When Edgar Wright parted ways with Marvel Studios on ANT-MAN, Adam McKay was one of the directors in the conversation to fill that void and helm the project. That responsibility ultimately went to Peyton Reed with McKay contributing some work to the reshaped script that fit more in line with Marvel's vision.
But now, thanks to 20th Century Fox, McKay gets to graduate from bridesmaid into bride as he's landed the opportunity to finally direct his very own superhero movie. However, it won't be anything that's already been under Fox's control like the X-Men or the Fantastic Four. Instead, Fox is further expanding its comic book horizons, acquiring the rights to IRREDEEMABLE from Boom! Comics for McKay to direct, with Tommy Wirkola handling scripting duties. This'll allow McKay to play in a world that not too many people are familiar with, relinquishing him of any duty to stay true to what was on the page, if he was given the reins to something from Marvel, per se.
IRREDEEMABLE was a property created by Mark Waid that ran for 36 issues following its launch in 2009. The story was built around the Plutonian, the greatest superhero the world had ever known… that is, until he starts killing those that don't necessarily share his opinions of the world. From there, it's up to another group, the Paradigm, to stop him, but they're going to need to employ a supervillain, in Hannibal Lecter-like fashion, to gain the knowledge and wisdom needed for the task.
It sounds like a fresh chance for McKay to make his world in the superhero realm, and it allows him the freedom to build a new world unattached to any real preconceived notions or devout fandoms. Let's not forget… This is a man who was recently nominated for an Oscar for Best Director due to THE BIG SHORT, so I'm more than game to see what he can do when given the keys to something like IRREDEEMABLE.