Actors who sign up for comic book movies often have to do a bit of research to familiarize themselves with the characters and concepts, especially when the movie they're starring in is based on a property that's not as widely known. For at least two actors starring in director Matthew Vaughn's adaptation of the Kick-Ass comic book by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr., research material could be found in their own homes.
Superbad star Christopher Mintz-Plasse and bit player Clark Duke team up once again in Kick-Ass, and they told MTV that they were both familiar with the comic book before signing on to do the movie. Mintz-Plasse, who played the unforgettable character McLovin in Superbad and dons tights as The Red Mist in Kick-Ass, said:
I got the script and said, "I've seen this name before," and went through my dad's comics, pulled out the first issue and read it.
Duke said that not only was he familiar with the Kick-Ass comic book, he was a big fan of the creators of the series before landing the role of Marty in the movie.
I had the comic first. I've been a big fan of Mark ever since The Authority and followed everything he's done since then. And John Romita, too, obviously — he's drawn every major character in the world over his career. So yeah, I definitely had the comic first."
Kick-Ass also stars Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, and Chloe Moretz.