Shane Black has long been one of Hollywood’s most distinctive writer-directors, the architect of the modern action quip and a filmmaker who bends genre to his own sardonic rhythm. From the whip-smart buddy-cop banter of “Lethal Weapon” to the scrappy noir humor of “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” and the idiosyncratic spectacle of “Iron Man 3,” his movies crackle with pulp energy and sharp wit. His latest, “Play Dirty,” carries that same DNA —a hardboiled crime tale that delves back into the combustible mix of violence and wisecracks that made him a genre-shaping force.
On a new episode of The Discourse Podcast, Black sat down to discuss the film. Still, the conversation inevitably spilled into the corners of his career: his one-off turn inside the Marvel machine, the cult resurrection of “The Nice Guys,” the never-ending chatter about “Lethal Weapon 5,” and the elusive dream of bringing “Doc Savage” to the screen. Taken together, his reflections sketch the portrait of a filmmaker who’s still wry, still restless, and still chasing the stories that gnaw at him.
When the subject turned to Marvel, Black reflected on his time steering “Iron Man 3,” a project that remains one of the few MCU entries to feel truly shaped by its director’s personality. Asked if he would ever return to the studio system, Black described the experience as fascinating but singular.
“That was pretty much a one-off. They’re very fond of trying directors who hadn’t done a lot, and at the time, I hadn’t. It was a graceful thing they did, installing me and allowing me to exercise even that much flex. I watched a machine at work, like Byzantine gears and cogs, everything meshed to make this thing called Iron Man. For me, it was like riding that railroad. Let the machine do its job; let the process work for you. Don’t fight it. Just go with it.”
The filmmaker also addressed the ongoing chatter around “The Nice Guys,” which Black fully admits didn’t connect at the box office but has since built a passionate following thanks to streaming. He said he’d love to make a sequel, but listed out a litany of reasons why it would likely not happen, including the cost of spending more money on a follow-up to a film that didn’t perform commercially the first time.
“You have to get those actors back. You have to dish up something that feels enticing enough for them to say, ‘Okay, there’s a reason to do another one.’ Ultimately, buying out the rights, getting the actors, and making a sequel to a movie that flopped… let’s be honest, Nice Guys flopped. But I’d love to do another ‘Nice Guys’ movie. If you’re out there and have access to funds, let’s make it happen.”
Asked about the status of “Lethal Weapon 5,” a project long teased by Mel Gibson, Black was quick to clarify he’s not involved but said he’s curious to see where it goes.
“That’s a project I’d be happy to see. The trick is to say, ‘This caps the series.’ It bridges the 20-year-plus gap between the fourth and the fifth one in the story and gives it more resonance. That’s a tough thing to do.”
And on the long-discussed “Doc Savage” movie, Black also sounded doubtful, admitting the biggest obstacle has always been the big budget for a piece of IP that modern audiences are no longer familiar with.
“We have a script, but it’s very expensive. Are people willing to spend the money it would take to bring ‘Doc Savage’ to the screen on an IP that is less recognizable to the public? That’s the question. I mean, it was the original ‘Indiana Jones,’ right? Yeah. I mean, Doc Savage was named Clark, and he was a precursor to Superman; then, they had a Superman named Clark after that. So this was the OG. ‘Doc Savage’ was the original.”
Black may have his doubts about sequels and long-simmering projects, but with “Play Dirty” he’s clearly back in his element, spinning another sharp, combustible crime story that reflects the pulp instincts that made his name. And this conversation was only part of it—there’s much more in the full episode of The Discourse Podcast, where Black talks about his process, inspirations, and why he still gets a kick out of telling stories that blend violence with wit. — Additional reporting by Mike DeAngelo.
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
