Citing his belief that comics are “not short of white males aged around 30”, the writer Mark Millar is relaunching his popular superhero Kick-Ass as a black woman.
Originally a geeky white teenager called Dave Lizewski, whose love of comic books leads him to become a real-life superhero, Kick-Ass’s mantle will now be donned by a black woman, creator Millar told the Hollywood Reporter, who will have “a completely different take on Kick-Ass”. The upcoming story, drawn by co-creator John Romita Jr, will also be set in a new city, with a new supporting cast, according to the author.
“Comics [are] not short of white males aged around 30; that demographic seems pretty well catered for in popular culture,” Millar said. “I don’t think many blond white guys around 30 feel under-represented when they pick up comic or watch a movie. Being older or younger or female or African American just seems more interesting to me as a writer, because this character is quite unique and opens up story possibilities that haven’t been tried in almost 80 years of superhero fiction.”
Kick-Ass’s transformation is the latest in a line of comic reboots. Thor, based on the Norse god, has become a woman, Spider-Man’s suit has been donned by the mixed-race teenager Miles Morales, and the Green Lantern was reintroduced as gay in 2012.
The person donning the Kick-Ass suit is likely to change regularly in the future, said Millar. “Every four volumes or so, I want a different person in the mask. Sometimes it might even only last a single volume or even a single issue.”
The Kick-Ass character, which Millar introduced in 2008, has appeared in two films. “I really just missed Kick-Ass,” said the Scottish writer of his return to the character. “It’s fun to write and after all the fantasy and space opera and vast-budget superheroes, it’s actually been amazing to get into something grounded again.”
