STACK #188 June 2020

FILM FEATURE

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The popular Valiant Comics’ character, Bloodshot, comes alive on the screen in the shape of a perfectly cast Vin Diesel.

US Marine Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel) was killed in action and reanimated using nanotechnology, investing him with enhanced strength and instantaneous regenerative powers. The company behind his resurrection, Rising Spirit Technologies (RST) – headed by Dr. Emil Harting (Guy Pearce) – also controls his memories and consequently, Ray doesn’t know what is real and what has been implanted. “He’s a badass soldier with unique abilities due to the nanites in his blood, but what's fascinating about the character is that he's motivated by something we've all been motivated by – the love he can’t forget,” explains Diesel. “And what's tragic about the character is how that love is manipulated into betrayal.” Valiant Comics is renowned for presenting superheroes that are simply ordinary people

between Bloodshot and other superheroes is that he’s more complex, complicated, and more emotional. “For so much of the journey, he’s not sure if he’s doing good or if he’s doing bad – there’s incredible internal conflict in his character. And Vin is the perfect person to play that, because Vin is internal – he agonises over every decision about what makes a character great. So much of what makes him such a good actor and such a great action hero is organic to the Bloodshot character.” Director David S. F. Wilson, making his feature debut with Bloodshot , adds: “This is a completely different character from anything Vin has ever played before. He is obviously as physically formidable as Vin’s other characters, but from an emotional standpoint, he is very vulnerable… and he’s broken. Vin was genuinely excited about articulating that, so I knew he’d be perfect for the role.”

thrust into extraordinary situations, and it was this grounded and vulnerable aspect that appealed to Diesel. “I’ve never seen a character like this – someone who can be focused exclusively on the mission, but you in the audience are feeling for him, because you know that the company is exploiting him. His motives are good, so you just want to see him get what he wants. “I feel that anyone can identify with feeling manipulated. As we watch the news in our daily lives there are so many moments that we're feeling force-fed or being manipulated. I like the idea of a hero with powers whose real battle is against that. “If you ask guys in the military who their favourite comic book character is, it’s Bloodshot,” he adds. “Ray’s core values are the core values of anyone that's ever served. Producer Neal H. Moritz notes the difference

20 JUNE 2020

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