James Franco has been a part of so many projects, it may seem like he’s got a clone. And now, that could actually happen—in a movie at least.
Deadline reports that Franco is in talks with X-Men producer Simon Kinberg and Wonder Woman writer Allan Heinberg to bring the Marvel character Multiple Man to the big screen. The film would be part of the X-Men universe at 20th Century Fox, which includes the X-Men and Deadpool titles, as well as upcoming movies based on Gambit, the New Mutants, and X-Force.
In the comics, Multiple Man is Jamie Madrox, a character with the ability to clone himself. The clones make it possible for Madrox to be in multiple places, doing multiple things, with multiple affiliations, etc. It’s a power that, at times, is controlled by a suit Madrox wears designed by Professor X.
According to Deadline, deals are still being made, but the idea for Multiple Man came out of Franco and Kinberg collaborating on another project called The Hardy Men. That project, also still in development, would star James and his brother Dave as the grown-up Hardy Boys. And again, that’s just one of several projects on Franco’s plate, another of which already has him playing a multiple man, in a way. On HBO’s The Deuce, Franco plays a set of identical twin brothers, and a second season of that show has already been ordered. His current project is The Disaster Artist, which he directed and stars in; it’s getting significant awards buzz.
With so many X-Men universe films in development at Fox currently, there’s a good chance Multiple Man, even with a star like Franco attached, would take a while to get going. But he’s certainly a hero that’s unique when it comes to the current crop of superhero movies. So it could be very, very interesting.
[Deadline]