It's been a tough summer for 20th Century Fox, with the studio rolling out an unprecedented wave of box office bombs, led by such masterworks as Babylon A.D., Meet Dave, The Happening, The X-Files: I Want to Believe, and Mirrors.
Who can rescue the once-mighty studio from of its box office doldrums? Superheroes, of course. In addition to Hugh Jackman's much-anticipated X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Variety reports that Fox is contemplating a number of high-profile comic-book projects, including a young X-Men spin-off and a Deadpool vehicle with Ryan Reynolds in the lead.
Most intriguing is the prospect of a reboot of Daredevil,
Mark Steven Johnson's 2003 disappointment, which starred Ben Affleck as the titular blind, red-leather-clad superhero attorney. Daredevil, a mercurial character with a tumultuous past, is a prime candidate for the Christopher Nolan "dark" treatment that's so trendy with the kids these days. But are the Fox execs, who are reportedly feuding with Wolverine director Gavin Hood over his gritty take on that character, willing to commit to a bold new direction for the Man Without Fear?