Although Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are gearing up to reprise their iconic X-Men roles in Deadpool 3, one other star of Fox’s universe appears to be passing up the opportunity to join the MCU themselves in favor of leading another superhero relaunch that pretty much nobody wants to happen. Yes, following the news of its announcement, Hellboy: The Crooked Man has found its lead, with our new Big Red being none other than Deadpool 2 veteran Jack Kesy.
As first reported by Giant Freakin Robot and confirmed by Deadline, Kesy — who played the role of secondary villain Black Tom Cassidy in the aforementioned Fox sequel — will be following on from Ron Perlman and David Harbour in wielding Hellboy’s Right Hand of Doom in the upcoming Crooked Man. The fourth movie based on the Dark Horse Comics character from creator Mike Mignola, this is also the second reboot of the antihero, following Harbour’s ill-fated 2019 film.
Crank‘s Brian Taylor will be helming this movie, which is based on a script from Mignola himself as well as co-writer Chris Golden. As based on the comic book arc of the same name, The Crooked Man is set to feature Hellboy stranded in 1950s rural Appalachia along with a rookie BPRD (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense) agent. The unlikely duo then discover a small community haunted by witches and led by a local devil with a disturbing connection to Hellboy’s past; the eponymous Crooked Man.
Jonathan Yunger, co-President of Millennium Media, which is producing the reboot alongside Dark Horse Entertainment, said the following about Kesy’s casting in a statement:
“Jack Kesy is a dynamic actor who has the ability to morph into his roles. His talent and stature are perfect for this younger Hellboy. I was very impressed with him while working together on The Outpost.”
Hellboy: The Crooked Man is due to start shooting in the coming months, although it’s too soon to hazard a guess at a release date.