Following the phenomenal success of Hollywood movies based on Marvel comic book adaptations such as Iron Man, Thor and The Avengers, it appears that Valiant Comics also want to grab a piece of the comic book action in Hollywood, with Deadline reporting that J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Thor) is set to write a script based on the Shadowman series, which has sold millions of copies and spawned various video games.
For those who haven’t heard of the hero from Valiant Comics, Shadowman is character called Jack Boniface who protects and defends the city of New Orleans from a dark and mysterious threat. Boniface is a man destined to be a hero who must rise up and accept the legacy he was born to uphold. The reluctant hero must also pay a high price to master his new dangerous abilities if he wants to defeat the evil Master Darque who is hell bent on removing the barrier separating reality from the darkness of the Deadside.
This looks like a very interesting project with Valiant CEO Jason Kothari keen to launch a potential movie franchise, and with the talented Straczynski on board he may just get his wish.
Straczynski seems to be looking forward to bringing this hero to life, stating:
“Shadowman is a character who lives in a unique world that mixes the modern world with that which is most ancient within us. The New Orleans vibe and history, and the struggle to find a balance with the personality within him, is a perfect dramatic vehicle. We’ve already finished the outline and there’s a lot of action, much of it unique to what Shadowman can do … but at the core of it, there’s a strong character, world and mythology that can be explored across multiple subsequent films. This is gonna be fun.”
Originally published October 15, 2012. Updated April 10, 2018.
