The first trailer for Vin Diesel’s latest action-thriller has arrived, and its comic book roots come through loud and clear. In Bloodshot, Diesel plays an elite soldier who’s brought back from the dead, courtesy of nanotechnology that makes him more or less invincible, after criminals kill him and his wife.
The big twist, though? The nanobots don’t just give Diesel immortality — they also let the agency behind Diesel’s resurrection alter Diesel’s memories. When Diesel sets out to find the people who murdered his wife, he’s actually tracking down a target selected by the government. Once the deed is done, Diesel’s handlers shut him down, wipe his mind, alter his memories to point to a new victim, and start the cycle over again.
It’s basically Memento starring Wolverine, with a healthy dose of ultraviolence sprinkled on top. The Bloodshot trailer is about as high-concept as it comes, but be wary while watching it: The above summary is just the beginning — Bloodshot looks like it has plenty of plot twists, and the trailer gives a number of them away.
In addition to Diesel, Bloodshot stars Memento‘s own Guy Pearce, Baby Driver and Hobbes and Shaw star Eiza González, and Outlander lead Sam Heughan. It is directed by newcomer Dave Wilson and was written by Jeff Wadlow and Eric Heisserer, the latter of whom was nominated for an Oscar for writing Amy Adams’ sci-fi drama Arrival. The film premieres on February 21, 2020.
Bloodshot is based on the Valiant Comics character, who was created by Kevin VanHook, Don Perlin and Valiant co-founder Bob Layton, Bloodshot first arrived on comic stands in 1992 as a guest star in Eternal Warrior and Rai before moving on to headline his own title, through which he became a key part of the Valiant Comics universe.
If Bloodshot is a success, expect Diesel’s version of the character to follow a similar crossover path. In addition to a second Bloodshot movie, Sony plans to make two films based on Valiant’s Harbinger before bringing their cinematic universe together in an Avengers-style crossover called Harbinger Wars, which will be loosely inspired by Valiant’s 2013 comic book crossover of the same name.
