Not only is the upcoming film, “Bloodshot,” the first time Vin Diesel gets to show his face in a superhero film, but it also is the first in what many fans hope is a brand-new slate of films based on Valiant Comics series. (Believe it or not, there are plenty of great superhero stories that aren’t tied to Marvel and DC. Go figure!) And according to the star of “Bloodshot,” the film does do what it can to pave the way for a new superhero cinematic universe.
In an interview with Superhero Fanatic, Diesel not only teases the franchise possibilities of “Bloodshot,” but he also talks about how the new film sets up a larger cinematic universe for the Valiant Comics superheroes.
“I think what [‘Bloodshot’] does is that it opens the door for all of them,” said Diesel. “I think you’re going to see all of them. I think if you’re a fan of Valiant Comics, then you are going to be delighted to hear—and I think they’re going to wait until the movie comes out—but they’re going to start putting out into the press all of the Valiant comic books that are going into the cinematic universe. It’s going to be very exciting.”
Cinematic universes are a tricky thing. We’ve seen the blueprint for how to launch and maintain a superhero universe with what Marvel Studios has done with the MCU. But on the other hand, we’ve studios try to replicate that success and fail…hard (Warner Bros. and the DCEU, as well as Universal’s Dark Universe). So, can “Bloodshot” start the Valiant Cinematic Universe? Obviously, that all depends on the success of the film, as we know from the Dark Universe and its failed launch of “The Mummy” in 2017, you can’t start a connected film universe if the first film is a flop.
That being said, if it does work out, the Valiant Comics superhero universe is ripe for adaptation. We know the movie rights have been purchased by studios already, but unlike the DCEU and MCU, audiences aren’t really aware of what Valiant is all about. And honestly, that’s pretty damn exciting, as comic book fans know that Valiant offers something pretty different from what Marvel and DC do, with superheroes that are more adult and feel completely different than the big two comic companies.
Of course, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. If you want to make sure that happens, you’ll probably want to buy a ticket to “Bloodshot,” when it arrives in theaters this Friday.