Last May, it was announced that comic book writer Tom King had been tapped to co-write the screenplay for acclaimed filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s upcoming The New Gods film adaptation. Speaking with Publisher’s Weekly (via Cinema Blend), King was asked about the project and what it’s like to collaborate with DuVernay. He revealed that the director is indeed the perfect match for the The New Gods movie because of some similarities he sees between DuVernay and Jack Kirby, calling them both geniuses.
“I feel like I have this genius, Jack Kirby, who created this [series] and this genius Ava DuVernay. I see them as parallel figures,” King said. “Both taking their uniquely American backgrounds and using them to push American art forward into places it’s never been before. I feel like it’s my job to bring those two geniuses to together and to make it work.”
RELATED: DMZ: Ava DuVernay Set to Direct HBO Max Pilot Adaptation
Created by legendary artist Jack Kirby in 1971, The New Gods focuses on twin alien planets, the idyllic New Genesis and Apokolips, ruled by equally powerful but morally opposite leaders. New Genesis is ruled by the benevolent Highfather, and Apokolips by the despot Darkseid. The comics have depicted Darkseid’s efforts to destabilize the fragile peace between the worlds as part of his scheme to eliminate free will from the universe. Darkseid is one of the most dangerous villains in the DC Universe and a constant threat to the Justice League.
King’s multi-Eisner award-winning comic series Mister Miracle, which features many of the New Gods, is centered around the love story between Mister Miracle and Big Barda. The writer received the Eisner Award for Best Writer for his work on Mister Miracle, as well as for DC Comic’s Batman. King will exit Batman after issue 85, with his latest issues centering on Batman trapped in a dream, confronting his greatest fears and heartbreaks.
RELATED: New The Eternals Set Photos Reveal First Look At Gemma Chan’s Sersi
It has not yet been confirmed if DuVernay’s The New Gods will be connected to DC’s shared movie universe. Characters and concepts that stemmed from The New Gods, such as the villain Steppenwolf or the hybrid Motherboxes, were both featured in 2017’s Justice League. Snyder originally planned to incorporate Darkseid into his superhero crossover flick, but left the film before production was complete.
