Back in 2013 it was announced that Shane Black (Iron Man 3, The Nice Guys) was developing a movie based around the classic pulp adventurer Doc Savage, and now he’s found his lead in the insanely busy Dwayne Johnson.
“For all comic book fans you already know the world’s first superhero (pre-dating Superman) is the ‘Man of Bronze’ himself Clark ‘Doc’ Savage,” said Johnson on Instagram. “Want to thank my bud director/writer Shane Black and his writing team Anthony Bagarozzi and Chuck Mondry for flying in from LA and sitting with me and our @sevenbucksprod‘s producer @hhgarcia41 on this Memorial Day weekend to chop up creative and break story on this very cool project.”
“Comic book fans around the world know that the cool thing about ‘Doc’ Savage is that he’s the inspiration for Superman,” he continues. “First name Clark, called ‘Man of Bronze’, retreats to his ‘Fortress of Solitude’ in the Arctic etc etc. Doc was physically and mentally trained from birth by his father and a team of scientists to become the perfect human specimen with a genius level intellect. His heightened senses are beyond comprehension. He can even identify a women’s perfume from half a mile away. He is literally the master of everything. But here’s the #1 reason I’m excited to become Doc Savage… HE’S A F*CKING HILARIOUS WEIRDO! Confidently, yet innocently he has zero social graces whatsoever due to his upbringing so every interaction he has with someone is direct, odd, often uncomfortable and amazingly hilarious. After speaking for hours w/ Shane Black I can see why the creator of Superman took only the best parts of Doc Savage and leaving the ‘weirdo’ part behind. But to us, it’s that ‘weirdo’ part that makes Clark ‘Doc’ Savage dope! Can’t wait to sink my teeth into this one of a kind character.”
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Created by Henry W. Ralston and John L. Nanovic, Doc Savage was one of the most popular pulp characters of the 1930s and 1940s, and would go on to branch out into the mediums of radio, film, television and comic books.
Doc Savage joins a packed slate for Dwayne Johnson, which includes the currently in production Fast & Furious 8, along with action comedy Central Intelligence, Disney’s Moana, the big screen adaptation of Baywatch, a sequel to San Andreas, video game adaptation Rampage, the Jumanji remake, action film Skyscraper, the DCEU superhero movie Shazam!, and a third season of Ballers. I’m probably missing a few too…
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Originally published May 30, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
