It looks like Stan Lee is determined to keep busy! He’s working on a new Chinese superhero, The Annihilator, that is supposed to rival some of the more popular heroes you and I know in China. But can he keep The Annihilator from being a shill for Chinese government interests? 
The goal is to make The Annihilator popular with Chinese audiences because, quite frankly, American superheroes just aren’t performing well enough in Chinese theaters. But is this really a surprise? I mean, superhero hegemony won’t captivate everyone all of the time. The Chinese have no problem with having their own superheroes… You know, superheroes that look like them. #DidIJustSayThat #YouBetcha
That I truly understand. I get it. However, I have some concerns.
A Chinese government-backed movie studio announced plans Monday for a new partnership with comic legend Stan Lee to produce a Chinese superhero who can compete with Spider-man and The Avengers.
Although few details have been released, the studio and Lee confirmed that The Annihilator will be a “typical superhero story” that tells the tale of a young Chinese man who, after fleeing his hometown and spending time in the United States, returns to fight injustice with the aid of a disguise and powers. The LA Times cites one official description that the lead will be “a young Chinese man given a second chance as an international superhero, who returns home to mete out justice.”
Real Steel screenwriter Dan Gilroy has been tapped to develop the screenplay while Lee’s POW! Entertainment company is charged with the creative concept for the new hero. The studio says the budget for the film will run between $100 million and $150 million. The tale will told primarily in English, they said, and will feature 3-D effects.
I see good for them. But it would be nice if Lee and them could, you know, work on that same thing at home. I would NOT mind seeing Misty Knight get more shine…. I’m just saying.
Aside from that, my other concern is if Lee is working with state-run Chinese studios, will the message still be the same? Or will The Annihilator be a government shill? We know superheroes to go against the grain and some of them even make political statements that can be controversial. A superhero doing anything less is kind of boring and antithetical to superhero culture. What do you think?
Via Time
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i hope this is an epic failure. what an awful idea. what is his superpower? he can shut up dissidents with his mind? 大陆狗你们永远是野蛮人
Exactly. Our superheroes tend to be rebellious in their own ways. China’s government is not exactly the most progressive.