Shane Black's "Doc Savage"

[Young Superman]

I can't think of any actor today that could pull off Doc Savage.

 

[C. Lee]

I can't think of any actor today that could pull off Doc Savage.

Really?

If he can pull off blonde/gold hair I think Daniel Cudmore {Colossus from the X-Men films} would make the perfect Doc Savage.

 

[Young Superman]

Not my best fan casting. The more I thought about it, the harder it is for me to think of an actor who could pull off the iconic, modern look of Doc Savage.

 

[hbenthow]

Not my best fan casting. The more I thought about it, the harder it is for me to think of an actor who could pull off the iconic, modern look of Doc Savage.

I don't think they should use the James Bama look. It may be memorable - even downright iconic - but it doesn't fit Doc Savage as described in the novels.

In the novels, Doc was described as having bronze-colored skin and darker bronze hair that he combed tightly down so that it looked like a sculpted bronze skullcap (Lester Dent's exact words were "The bronze of the hair was a little darker than the bronze of the features. The hair was straight, and lay down tightly as a metal skullcap. A genius at sculpture might have made it."). He was never described as having a widow's peak. He was also described as being very handsome (women were always smitten by him, although he did not reciprocate) and having, despite his extremely-developed muscles, such perfect proportions that he looked normal (other than his color) until you got close to him and realized how large he really was. While his exact age was never given, he seemed to be in his 30s (and most estimates put his birth around 1900 or 1901, which would put him at 32 or 33 years old in the first Doc Savage novel, assuming it's set in the year it was published).

James Bama's rendition of Doc Savage portrayed him as looking about two decades too old, and gave him the wrong hair color (a blond color lighter than his skin) and haircut (a crew cut instead of his tightly combed look from the novels). Also (supposedly at the behest of editors who wanted Doc to look strange and fantastical so as to appeal to sci-fi fans unfamiliar with Doc), he was given an exaggerated widow's peak that makes him look like some sort of mutant. While there's no denying that Bama's Doc Savage is memorable and iconic, it simply isn't the Doc Savage of the novels, and the widow's peak in particular makes him look more like a mutant than the peak of human perfection. Some more recent illustrators have portrayed Doc as looking the appropriate age, but unfortunately kept the blond hair, crew cut, and widow's peak.

The original 1930s pulp covers by Walter Baumhofer, on the other hand, perfectly match Doc's description from the novels, and are an excellent visual guide for how Doc Savage should look in a movie adaptation. Here are a few samples of Baumhofer's artwork:

 

[C. Lee]

This is the original painting of Doc that James Bama did for the first issue of the Bantam Books release.

You will notice that the hair is more normal looking, although still with a prominant "widow's peak". The publishers told him to make him look more strange or science fictiony. And so he changed it to look this way -

As you can see here, the original Bama painting had him with the darker hair, but it was changed by the publisher's request to lighter and more helmet looking.

 

[hbenthow]

As you can see here, the original Bama painting had him with the darker hair, but it was changed by the publisher's request to lighter and more helmet looking.

True. But the version with the lighter hair is the one that was published and is still imitated in new Doc Savage artwork to this day. Also, even the original Bama painting, while it gets the darker hair and the combed look right, gives Doc an exaggerated widow's peak and has him looking much too old.

 

[C. Lee]

I'm not arguing that. When the pulps started in 1933, Doc should be 32 or 33 years old.

 

[Young Superman]

How about Armie Hammer for Doc Savage?

 

[Quasimod0]

His facial features are too soft for the role, imo.

 

[Mister J]

Shane Black Wants Dwayne Johnson For 'Doc Savage'

If ya smelllalalalalalalalow... what the Doc... is cookin'.

 

[terry78]

We need a ****ing buddy comedy with Chris Hemsworth and The Rock. Like just have it as a "what if in this buddy comedy both guys were musclebound badasses as opposed to just one of them?"

 

[Wheels]

Shane Black Wants Dwayne Johnson For 'Doc Savage'

If ya smelllalalalalalalalow... what the Doc... is cookin'.

I'm for this. You might need a guy like Rock to sell Doc Savage. Hemsworth's vehicles sink despite him being talented.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Good God, does the Rock seriously need ANOTHER franchise? Why cast any other actors in action movies anymore? Just use him for everything!

 

[Wheels]

Good God, does the Rock seriously need ANOTHER franchise? Why cast any other actors in action movies anymore? Just use him for everything!

Yeah, that's a fair point. I see why he's sought after though.

 

[Mister J]

Damn that. Rock for everything. Hell, Rock as the lead in a biopic about Eisenhower.

 

[Rowsdower!]

I mean, I like the guy but it's not as if he's so great he turns bad movies into good ones. San Andreas was a bore. I couldn't even get all the way through Hercules. GI Joe: Retaliation was better than its predecessor but it was still a bad movie. The Fast & Furious movies are fun but he's a side character there. I think directors might be overestimating his appeal.

 

[Octoberist]

I'm for it. This is meant to be a B-movie/novel homage anyway. Something that's even more pulpier than Indiana Jones. The Rock is a good match. If you smell what I'm cooking.

 

[C. Lee]

If you go by the description of Doc from the books...then the Rock fits the bill.

He's 6'5" to 6'6"....incredibly muscled....dark skinned....articulate

There has been much speculation over the years among Doc fans as to the chance that his mother was Mayan.

 

[hbenthow]

If you go by the description of Doc from the books...then the Rock fits the bill.

In the books' description, he's perfectly proportional, ie, all of his muscles are so well-developed that none of them bulge out more than the others, and his physique looks almost "normal" instead of musclebound as a result. The Rock's incredibly musclebound physique is radically different from Doc's as described in the books.

 

[Moridin]

Interesting pick. I like the Rock, though I wouldn't have pegged him for the role (from the little I know of it). But if Black sees what he needs in the Rock, I'm on board.

Also interesting to note they want to start next year. I wonder what that means for the production schedule of The Predator....?

The quote for anyone who didn't click:

You also have an adaptation of the Doc Savage pulp novels waiting in the wings...
Doc Savage is sort of in the ether now. We're hoping to make it sometime next year. I would very much like to do Doc with a fellow named Dwayne Johnson if we can make that work. I made a decision that Dwayne is the guy. It's on the back burner while he's busy.

Link to the original interview:
https://www.thrillist.com/entertain...hane-black-on-ryan-gosling-and-russell-crowe/

 

[DarthSkywalker]

If Lee is for it, who am I to say otherwise?

 

[C. Lee]

In the books' description, he's perfectly proportional, ie, all of his muscles are so well-developed that none of them bulge out more than the others, and his physique looks almost "normal" instead of musclebound as a result. The Rock's incredibly musclebound physique is radically different from Doc's as described in the books.

Check out pictures of him over a long period of time...his size varies depending on the movie he is making.

 

[Boom]

I trust this will be Black's project after Predator?

 

[Moridin]

I trust this will be Black's project after Predator?

Looks like it.

 

[The Guard]

Eh. A little on the nose.

It would be a more modern version of Doc. Could work, I guess.