Posted in: Amazon Studios, CW, DC Universe, Disney+, Hulu, NBC, Netflix, streaming, TV | Tagged: bleeding cool, cable, Kick Ass, Kingsmen, scott pilgrim, scott pilgrim vs. the world, streaming, television, the boys, tv, Watchmen

"Scott Pilgrim", "Kick-Ass" & "Kingsmen": Proven Comic Titles Deserving TV Turns [OPINION]

There's an endless wealth of proven comic IPs ripe for the television taking. Some of The CW, ABC, Netflix, HBO, Amazon, and Hulu's strongest programming come from comic franchises. It's far beyond Marvel and DC with successful TV series like Amazon's The Boys, Netflix's Umbrella Academy, and HBO's Watchmen. The HBO series' success took a life of its own expanding beyond the Alan Moore comic while maintaining its integrity. If Watchmen can work for TV, why can't the likes of Kingsman, Kick-Ass, or Scott Pilgrim?

"Kingsmen"

The works of Mark Millar are proven box office successes. There's much Kingsmen source material to draw from aside from the original The Secret Service series. The Secret Service (2015) and The Golden Circle grossed a combined $813 million globally at the box office. Despite the prequel film, The King's Man's pushback to September 2020, there's a long time frame to work with between World War I and the present day.

Whether the TV series retains the film cast or recasts altogether, there's viability in the spy genre. Two of the most explored periods are World War II and the Cold War. There's also a possibility of doing a Statesmen spinoff, which evokes shades of The Wild Wild West.

"Kick-Ass"

Whether a full reboot or a sequel, Kick-Ass (2010) and its sequel (2013) paved way for The Boys with its grounded and gritty nature. The films made stars out of Aaron Johnson and Chloë Grace Moretz, who played Kick-Ass and Hit Girl, respectively. Both are too old to revisit their roles as they did in the 2010 film. They could train the next generation as part of a sequel series.

The desire of being a superhero could make the TV series one of the most grounded in its genre. None of the characters have actual superpowers. Even as a full reboot, re-examining the core story allows the showrunners the opportunity to stay closer to the source material. The franchise's appeal not only taps into the animalistic urge for vigilantism dressing up as superheroes, but there's also the angst of adolescence in an especially horrible world overrun by organized crime. It becomes far more difficult to "Batman" on a shoestring budget.

"Scott Pilgrim vs. the World"

Created by Bryan Lee O'Malley, the Scott Pilgrim series served as the unofficial anthem of gamer adolescent angst. Despite the success of the 2010 Edgar Wright film, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, O'Malley was in the middle of finishing his series. While the endings for the comic and the film differ, the TV series offers an opportunity to tell a more complete story.

Sure the tournament of the exes became the primary draw of the film and the comics, but a lot of potential for the exposition was left to the table. While it's a credit to the actors themselves to the over-the-top one-note caricatures, there's plenty of opportunity to explore what their relationships were to Ramona Flowers.

A Scott Pilgrim TV series particularly benefits from building up like a role-playing game than just a simple action grinder. Leveling up became far more rewarding the more time invested in the journey. While the 2010 film deserves its cult classic status, audiences would appreciate the IP far more spread evenly on the small screen.

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