New Zealand actor Karl Urban will return to the comic book world with the lead role in the upcoming drama adaptation of The Boys from Amazon Studios, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Based on the comic series of the same name, the show follows the titular superpowered CIA squad who closely monitor the superhero community as their celebrity status has corrupted them and led them to engage in reckless behavior compromising the world.
The source material, which ran for 72 issues between 2006 and 2012, was co-created by Darick Robertson, who helped co-create the Happy graphic novel series that was recently adapted by Syfy, and Garth Ennis, who’s known for creating the Preacher comic series with a TV adaptation currently running on AMC. It quickly earned popularity for its more graphic nature, in which Ennis sought to outdo the extreme violence and sexuality displayed in the Preacher comics.
Urban will take on the role of Billy Butcher, the leader of The Boys who holds a personal and secret agenda as he enlists the help of a man torn apart by his girlfriend’s death at the hands of a superhero along with the rest of the squad. The series is being developed by Supernatural creator Eric Kripke and Preacher TV creators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who will be directing the eight-episode first season set to debut sometime in 2019.
Urban is well-known in the action and comic book worlds, starring in The Lord of the Rings franchise as Eomer, Thor: Ragnarok as Skurge, Judge Dredd in the 2012 adaptation of the titular comic character, and in the Star Trek reboot series as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy. The 45-year-old actor has also starred in fan-favorite TV shows including Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and the short-lived sci-fi thriller Almost Human.
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