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DC Studios, helmed by James Gunn of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ fame, is busy rebooting the DC Comics cinematic universe. The studio is currently in production on several fantastical projects such as ‘Superman’ and ‘Lanterns,’ but now it looks like another one might be much more grounded and military focused.
Hollywood trade publications reported this past week that DC Studios is developing a movie about Sgt. Rock, the iconic World War II soldier from ‘Our Army at War’ and then his own self-titled series. The news broke alongside reports that ‘Challengers’ and ‘Call Me By Your Name’ director Luca Guadagnino is in talks to direct, with former James Bond Daniel Craig possibly along to star. It’s not the average superhero project.
A grizzled sergeant for Easy Company, recognizable by the chevrons on his helmet and the belts of .50 caliber ammunition worn like bandoliers, Sgt. Frank Rock first showed up in 1959 in the pages of ‘Our Army at War.’ Like in Hollywood, World War II inspired several comics during the 1950s and 1960s. Given the medium, many were pulpy adventures, mixing science fiction, superheroes and horror with the Axis and Allies. The stories with Sgt. Rock were different. Written mainly by Robert Kanigher and often drawn by Joe Kubert, Rock’s adventures put him and his troops from Easy Company in the thick of grounded infantry combat. As tough as the sergeant was, and he definitely lived up to his name, he wasn’t part of special operations or a super soldier. He was just another NCO fighting the Axis in Europe. Soldiers would die, suffer serious wounds and be broken by the horrors of war. Covers often focused on the brutality and sacrifices, sometimes with Sgt. Rock showing the dog tags of those killed in action. Rock and his soldiers would often say “nothin’s ever easy in Easy.”
They had plenty of hyperbole and dramatics. Sgt. Rock would have plenty of team ups with superheroes and other World War II comics protagonists — writers and artists couldn’t pass up on the chance to put Superman or Batman into a time travel story into the war — but at the character’s core was the reality of what war is like for the frontline troops. In fact, that led to his eventual fate. Although comics would feature Sgt. Rock in action past World War II — and in one instance eventually serving as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — Kanigher would settle on one end for the NCO. According to him, and now part of DC Comics canon, Frank Rock dies from the last bullet fired on the last day of fighting in Europe during World War II.
In some ways it’s an odd choice for a movie in a universe filled with flying heroes in capes, military-aligned monsters and outer space cops. The rough life of ordinary soldiers in World War II does not mesh up with the projects currently in production or previously announced. But it could be a good change of pace. World War II and the military have fit vaguely into some superhero movies — ‘Iron Man’ starts with Tony working as a weapons manufacturer and although ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ has Steve Rogers in the war, it was more in line with pulp fiction than, say, ‘Band of Brothers.’ This project has a chance to put the focus back on the struggles of the infantry during the conflict. It’s also an odd choice for Guadagnino, who has mostly specialized in character dramas. Craig himself has shied away from action outside of the James Bond film. But the pair, who recently adapted the William S. Burroughs novella ‘Queer,’ could draw a lot from the weary soldiers who filled the pages of ‘Our Army at War.’
This isn’t the first time studios have tried to bring Rock and Easy Company to the big screen. Past attempts included projects starring Arnold Schwarzenegger — there’s a reason Sgt. Rock comics pop up in ‘Predator’ — and Bruce Willis but they’ve stalled in development.
The new DC film universe is already set to delve into World War II. The first installment, ‘Creature Commandos,’ features at least one character who was active during the war (G.I. Robot, a, well, robot serving in the Army) and with ‘Sgt. Rock’ in development, it’s likely more glimpses of the conflict could appear. It’s unclear what the story could be, but Sgt. Rock’s history on the page could lead to some genuinely intense and realistic military action.
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“}]] DC Studios is developing a movie about the hero of years of World War II comics, and might get former James Bond Daniel Craig to star. Read More