'Doc Savage' Details, Plot, Character and Casting from Director Shane Black

I am a person, who has always had such a deep love for all the old culture of the 20th century, not just the comic books, and the films and the music, but the pulp novels as well. These were the precursor to comic books, cheap novels that kids could get for a nickel or dime at the local newsstand, featuring horror stories, romance stories, science fiction and even tales of heroes who wore costumes or went out and made the world right. One of the most popular characters from those days was Doc Savage, who adventures were chronicled by Lester Dent under the house name Kenneth Robeson.

Clark "Doc" Savage Jr, was essentially the 'Superman' of the 1930s, (and was in part the inspiration for Superman himself). A brilliant man of many sciences and backgrounds, Doc had been trained by his father and a team of scientists, to be the peak of human perfection in both mind and body. Assembling a team of operatives around him, he traveled the world, having adventures, saving the day and thwarting the forces of evil.

Now, Sony is planning on putting out a Doc Savage movie, filmed by Iron Man 3 director Shane Black. In an interview with IGN, Black had this to say regarding both the film's plot, and deepening the character of Doc Savage.

Obviously in the books there’s an element of ‘goody goody’ that we like. Doc Savage was the basis essentially for Superman because his name is Clark, he has a fortress of solitude, and ‘oh Superman has the same thing, that’s odd.’ But that kind of perfect hero who never makes mistakes him great to a point and that type of adventure and the pulp it represents has been so imitated. Raiders of the Lost Ark is essentially a child of Doc Savage. But we needed something more.

So we kept it in the 30s, we beefed up the sort of rationale behind what it would take to be a perfect person and to be trained as such from childhood and how that would scar someone. And what it would take to be a parent who is capable of inflicting that on your kid. But beyond that we’ve also tried to be true to the series, give him the helpers and it’s also reinvigorating it but introducing a whole new brand of people to this is a challenge. It’s been around, it’s been 75 years. 

 Many fans of the original Doc Savage may not like the idea of Doc being portrayed as someone who is scarred on an emotional level by his perfectionism, but there is no denying that it adds a depth to his vow to "strive every moment of my life to make myself better and better." To many people out there, it could be lamented that modern superheroes are so rarely portrayed as being wholly good and righteous, that a Doc Savage who struggles under the weight of his desire to make himself better, would be more relatable than someone who never showed weakness of resolve. 

When talked turned to the subject of casting, Black admitted that the process was still in the early stages. This isn't due to finding the right actor in terms of talent who could embody Doc Savages personality, but in terms of the physicality of the character. Black had this to say about that angle of casting the pulp hero legend. 

Here’s the problem: They kind of gotta be tall. He’s the perfect physical specimen and when people look at him, they’re overawed by the sort of symmetry and perfection that he exudes. I don’t know that you could use like James McAvoy as Doc Savage. You couldn’t do it. He’s a fine actor, but we need someone big. Back in the day Schwarzenegger was talked about to play Doc Savage. I don’t know who we’d get. 

Sony's president of production, Hannah Minghella, had stated in a previous interview that the studio intends to turn Doc Savage into a franchise that will be "built from the ground up" but any plans on sequels would certainly be put on hold until the first film had been tested at the box office. Disney's recent calamity with the Lone Ranger has given Sony plenty of reason to play things cautiously with Doc Savage, since it has now been shown that classic pulp fiction characters aren't always big sellers.

But Black's description raises a tricky question: should the original source material for such classic characters be treated as sacred, or should the writers and directors simply strive toward the best possible result (kind of like Doc), even if it means altering the protagonist a little bit?