Mark Millar on future of superheroes, new project ‘The Chosen One’: ‘It will come back’

If Stan Lee was the “old guard” titan of comics, then Mark Millar is the new real deal.

The Scottish writer/producer, 53, has written extensively for DC and Marvel Comics – including storylines that inspired the films ‘Avengers’, ‘Captain America: Civil War’ and ‘Logan’ – and has also written his own comics that Successful films were adapted from it: “Kick-Ass” and “Kingsman: The Secret Service”.

His latest project is The Chosen One on Netflix, his third show for the streamer after Super Crooks and Jupiter’s Legacy.

Based on the American Jesus graphic novel trilogy that Millar co-wrote with Peter Gross, the series follows 12-year-old Jodie (Bobby Luhnow), a boy growing up in Mexico and a single mother (Dianna Agron ) is raised. .

After surviving a horrific accident, Jodie begins performing Jesus-like miracles, such as turning water into wine and healing the sick.

The graphic novel came out in 2004 and Millar said there was a reason it took so long to get to screens.

“I was very lucky. The very first thing I tried was something called Wanted, which was picked up as… [2008] Film starring Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy,” Millar told The Post. “’American Jesus’ was the second thing I tried. Because Wanted was a hot target, suddenly all these producers came out of nowhere and wanted to make the film. I was really excited, but I’m actually pretty careful with my adaptations because I really like the books. I want to make sure they are okay.

“So for 15 years I turned down every offer because everyone had a terrible opinion about it,” he said. “Someone wanted to do it as a romantic thing like ‘Twilight’! It was getting ridiculous. I’m glad I waited.”

Millar said he doesn’t like being pigeonholed.

“I remember when I started, they were like, ‘He’s the guy who does family-friendly stuff.’ Then the next thing I did was the opposite, and people were like, ‘He’s the guy who does these violent things,'” he said. “So I thought, ‘Now is the time to do something thoughtful without taking action.’ As soon as people think they have a firm grip on me, I like the idea of ​​doing something different.”

Millar, who is well versed in the superhero world, said he’s keeping an eye on the industry’s current state as movies like The Flash boom at the box office.

“These movies generally weren’t very good before 1999,” he said. “They were usually made by people who didn’t understand or care about the stuff, with two exceptions: Richard Donner with ‘Superman’ and Tim Burton with ‘Batman.'”

“So it was great when Marvel cracked the code in 1999 and made these things great. “It wasn’t just because the technology could keep up with the material — it was also because the people who made these films treated the material with real dignity,” he said. “[The genre] had a great run and ended 2019 with Avengers: Endgame. It felt like the last really great superhero movie.

“Everything since… I feel like the people involved didn’t love the stuff like Sam Raimi did ‘Spiderman’ or Christopher Nolan [who] read Batman comics for 50 years before he started making Batman.”

However, he is optimistic about the future.

“I think it will come back. “These films have made too much money to fail,” he said. “What I know from talking to friends at DC and Marvel is that there is a massive course correction that needs to be put back on course. It’s crucial to re-engage some people with an interesting voice.

“Every [director] “Whoever did a superhero movie in the first 10 to 15 years was successful in the entertainment scene before that,” he said, “and unexpected decisions were made instead of just hiring directors who treated it like any other gig.”