Before his life was cut short at the age of 39, wrestler Shad Gaspard began working on his own comic book series for Scout Comics & Entertainment. Now, that story is heading to the big screen. Deadline is reporting that State Street Pictures has greenlit a film based on Assassin & Son.
Gaspard created Assassin & Son with co-writer Marc Copani (another ex-WWE wrestler) and artist Eder Messiah. The series followed Donovan Braddock, a “one-man killing unit” who operates as part of a covert team of assassins known as The Horseman. Braddock eventually tries to leave his life of violence behind him by becoming a family man. But when he and his young son witness his wife’s murder, the pair embark on a bloody quest for revenge.
“We’re thrilled at the opportunity to bring Shad and Marc’s comic to life,” said State Street Creative Executive Lawrence Mott in a statment. “What excites us creatively is the balance of hard-hitting action and emotional themes presented in the source material.”
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Aside from his wrestling career, Gaspard also booked roles in films ranging from comedies like Think Like a Man Too and Get Hard to action projects like Birds of Prey and From Dusk till Dawn: The Series. Gaspard also had experience doing motion capture work for video games, including Bane in Batman: The Enemy Within and Kratos in 2018’s God of War. He passed away while trying to save his son from drowning in a rip current in 2020. The first issue of Assassin & Son was published after his death.
“We met Shad at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019,” added Scout Comics’ Don Handfield. “He was known for his brawn in the world of wrestling, but what we were taken by was his humor, intelligence and creative genius. We were blown away by his and Marc’s comic, and we’re proud to bring it to the world. We are happy that his legacy has a chance to live on through this partnership with State Street.”
What do you make of State Street’s plans for Assassin & Son? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
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