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Dwayne Johnson cast as Doc Savage

I think Jason Momoa as Aquaman is more of a problem than Doc Savage, just because Doc Savage doesn't have the same iconic status. I just find it interesting the way some of these casting choices go for tradition (like Superman, who is still cut from the same cloth of Christopher Reeve) and elsewhere they're making a "statement".
You never saw the long haired, bearded and bare chested Aquaman with a hook for a hand?

Reeve had to bulk up and dye his hair to become Superman.
 
He has brown eyes flecked with gold. His hair is a darker shade of bronze than his skin. Sometimes artists will make his hair a reddish color. So yeah, Johnson can pull that off.

Yep, as I recall, the books constantly mentioned those gold-flecked eyes and his bronze skin. He's supposed to be kinda exotic-looking.
 
I think Johnson is a great choice.

After seeing Nice Guys last weekend (in which, Shane Black captured the feel of the 70s quite well), I hope Black makes this movie a period film, as well. Doc loses some of his charm if placed in a modern setting.

My fear with a Doc Savage movie is that it'll turn out feeling derivative, since so many creators have cribbed from his pulps over the years. The Fortress of Solitude, his Crime College, the bickering back and forth of his group of assistants, his gadgets, his over-the-top villains -- it'll seem like he's ripping off Superman, the Fantastic Four, or James Bond rather than existing years before all of them.
 
He has brown eyes flecked with gold. His hair is a darker shade of bronze than his skin. Sometimes artists will make his hair a reddish color. So yeah, Johnson can pull that off.
He was indeed the Man of Bronze, that's a good point.
 
Hopefully they forego the severe widow's peak hairstyle that James Bama always gave the character on his cover paintings. I'd prefer a shaved headed Doc Savage rather than a wig on Dwayne Johnson that would make him look like he's wearing Magneto's helmet.
 
Why? Because he's muscular? I've liked The Rock for years before he hit the silver screen but I don't see what about him says "Doc Savage".

What doesn't? The original novels are fairly vague about his appearance beyond "tanned" Gold eyes and the like.
 
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My fear with a Doc Savage movie is that it'll turn out feeling derivative, since so many creators have cribbed from his pulps over the years. The Fortress of Solitude, his Crime College, the bickering back and forth of his group of assistants, his gadgets, his over-the-top villains -- it'll seem like he's ripping off Superman, the Fantastic Four, or James Bond rather than existing years before all of them.
So maybe same problem as there was with John Carter?
So many later stories have ripped it off while the original has been forgotten.
 
I remember when the 1980's King Solomon's Mine was released trying to explain to people that Alain Quartermain was not a rip off of Indiana Jones.
 
What doesn't? The original novels are fairly vague about his appearance beyond "tanned" Gold eyes and the like.
From Wikipedia:
Doc Savage's real name was Clark Savage, Jr. He was a physician, scientist, adventurer, inventor, explorer, researcher, and, as revealed in The Polar Treasure, a musician. A team of scientists assembled by his father deliberately trained his mind and body to near-superhuman abilities almost from birth, giving him great strength and endurance, a photographic memory, a mastery of the martial arts, and vast knowledge of the sciences. Doc is also a master of disguise and an excellent imitator of voices.

I just don't picture The Rock as this type of character (aside from great strength and endurance) and certainly not as the most perfect choice from actors of our era.

Though I have only seen previews from Ballers the way he looks on there I could almost see it pulled off. I was just hoping for some enlightenment on what people were seeing that made them feel he was a good fit for the character other than his physique.
 
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Do you know of any other actors who are super-geniuses?
I think there are some that might be able to convey that they are. For example, do you think he'd do as well as RDJ at being Tony Stark? I don't even dislike him, I'm just not sure about him as a Doc Savage type (admittedly, I am not that familiar with the character).
 
I think there are some that might be able to convey that they are. For example, do you think he'd do as well as RDJ at being Tony Stark? I don't even dislike him, I'm just not sure about him as a Doc Savage type (admittedly, I am not that familiar with the character).

Nothing about Tony Stark actually says "super-genius", he just sprouts some techno-babble and waves his arms a bit.
 
My mediocre Photoshopping skills aside, yeah, I think Johnson has the physique and looks for the part. The guy has tons of charisma and always comes across as very intelligent, so I'm not sure why people are making the assumption he can't play a genius. And he's not relegated to just playing jock or action roles (though the latter applies here), as his comedic turn as a gay bodyguard and wannabe actor/country music singer in Be Cool can attest, among other films.

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