Comics author Mark Millar is planning to bring back "Kick-Ass" but with more diversity. Among the changes that will be introduced is a black female main protagonist.
The monthly series will reportedly star an African-American woman, together with an entirely new supporting cast of characters. The setting is also said to take place outside of New York. Aside from "Kick-Ass," Millar is also eyeing on relaunching its spinoff, "Hit-Girl."
The Hollywood Reporter noted that previously, "Kick-Ass" centered on a nerdy male teenager, Dave LIzewski, who transformed into a crime-fighting superhero. According to Millar, comics is not short of white males who are about 30 years old.
As a writer, he is more interested in older or younger female or African-American characters because they are very unique and unveils story possibilities that have not been told in the past 80 years of superhero fiction. The new main character allegedly has a completely different take in the relaunched version.
According to Millar, he returned to work on "Kick-Ass" because he missed the title. He appreciates how an ordinary person in the story can transform into a real-life superhero. It has been three years since he last worked on the project and decided to delve into it again.
According to IGN, Millar did not divulge details regarding the character or plot, although he mentioned that the story will be in a different city with a new supporting cast. The writer added that he envisioned the title as showcasing a legacy character, where the story is more important than the hero.
He explained that "Kick-Ass" is similar to James Bond or Doctor Who, who can be different people who take on different situations. Millar wanted a different person behind the mask every time.
The two movies that "Kick-Ass" spawned became big successes. The first film was directed by Matthew Vaughn, while the second starred Jeff Wadlow. The relaunching project will be the first time that Millar publishes monthly titles. Co-creator John Romita Jr. will serve as artist and committed to work on the book for three years. Rafael Albuquerque will provide the art for "Hit-Girl." Millar will write the initial story arc, while Daniel Way will follow as regular author. The two books are expected to become available in January 2017.
The new "Kick-Ass" project will feature more diversity and showcase a black main protagonist. More updates and details on the relaunch are expected soon.
