Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has confirmed that he will be playing the "world's first superhero" in Shane Black's take on Doc Savage.
As far back as 2013, Black had been reported to be working on the adaptation but he ended up directing The Nice Guys as a follow-up to Iron Man 3. Now that The Nice Guys has been released, it looks like Black and Johnson finally got down to business and talked about Doc Savage.
In an interview in April, Black said that they're hoping to make the adaptation next year. However, he only has eyes on Johnson to play Doc Savage so they're putting the project on hold while the actor is busy. Fortunately, Johnson found a gap in his schedule to accommodate talks with the director. Doubly fortunate is the fact that the talks were successfully carried out, with the actor taking to Instagram on Memorial Day to share the news that he is officially on board to play Doc Savage.
Johnson also elaborated on a number of reasons why Doc Savage is THE superhero to portray, zeroing in on the character's weirdness as his ultimate charm.
"Can't wait to sink my teeth into this one of a kind character," he said.
Doc Savage predates Superman by five years and is considered to be the basis for the Man of Steel. Created by John L. Nanovic, Henry W. Ralston and Lester Dent, the character, or Clark Savage, Jr., is a man of many talents. He is human but has been trained since birth to develop immense strength and intellect. Did anyone say near-superhuman abilities? Johnson certainly fits the bill.
The actor also took to Instagram to share the first image of Luke Hobbs for The Fast and the Furious' eighth outing. Johnson shared many possibilities about his character but has not confirmed what Hobbs' story will be like in the franchise's next movie. Fast 8 is set for an April 14, 2017 release date and will see the return of Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris and Kurt Russell. Charlize Theron has also been cast as Cipher, the film's villain.
