“Nobody 2” starts shooting this year, which begs the question: is Bob Odenkirk leaning into big-budget action roles in his late career? As per the actor, not quite, and definitely do not expect him in a Marvel film anytime soon.
IndieWire (via The Independent) reports that Odenkirk shot done rumors about him joining the MCU in a new interview. “I always like to keep things grounded, relatable, and smaller. I don’t think I’m built for that world,” Odenkirk said to The Independent. “I’m built for characters that make you feel like that guy could live next door.” In that case, 2021’s “Nobody” and its upcoming sequel make sense, as Odenkirk’s character in those films is the ex-contract killer next door. There’s nothing overtly flashy and larger-than-life about the role beyond Hutch Mansell’s skill set, and that’s how Odenkirk likes it. “I care about this more than you could imagine,” continued the actor. “You’d think it’s the personal story of my life, and not an action-genre movie.”
“Nobody” wasn’t a typical role for Odenkirk, but the actor ended up loving his work on the movie. In fact, he liked doing action sequences so much he wants to do even more of them in the sequel. “I was very surprised by “Nobody.,” Odenkirk told IndieWire last September. “I had initiated that project because I had a feeling that the character I was developing in “Better Call Saul” was the kind of character you see in an action film. “He has earnest desires and he was willing to sacrifice himself. If I get my way, you’re going to see me doing more action. I found the action sequences a great deal of fun and close to doing sketch comedy. I love the early Jackie Chan films, which had humor in them. I’d like to get that in the future.”
But Odenkirk also envisions an unsavory end to his anti-hero, despite ambitious plans to make “Nobody” into a trilogy. “My hope is we get to do a trilogy, and he ends up with nothing,” Odenkirk continued. “He destroys everything he loves.” Initially inspired by two real-life break-ins the actor experience, “Nobody” follows an ex-hit man who sheds his family man person to pursue vengeance after his house gets robbed. The film ended up a sleeper hit in early 2021, with critics taking to Odenkirk’s persona in an action movie formula with relish. Production on the first sequel begins sometime this year, with Ilya Naishuller directing again.
What else does Odenkirk have on deck? Well, AMC‘s “Lucky Hank,” just premiered next month, with Odenkirk playing a professor at a small Pennsylvania college undergoing a serious mid-life crisis. Critics like a dramedy so far, but don’t expect it to reach the same lofty heights of “Better Call Saul.”
Odenkirk also headlines an upcoming remake of Tommy Wisseau‘s modern cult classic “The Room.” But the actor wants to make this version of Wisseau’s work someting more serious. “I’m not mocking Tommy’s performance or even mocking the script. I’m going, ‘This is your script. Bob Odenkirk, this is your part. How are you going to make it real and make it feel legit?’” Odenkirk told EW. “My dream is that you watch it, and even just for one or two scenes, you go, ‘Wow, OK! That’s a real movie, I’d watch that!’ You just think for one second, ‘Am I watching a genuine performance and am I actually a little bit touched by “The Room”?”
A remake of “The Room” may be a recipe for disaster, but it can’t be any worse than the original. But that’s the fare Odenkirk prefers to do over anything MCU-related.
