The massive Marvel and DC cinematic universes are dominating the big screen, and well-known comic book adaptations like Legion, The Defenders, and The Walking Dead are everywhere on TV. With that much comic book saturation in TV and movies, it’s nice to think we can still be surprised when we find out a show or film is based on a comic.
Check out these five upcoming movies and TV series that you may not have known have comic book origin stories.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets brings the comic’s mind-blowing visuals to life
Luc Besson’s latest foray into the world of spectacular science fiction is Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne star as the main characters, Valerian and Laureline, special operatives who keep humanity safe. Their latest mission takes them to the center of Alpha, the titular City of a Thousand Planets, where a dark force threatens the metropolis where species from across the galaxy live in peace.
The film is based on the French science fiction comic Valérian and Laureline by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières. The comic ran from 1967 to 2010 and is considered to have inspired the visual aesthetics of a lot of science fiction that came after it. Luc Besson cited the series as an inspiration for his film, The Fifth Element.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle takes the spy comic source material to the next level
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is the follow up to the 2014 hit film Kingsman: The Secret Service. Troubled youth Gary “Eggsy” Unwin is recruited into a top-secret spy organization. Along the way, he makes fun of his upper-class peers and proves that modern spy films do not have to be all serious and brooding but can be a ton of fun, too.
The Kingsman films are loosely based on The Secret Service, a comic book created by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. The basic plot is the same, but there are some differences. The main villain is instead Dr. Arnold rather than Richmond Valentine, for instance. But if you’re worried about differences from the source material, you’re totally missing the point of Kingsman.
Did you know Syfy’s Dark Matter is actually based on a comic?
Dark Matter heading into its third season on Syfy. In it, six people wake up on a spaceship with no memory of who they are. Dark Matter follows them as they rediscover their previous identities. The adventures of the crew of the Raza are enjoyed by fans who eagerly watch each new episode. But what they might not know is that the series is actually based on a comic.
The Dark Matter comic series was published by Dark Horse Comics in 2012 as a four-issue miniseries. The success of the limited run comic led it being brought to television — which in fact was the original goal for the concept all along.
Outcast is based on a comic by The Walking Dead’s creator
Outcast is the second television series based on a comic by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman. (Third, actually, if you count Fear the Walking Dead.) The series revolves around Kyle Barnes, whose life is constantly plagued by demonic possessions. He has the power to exorcise those afflicted, but the possession of his family members have taken their toll on him.
Kirkman, who is now directly responsible for around 70% of nightmares suffered by television viewers, created Outcast with artist Paul Azaceta in 2014.
The series follows the plot of the comics fairly faithfully, even recreating some scenes shot for shot, although it has begun to deviate in much the same way that The Walking Dead did. And depending on how long Outcast lasts, it is entirely possibly that we will begin to see greater differences between the two in the same way.
Wynonna Earp comes from the supernatural western comic by IDW
Wynonna Earp stars Melanie Scrofano as the title character. She’s the great-great-granddaughter of the famous lawman Wyatt Earp. Using her ancestor’s “Peacemaker” handgun, Earp battles demons and other supernatural beings in the town of Purgatory. Oh, and Doc Holiday is her ally because he is now blessed (or cursed) with eternal youth and health.
Created by Beau Smith, Wynonna Earp first appeared in 1996. Originally published by Image Comics, the series is now released through IDW Publishing. Like the TV show, it follows the adventures of Wynonna Earp, an agent of a special division of the U.S. Marshals. In the comic, we learn that former U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt was well aware of paranormal criminals and created an organization to deal with them. So yeah, even in fiction, Teddy Roosevelt is still the most badass President of the United States.
The brand-new season of Dark Matter starts Monday 12th June on Syfy UK.
