Hellboy is set to land in theaters in a matter of weeks, presenting a fresh take on the fan-favorite character. Quite a lot of comic book movies have hit the big screen since the franchise last made a movie, and it looks like a few of them were used as inspiration.
Videos by ComicBook.com
In a recent interview with Joblo, Hellboy star David Harbour spoke about the reboot, and what place the film has in the larger comic book movie realm. As he explained, he cites some of the traditionally darker, more violent entries into the movie world that have come out in recent years as inspiration for what direction to take the film.
“Whereas Aeschylus and Sophocles were maybe writing The Avengers movies, here you have Euripides coming in with this darker version of Elektra or something that is like nastier and gnarlier.” Harbor explained. “And so when I read the script, that’s what excited me, and it wasn’t like those Marvel movies that we see. It was very different, but it had a very compelling story and it was very in line with the graphic novels that I had been introduced to in like, my early 20s. So it was a lot darker and it was a lot scarier than those super hero movies are in general that I see. Although, like again, there are exceptions. Certainly Logan, even Deadpool and I mean, there sort of are inspirations, there are Logan, Deadpool, and the Chris Nolan sort of Batman universe.”
This certainly isn’t the first time that Harbour has addressed the darker and weirder take that the Hellboy reboot is trying to present, especially when compared to Ron Perlman’s previous performance of the character.
“It’s unique and odd.” Harbour explained in an interview last year. “There are things that I’m gonna do that are different. Hellboy is the same character from the comics and from what Ron did, there are certain things that are the same thing, but I do think that—I don’t know, there’s a different approach because I sort of highlight different things, I think, than Ron does.”
“Ron sort of embraces this machismo in himself and in Hellboy, and I really like it and it’s super fun and it’s a super fun performance.” Harbour continued. “But I think Hellboy has a certain psycho dynamic, where occasionally he has to prove that he’s the lion, has to roar, and I think he struggles with his own masculinity. But I don’t think he needs that as much as maybe those other movies. I have a bit of a different take on his capability or his slickness. I sort of think that for me he’s a little less skilled at constructing that persona.”
Hellboy will land in theaters on April 12th.
