Chris Hemsworth has a hit franchise, and is fairly busy on top of his Thor work. He’s starring in the unfortunately named Cyber, In The Heart Of The Sea, and some James Spader movie just next year. And the year after that, it looks like he may be the Man Of Bronze.
Yes, Shane Black is still hard at work on Doc Savage, and it looks like he’s in the casting phase. Hidden deep within Hollywood Reporter’s exclusive about Black reviving the Predator, there’s this tidbit:
Black is also very actively developing Doc Savage, the adaptation of the 1930s pulp hero for Sony. He recently met with Chris Hemsworth for the title role, but it’s unclear when that project would shoot since it’s still grappling with budgetary issues. Sony, however, does consider Savage one of its priorities.
Odds are pretty good Sony considers it their top priority, actually. Their whole plan to inundate us with Spider-Movies is not working out financially, so they need a big summer franchise. And hey, look, here’s a big summer franchise.
Doc Savage, for those unfamiliar, is a pulp hero who got his powers through child abuse. His father assembled a team of scientists at his birth to relentlessly train his body and mind to the peak of all powers. Basically he’s Batman meets Indiana Jones.
If Black is cutting deals to develop reboots, Sony will likely need to act fast. So expect to hear more about Doc Savage coming together sooner rather than later.