It might not be that much of a given that Matthew Vaughn will be directing another Millarworld comic adaptation after KICK-ASS, after all. He might be directing another comic-based movie, actually, but it’d adapt the old Valiant comic BLOODSHOT (although this isn’t for certain, either). That wouldn’t be surprising, given that Vaughn already directed the comic-based STARDUST (well, illustrated novel, but it was Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess, so it still counts) and was attached at one point to direct X3. The guy just loves comics.
Since we’ve got a lot of younger readers in the community, I’m sure many of you probably haven’t heard of Valiant. The publisher was HUGE in the early 90s, being one of the few companies to ever give the big two a run for their money. They published titles like SOLAR MAN OF THE ATOM, MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER and NINJAK, gave a lot of creators like Joe Quesada their start and (if I recall correctly) invented collecting incentives like variant and chromium covers. After several ownership changes ( Acclaim video games being in control, at one point), the company folded in the late 90s and, despite a few attempts at revivals, the Valiant universe has pretty much been dead since. Although, Solar and Magnus are being brought back by Dark Horse for a Free Comic Book Day special drawn by Comic Vine’s friend, Dennis Calero (check out his guestspot on our podcast for some grooming tips, by the way).
Bloodshot’s premise was basically about a dead mobster who gets retooled by the government into a nanite-powered amnesiac killing machine. Even if it’s a rumor, I’m a little puzzled as to how this is happening, now, since it’s been more than a decade since the character’s been in print. Who’s been pushing the license? I guess an easy answer might be that it was a favorite of a young Matthew Vaughn's or the same people that got Solar and Magnus back in the game are behind this. Really, it's not like there isn't a precedent for relatively-obscure comics being turned into big movies. MEN IN BLACK, after all, was based on a Malibu comic that almost nobody heard of.
-- Tom Pinchuk is the writer of UNIMAGINABLE for Arcana Comics and HYBRID BASTARDS! for Archaia. Watch out for the HYBRID BASTARDS! hardcover collection this April - - available for pre-order now on Amazon.com.