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Samuel L. Jackson is apparently in talks to play the Octopus, the villian in Frank Miller’s SPIRIT movie.

Samuel L. Jackson is in negotiations to star as a mysterious supervillain in the Frank Miller-helmed comic book adaptation “The Spirit” for Lionsgate and Odd Lot Entertainment, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

The story centers on Denny Colt, an ambitious young cop murdered in the line of duty who under mysterious circumstances is reborn as the masked mystery man known as the Spirit.

Jackson would play the Spirit’s nemesis, the Octopus, a meek lab assistant who reinvents himself as a psychotic nightmare that kills anyone unfortunate enough to see his face. The Octopus’ tentacles reach into every aspect of crime in fictitious Central City, a city he plans to wipe out.


Jackson is a known comics fan, and previously played a character in M. Night Shayamalan’s superhero movie UNBREAKABLE, above.

1 COMMENT

  1. i initially misread the headline as “Jackman Casts in the Spirit.”

    Jackson as the Octopus works for me, but now my head is trying to leap into an alternate universe where Hugh Jackman gives an acceptance speech at the Tonys that pays tribute to the contributions of Will Eisner to American culture.

    This world pales by comparison.

  2. Jackson as the Octopus, OK. But my first thought when I saw that headline was, “Oh my God, Miller cast Samuel L Jackson as Ebony!?!?!?!”

  3. Huh. I wonder if the plan is to not show his face at all, just like in the original stories. Then Mr. Jackson would be like Orson Welles in “The Third Man” where he’s more often heard than seen.

    Back when I read the Kitchen Sink reprints, I used to wonder about the Octopus. Then I decided for myself that the reason Eisner hid The Octopus’ face was because The Octopus was a dead ringer for Denny Colt aka The Spirit!

    I guess they won’t be going for that idea…

  4. CB Brown said: But my first thought when I saw that headline was, “Oh my God, Miller cast Samuel L Jackson as Ebony!?!?!?!”

    Miller’s already been on record that he feels that Ebony was a creative mis-step in Eisner’s epic creation, so we probably won’t see that character in the flick.

    However, if Denny Colt leaps into a taxicab and the driver ISN’T played by Gary Coleman, well, Miller’s going on my list.

    Still lobbying for Bruce Campbell as the Spirit!