Bloodshot might be the beginning of a much larger universe, we just might not know it yet. The character is one of the more popular names from the Valiant Comics universe on paper and might be the doorway to bringing others such as Ninjak, Livewire, and more to life on the big screen. Should lead actor in the Bloodshot movie Vin Diesel have his way with it, that is exactly where this franchise might go. “We all want this Valiant cinematic universe to be born, to live,” Diesel told ComicBook.com. “This is the first movie that Valiant ever agreed to make.”
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As Sony and Valiant have now teamed up to launch a potential franchise, Diesel is optimistic about expanding the world which his Ray Garrison inhabits starting this Friday in theaters.
“Well, first of all Brandon, I’ve been lucky enough to have been offered other superheroes before,” Diesel explained — possibly referencing an outing as Black Bolt with Marvel. “This was different. It’s only the second pre-existing character I’ve ever played. Groot being the first, this being the second. You know I, I like to champion the underdog. It’s kinda a little, where I’m from. A New York Times best seller for a reason. The subject matters, the way in which these superheroes are born in the Valiant universe is different then what we’ve grown accustomed to in the DC and Marvel universe. This is not somebody consciously aware of some preconceived idea of heroism. It’s a person that is imprisoned by this manipulation, tortured by these horrific memories that are implanted, that eventually just has to pull a Spartacus, and break free from it. So you don’t ever really, you don’t really ever sense a true altruistic, it’s just the basic desire to be free. And isn’t that bizarre that that basic idea, the basic concept of freedom allows him to be called a superhero?”
Although Bloodshot acts as an isolated adventure, the team behind the film was fully aware of the franchise and universe it could spawn. “That was part of the pressure going in on this,” Diesel admits. “We’re going, ‘Oh my god!’ We all want this Valiant Cinematic Universe to be born, to live, and this, it all starts with this, and this is the first movie that Valiant ever agreed to make. They’ve always been reserved about entering into the world of cinema, and so the pressure was on to make something special. And the fact that you saw it and that you feel about it, means everything to me.”
First time director Dave Wilson, who earned his chops alongside Deadpool director Tim Miller at their Blur Studios, sees the potential in the Valiant Comics world, as well. “Are there characters I would love to see? Absolutely,” Wilson says. “Ninjak is definitely one of them.” Wilson does admits he would like to focus on lesser known characters which would give him an opportunity to focus on technology, something he went into heavily with Bloodshot. “Whether [plans] ever manifest or where we go from here, it’s almost less up to me or Sony or anyone than it is the fans saying, ‘We want more.’”
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Bloodshot hits theaters on March 13.
