Stan Lee created pretty much every major superhero in the Marvel Universe today. His name is attached to X-Men, Spider-Man, and The Incredible Hulk just to name a few. His history of creating great characters has already made him the industry's greatest icon. However, if you thought he was simply resting on his laurels, you would be incorrect. Stan Lee just created another new comic hero, and in a win for diversity, this hero is a Chinese woman.
The Hollywood Reporter has the information about a new film, entitled Realm which is based on an original idea by Lee. The godfather of Marvel seems genuinely excited by this new opportunity to create something different in the superhero space. He says:
What a kick it has been to create our first Chinese female superhero, and an empowering one at that. It has been such a fun experience bringing to life an international woman character, and the ability to do so has been different from anything we’ve ever done! I am thoroughly enjoying every minute of it.
The film is being co-produced by Lee’s own Stan Lee Global Entertainment and Chinese production company Fundamental Films. Realm will star Li Bingbing in the title role. Bingbing has put together a strong resume on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. Her biggest western role is likely the portrayal of Ada Wong in Resident Evil: Retribution. She also had a role in Michael Bay's Transformers: Age of Extinction. The Chinese actress is getting very involved in the project, as she won't simply star in the film but will co-produce the movie, as well. The screenplay will be written by Alex Litvak, whose previous scripts include Paul W.S. Anderson’s The Three Musketeers as well as Predators. The details of the story are being kept under wraps so we don’t have a lot to go on beyond the basic details of the character.
Li Bingbing will join a movie landscape that has a lot of superheroes in it, but a distinct lack of women. Marvel’s Black Widow has become an important part of the overall Marvel franchise, but she’s been relegated to supporting roles, only. Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), the comic world’s most popular female hero, will finally get to the big screen next March, though her chance to star in a film will still be another year beyond that. The only place to see a female superhero in the lead is on television with CBS’ Supergirl.
We’re looking forward to seeing more coming from Realm as it’s an intriguing project. It’s great to see that Stan Lee still has it in him and that he still enjoys making new heroes. He’s much more than just movie cameos these days.
