14 DAY TRIAL // Brian Michael Bendis, the executive producer for the new Powers series that’s being created at Sony, says that he has made two major casting decisions for the new content: Sharlto Copley is set to become detective Christian Walker, while Michelle Forbes is set to star as Retro Girl.
In an official PS Blog announcement, the comic book creator says that he has been searching for a while for actors that can embody the unique characters of the series and can make newcomers care about the story.
Bendis states that Sharlto Copley can become “someone who used to be a powerful superhero with his own moral code, who had lost his powers and his way, and was now down here with us taking the role of a homicide detective specifically working cases involving powers.”
The actor has previously starred in Maleficent, Open Grave, Elysium, and District 9 and is known for his ability to embody the characters he chooses.
Michelle Forbes has previously appeared in Homicide and Battlestar Galactica.
The comic book creator also says that some fans might be disappointed with the fact that the real world actors do not perfectly resemble the characters that they will play, but assures them that they will be able to embody their spirit and be faithful to their belief systems.
Brian Michael Bendis adds, “Now that most of the pieces of the cast are in place you have a sense of how high everyone involved in the production is aiming. It is one of the most ambitious adaptations of a comic book series ever attempted.”
The PlayStation Network version of Powers will exist in a sort of parallel universe to the comic book, and the creator quotes Dexter as a good example of how the two will interact, with some surprises offered for long-term fans.
At the moment, the team working on the series is getting ready for the first days of filming, and the comic book maker says that he will continue to offer updates ahead of the official launch date, which is set for December in the United States, where it will be free for those who subscribe to the PlayStation Plus service.
Powers is designed to show that Sony can create original entertainment experiences for the PlayStation 4 home console and compete in this area with Microsoft, which is getting ready to launch a special series based on Halo at the same time.