnahan · Release Year: 2026 · Platform: Netflix

The cast table below lays out the full roster of actors, their character names, and the roles they play within The Rip’s Miami narcotics unit.

Joe Carnahan co-wrote the screenplay with Michael McGrale and serves as both writer and director (Wikipedia). The film credits Luciana Damon, Dani Bernfeld, Michael Joe, and Kevin Halloran as producers alongside Damon and Affleck, with production handled by Artists Equity (Rotten Tomatoes).

Cast of the Rip full cast

Matt Damon as Lieutenant Dane Dumars

Matt Damon takes the commanding role of Lieutenant Dane Dumars, the narcotics squad leader whose authority gets tested when the team discovers a massive cash haul that fractures their trust in each other. The character sits at the center of the film’s moral dilemmas, and Damon’s chemistry with Ben Affleck drives much of the interpersonal tension.

Ben Affleck as Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne

Ben Affleck portrays Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne, Damon’s partner and the film’s other central figure. The two actors share a 45-year friendship off-screen, and their real-life dynamic bleeds into their on-screen partnership in ways critics have praised as “compulsively watchable” (Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus).

Steven Yeun as Detective Mike Ro

Steven Yeun, known for his work in television and independent film, plays Detective Mike Ro, bringing his signature intensity to the role of a narcotics investigator navigating the same moral fog as his colleagues. The character operates within the Tactical Narcotics Team structure, though public sources provide limited detail on his specific arc.

Teyana Taylor as Detective Numa Baptiste

Teyana Taylor takes on Detective Numa Baptiste, one of the squad’s key detectives. Taylor’s casting represents the film’s push for fresh faces alongside established stars, and her role places her squarely within the team’s investigative work.

The pattern here is clear: The Rip assembles a heavyweight ensemble where even secondary roles are filled with recognizable talent, giving the film’s ensemble tension real depth.

Who is the dirty cop in The Rip?

Role analysis

Search interest around the “dirty cop” in The Rip spikes because the film’s central premise hinges on a narcotics unit where trust erodes after a cash discovery. Public cast lists don’t explicitly label any character as corrupt, but the plot structure strongly suggests at least one member of the Tactical Narcotics Team is operating outside the law.

Team dynamics

The ensemble includes several characters whose positions give them opportunity for corruption: FBI Agent Del Byrne (played by Scott Adkins), DEA Agent Mateo “Matty” Nix (Kyle Chandler), and Major Thom Vallejo (Néstor Carbonell) all occupy roles with access to sensitive information and operational discretion. The film’s narrative tension builds from suspicion spreading through the team rather than revealing a specific villain upfront.

What this means: The dirty cop question isn’t answered in marketing materials because the uncertainty is the point — viewers are meant to question everyone’s motives throughout the film.

Is Ben Affleck’s brother in The Rip?

Affleck family involvement

Casey Affleck, Ben’s brother and frequent collaborator, does not appear in The Rip’s cast roster across Wikipedia, IMDB, Netflix, and TV Guide sources. Ben Affleck is confirmed as Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne and also serves as a producer, but Casey Affleck’s name does not surface in any official cast documentation.

Confirmed cast absence

The complete cast list of 14 named actors shows no Casey Affleck credit. This means fans looking for another Affleck brother pairing will need to wait for a future project, as The Rip relies exclusively on Ben Affleck’s involvement.

What this means: The absence of Casey Affleck is unambiguous across multiple authoritative sources — Ben Affleck remains the sole Affleck in the film, occupying both a starring role and a producing credit.

Cast of The Rip Desi

Supporting roles

Sasha Calle plays Desiree “Desi” Lopez Molina, a character whose presence in the cast guide signals she plays a meaningful supporting role without being a primary lead. Public cast information provides limited character detail, but her inclusion among the film’s 14 named cast members indicates she appears throughout the narrative.

Character details

Official synopsis material describes the plot as centering on a police team discovering cash in a stash house, with trust fraying as a result. Desi’s specific function within that narrative — whether she’s a fellow officer, a civilian with knowledge of the case, or another role — isn’t explicitly detailed in available sources.

The implication: The limited public information on characters like Desi suggests the film reveals role specifics gradually rather than spelling them out upfront, making The Rip better suited for viewers who enjoy piecing together character dynamics.

Cast of the Rip film director

Crew credits

Joe Carnahan is credited as writer and director, having developed the story with Michael McGrale (Wikipedia). Carnahan has a track record in action and crime cinema, and The Rip marks another addition to his filmography of gritty, character-driven thrillers.

Joe Carnahan role

Carnahan directs a cast featuring two of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars while working with a production company (Artists Equity) known for backing actor-driven projects. The R rating for language and violence signals Carnahan’s commitment to a realistic tone rather than a sanitized studio approach.

Why this matters: Joe Carnahan’s dual credit as writer and director means The Rip reflects a unified creative vision rather than a studio-assembled product, which explains the consistent critical reception and the film’s willingness to embrace moral ambiguity.

Trust frays when a team of Miami cops discovers millions in cash inside a run-down stash house, calling everyone — and everything — into question.

— Netflix official synopsis (Netflix Fandom Wiki)

Leveraging Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s classic chemistry to texturize a friendship tested by greed, The Rip tears into its potboiler setup with compulsively watchable confidence.

— Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus (Rotten Tomatoes)

The film earns its ensemble praise because it resists treating the supporting cast as window dressing — even when coverage is thin, the actors bring enough presence that viewers want to know more about their characters’ backstories and motivations.

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Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who first skyrocketed to fame with the Good Will Hunting cast, now reunite as gritty detectives in Netflix’s The Rip.

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