Superhero films and TV shows are at a bit of a crossroads. After “Avengers: Endgame,” Marvel Studios has pretty much raised the bar on what you might consider a “typical” superhero story to a level that will likely never be reached again. So, the genre is at a fork in the road where just doing your run-of-the-mill origin story film just ain’t gonna cut it. And with “Watchmen” and “The Boys” deconstructing the genre in new ways, superhero films are forced to evolve. Enter Lee Daniels’ upcoming film “Stealth.”
According to Deadline, Universal has signed Lee Daniels to direct a film adaptation of the upcoming superhero comic book “Stealth,” created by ‘Walking Dead’ mastermind Robert Kirkman and artist Marc Silvestri. While the first issue of the comic book series isn’t supposed to arrive until March 2020, we know that “Stealth” aims to put a completely new spin on the vigilante hero mold.
“Stealth” tells the story of the title superhero, who seems to be a vigilante on the level of someone like Batman. However, the protector of Detroit hides a big secret, he’s an aging man suffering from Alzheimer’s. And the only person who knows the truth is reporter Tony Barber, Stealth’s son. The life of Stealth gets thrown into chaos when his behavior goes from erratic to crossing the line.
Daniels is probably best known for his film “Precious,” which was nominated for Best Director and Best Picture at the Academy Awards. He’s also helmed the acclaimed film “The Butler,” as well as “The Paper Boy.” Most recently, he’s been a producer on the series “Empire.” He’s currently working on a film titled, “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday.”
“Stealth” is being adapted by the writing duo of Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, who were nominated for an Oscar for the film “Children of Men” and are credited as scribes on the first “Iron Man” film.