The Den Of Geek interview: Mark Millar
A comics and movies giant - and the man behind Wanted and The Ultimates - chats to DoG about Superman, Hollywood and much more...
Martin Anderson
"Everything else to me is training to do a Superman film"
Award-winning graphic novel writer Mark Millar is about as hot in Hollywood today as you can get. The film adapatation starring Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy - of his Wanted comic-book miniseries is a huge hit, opening up the very real possibility of Millars participation in a new Superman franchise, which the writer is developing in Hollywood with an undisclosed big-name director. Working his way up from 2000AD through the Marvel universe, Millar has worked on Ultimate Fantastic Four, The Authority, Swamp Thing, and
far too many other huge comic franchises to list here. His new release, War Heroes, tells a story of right-wing America enticing new recruits into endless war in the middle-east by offering them super-powers
Can I ask how the Superman pitch is going?
Its quite weird actually, because Id sort of given up on it. Its really odd; Ive been a huge fan of Superman my entire life, and I felt like something just happened, a couple of years ago after Id seen Superman Returns. Not to **** on the movie or anything, but I think it was just kind of
probably the way people felt after Star Wars: Episode 1, where
you know that feeling when youre sitting in the cinema on opening night with your friends, and Id actually bought tickets [to Superman Returns] for all my brothers and friends and so on, and I did the same with [Phantom Menace] as well.
You know when you hear that Star Wars music, and I
Im so embarrassed to say this, but I actually leaned over and I said to my wife and my brother. I think this is going to be the greatest movie of all time [laughs]! And I actually felt my eyes watering up when I heard that Star Wars music.
And then, one hour in, with Jar Jar Binks and all that, I actually just felt like killing myself. Thats the first time I think Ive ever felt that crushing disappointment, coming out of the cinema.
It wasnt quite on that scale with Superman Returns, because obviously the movie wasnt as bad, but still , Superman meant even more to me than Star Wars, so the idea of walking out of a Superman movie and not being elated
I genuinely had waited since 1987, Superman 4; buying magazines, checking it out online when the internet came along, just praying for a Superman movie. And managing to snare a draft of the Tim Burton scripts, and probably versions people havent even bothered looking at. Ive probably read them all. So I was really anticipating this Superman movie. In the end it just sort of came out and didnt do all that well, and it sort of deflated me on Superman; it took me a couple of years to get back into it again. Obviously Superman has a huge place in my heart.
The director phoned me about a month ago, and said Look, Ive got absolutely no authorisation from Warner Brothers, because Warners arent looking in particular, but I want to have all my soldiers lined up, just in case. He said I want to do a complete reboot of the Superman franchise. He said I know youve got a huge passion for it and the buzz on Wanted is great. I think it was the week before Wanted opened. He said Id just like you to be a part of it. I think thered be a really good fan reaction, because people have said theyd like to see what youd do with it. And Id just like you to be part of the team. Are you interested?.
[laughs] It took me a nanosecond to say yes. Ive had the plot for an amazing Superman trilogy figured out since I was about ten, so I told him that and he loved it. When we were in the states, we met up hes an American director, and hes a big, big deal in terms of action movies and so on. But in terms of courtesy, you have to wait and see if Bryan [Singer] is going to do any more. You cant just go in there and nick a project off a guy. If Bryan ends up standing back and goes to move on and do something else, well be in there like a shot.
One of the things I do love about Superman Returns is the reverence for the Donner version, with the music and so forth but would you have to jettison that for your own project, just to give it a fresh start?
Its funny you say that [Donners] Superman is obviously the one I grew up with. We were talking about casting various people; obviously wed be starting from scratch with a whole new cast; but one of the things this American guy [the director] said to me was that youve got to love Donners version and keep it in your heart, but weve got to do the new one. I said What do you mean?. He said Imagine Donner had said I grew up in the fifties and I love the George Reeves TV show Im gonna do it just like that. He said make it appropriate to the world around you now, and I thought Thats a very good point.
Chuck Allen was nothing like George Reeves and George Reeves was nothing like Christopher Reeve; the Clark Kent could not have been more different. The idea of moving it on one generation again so that its very identifiable to that period is a very interesting idea.
Youve got to keep Superman as the cornerstone of it, but the world around him should be quite different.
Superman was very conflicted in Returns almost apologist. What is the problem people have liking Superman as he is?
I actually think its a sign of a malformed personality, people who dont like Superman [laughs]. In fact, nearly all of my friends say Oh, I hate Superman, and I ask why, and they say Oh, cause hes such a goody-goody. So its like Dont you like nice people? [laughs], yknow, What is wrong with you?. And they say Oh, I prefer Batman, hes more sort of evil and bad-ass. But who would you rather hang about with? Whos a better role model with a more kind of positive outlook on the world? I think its the same kids that carve a swastika into the vestibule at school thats the kind of person who doesnt like Superman [laughs].
I think the mainstream public, left and right, would go nuts for a Superman film right now, especially in this period where America s slightly at ease with itself
to do something that has America feeling good about itself again, and something that just has the hairs on the back of your neck standing up for the whole movie. Could be amazing
Is there anything controversial in the vision of Superman that youve been nursing for about 30 years? Something that might surprise the fans
?
Its funny, but sometimes you do that when you go onto a new project. I did The Authority a few years ago, and that was like my first big break over at Wildstorm, and I do remember thinking [laughing] wouldnt it be funny if you had the guy who looks like Superman getting buggered by the guy who looks like Captain America?
Sometimes you do go into a project with that in mind. But I think Superman is a project that you shouldnt court controversy in. But in saying that, without meaning it, and not in a crude way, I have got some ideas that are quite radical for it, and when I was talking to the director in L.A. he was very excited, saying God, thats a take on it we havent thought of before. So I think itll probably naturally be controversial following the decision, if it happens
but in a good way. Itd be nothing like Chris Nolans Batman, because Batman and Superman are so distinct. To me, this is a film that you can take your five year-old to, and his eyes should be lighting up saying This is the best film Ive ever seen
Ive had this insane thing, my whole life, like Ive always felteverybodys here for a reason, and Ive always felt thats my reason. Everything else to me is training to do a Superman film. Everything else Ive ever done, the good stuff, the bad, its all just training to revamp Superman. And then after that I should just **** off and do something else [laughs]. Thats my only real ambition.
I hope it happens. Thats a film I really want to see.
Thanks very much. Itd be terrible if it turned out to be **** now, wouldnt it [laughs]? But in our minds, its great, and honestly the director is so so good at this kind of thing, and I think it could just work out pretty brilliant, actually. Ive got a good feeling about it.
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