Iron Man 3's Shane Black to Direct Doc Savage

Shane Black will go from the Iron Man to the Man of Bronze, as he's signed on to direct Sony's big-screen adaptation of Doc Savage, according to The Wrap. A popular pulp fiction hero of the 1930s and 40s, Doc Savage has also appeared on radio and TV. A 1975 film adaptation starred Tarzan's Ron Ely and is currently available on video through the Warner Archive. Savage is a scientist and adventurer trained since birth to be nearly superhuman, with enhanced strength, a photographic memory and exceptional intelligence. Basically, he's Indiana Jones by way of Batman, and heavily influenced by much of the same popular culture that helped give birth to Superman around the same time. "We couldn't be more excited to be building a franchise from the ground up with Shane and this team," said Hannah Minghella, one of the film's producers. "Shane and Neal [Moritz, his co writer] have a fantastic understanding of the character and a great take on the material and we can't wait to get this production up and running."