After creating some of the most iconic superheroes of our pop culture, Marvel Comics mastermind Stan Lee is going to become an action hero in his own big-screen story. At 93 years of age, he’s probably too old to portray himself, so someone else will have to play the creator of Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Hulk, and countless other Marvel heroes.
According to The Hollywood Reporter‘s Borys Kit, 20th Century Fox has acquired the life rights to Lee’s story with the intention of developing a period action-adventure movie based on the famed writer and editor. The idea is to set the story in the 1970s and create something along the lines of 2014’s Kingsman: The Secret Service or Roger Moore’s James Bond films, a lighter, jet-setting sort of adventure that has a sense of fun to it.
Lee has already been the subject of an unconventional biography, having told his memoir in comic book (or graphic novel) form in Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir, written along with comic-book writer Peter David and illustrated by Colleen Doran, released last November. Lee also wrote a 2002 autobiography, titled Excelsior! The Amazing Life of Stan Lee. Additionally, Jordan Raphael and Tom Spurgeon authored a 2004 biography, Stan Lee and the Rise and Fall of the American Comic Book. So there is plenty of material to work from.
Yet Lee’s life story might not be seen as inherently cinematic. Does the story of a poor kid from the Bronx who attempted to start his writing career in comic books (thus changing his name from Stanley Lieber to Stan Lee, so he could still use his real name for serious novels) as a teenager, then went on to create legendary characters including the Fantastic Four, X-Men and Doctor Strange, make for a compelling movie? Probably not, though comic book fans might disagree. However, many longtime Marvel fans could also tell you about the decades-long struggle to adapt those comic books into Hollywood films, something that really didn’t become a reality until the late 1990s and early 2000s.
But as you can tell from the THR report, this Lee movie is not going to be a biopic, so any concerns might be misplaced. The intention is to make Lee a 1970s action hero, possibly living the adventures that he translated to the comic book page. The premise sounds intriguing, yet also has the potential to be ridiculous. Though plenty of comic book and pop culture fans know Stan Lee’s name, is that enough to draw people to theaters? Presenting a fun, swashbuckling type of action-adventure that provides an alternative to the more dour, serious action and superhero films currently dominating cinema will likely be the hook.
Will the story acknowledge that he was also a comic book writer, editor and publisher? Since Fox owns the rights to characters such as the Fantastic Four and X-Men, that might be a possibility, though their ability to show the vast universe of superheroes Lee created will almost certainly be limited by rights issues. Maybe the movie will come up with its own versions of such characters for the movie, if Lee being a comic book creator is part of the story. But the project is very much in its early stages, so what the film might turn out to be is speculative at this point.
In the meantime, who could play Stan Lee in a 1970s action movie? As seen above, Jordan Peele has already portrayed the man on Comedy Central’s Key & Peele. Though that wasn’t exactly the most flattering depiction. Plus, that was Lee as an older man. Jason Sudeikis or Bill Hader could possibly fit the bill, since the film will surely be something of a comedy.
Bradley Cooper seems like a good choice, though that might be aiming a bit high. Given how absurd the premise is to begin with, why not just steer into the ridiculousness and cast a beefcake like Joe Manganiello (although his recent casting as Deathstroke in Ben Affleck’s solo Batman film could tie him up). Hey, how about Matt Damon? Let’s shoot for the moon. He’s already got the globe-hopping spy thing down as Jason Bourne. He’s got the comedic chops to play a cheesier action hero, which could be a fun departure.
But the real answer — maybe the only answer — is Tom Hanks, isn’t it? Yes, he just finished playing “Sully” Sullenberger, an American hero. So why not play an American icon next?
