Get ready to see Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson karate chop his adversaries while out-smarting: the “Fast & Furious” actor has signed on to star in “Doc Savage,” Johnson said in an Instagram post on Monday.
Written and directed by Shane Black (“The Nice Guys”), the film is in development at Sony Pictures.
Johnson called Doc Savage “the world’s first superhero,” noting that popular pulp magazine character from the 1930s and 40s predates Superman. In fact, the comic book hero was often called “a superman,” which eventually inspired the creation of the Man of Steel.
“I can see why the creator of Superman took only the best parts of Doc Savage and leaving the “weirdo” part behind,” wrote Johnson. “But to us, it’s that ‘weirdo’ part that makes Clark ‘Doc’ Savage dope!”
The MacGyver of his time, Savage was a physician, surgeon, scientist, adventurer, inventor, explorer, researcher and musician, known for his superhuman abilities in smarts and strength. The virtual swiss army knife of comic book heroes, Savage has a photographic memory, is a master of disguise and can imitate voices — along with having masterful martial arts skills.
“He can even identify a women’s perfume from half a mile away,” wrote Johnson. “He is literally the master of everything.”
The top reason Johnson is excited to play the part, he added, is that “HE’S A F*CKING HILARIOUS WEIRDO!”
Johnson’s Instagram post included a photo of his weekend meeting with Black, along with co-writers Anthony Bagarozzi and Chuck Mondry.
News of Johnson’s casting comes three years after Black first announced he was kicking off the Sony franchise for “Doc Savage.”