Without question, Stan Lee is the biggest name in comics. As a co-creator of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, the X-Men, and a host of others, Lee helped create some of the biggest characters in popular culture in decades. He’s been seen in cameos in all of the film adaptations for his characters, and he’s one of the few mainstream creators. While Lee is nowhere near as prolific as was in the 1960’s and ’70s, he’s still producing new projets, and one of his newest is heading straight for the silver screen.
The project is called Annihilator, and it will be produced by Barry Josephson, with a script from Dan Gilroy. Josephson has helped produce Enchanted, Bones, and Wild Wild West, and Gilroy is possibly best known as the writer of The Bourne Legacy and Real Steel.
The official press release is enclosed here:
ANNIHILATOR tells the story of a young Chinese expatriate, Ming, who must choose between remaining in prison or enlist in a secret US super soldier program. The program uses targeted genetic enhancements from various animal species. Ming chooses to undergo this nearly fatal procedure and through his extreme resolve, gained as a result of his family’s tradition of practicing Qijong and martial arts, he survives. Now, armed with remarkable abilities, he must confront a former rival with his own set of enhanced faculties. Our reluctant hero is forced not only to face his personal demons, but also to defeat the villain who will destroy everything that he knows and loves.
While I respect everything that Lee has done for this industry, I must confess that reading this release doesn’t really intrigue me as much as I’d like it to. This sounds like a combination of the origins of Captain America and Luke Cage, and the powers of Animal Man, and a really really cheesy name. Normally, I would have expected more from such a legendary talent, but Lee just passed the age of ninety, so I can’t judge too harshly. Concurrently, I know I can’t fully judge a project that hasn’t been started, let alone finished. Whenever Annihilator comes out, I’ll be there to give it a fair shot.
Source: /Film
