12 Films You Had No Idea Were Based on a Comic Book
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When we think of comic book-based films, our minds often turn to MCU or DCU superheroes However, some of the most gripping and visually stunning non-comic book films have their origins in the colorful panels of comic books.
Hollywood legends like Charlize Theron, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, and more have starred in comic book-based films. Many of the films on this list were not blockbusters, the aim of many comic book films, but their origins started in the comics.
Let’s delve into the secret lives of these cinematic gems and uncover their comic book roots. Here are 12 films you had no idea were based on a comic book.
Atomic Blonde (2017)
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Set in November 1989 right before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Atomic Blonde follows MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton, played by Charlize Theron, as she navigates a treacherous web of espionage in Berlin. Comic book-based films like this are a stylish blend of action, intrigue, and neon-soaked aesthetics. It’s inspired by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart’s 2012, graphic novel The Coldest City. It’s directed by David Leitch, who made his directorial debut in 2014 with John Wick.
30 Days of Night (2007)
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In the remote town of Barrow, Alaska, residents contend with darkness descending on the town for an entire month. A pack of savage and bloodthirsty vampires invades the town to take advantage of the darkness and the town’s vulnerable inhabitants. Josh Hartnett stars as the besieged, outnumbered, and demoralized town sheriff battling undead vampires. Danny Huston turns in an eerie and unforgettable performance as the vampire leader, a creature who continually eyes the town’s inhabitants with the dead eyes of an apex predator. It’s hard to translate comic book-based films like this from the page to the screen, but director David Slade does it masterfully. It is based on Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith’s 2002 graphic novel 30 Days of Night.
A History of Violence (2005)
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Meek, mild-mannered, and small-town diner owner Tom Stall, portrayed by Viggo Mortensen is a mild-mannered diner owner who minds his own business and cares for his family. After foiling a robbery and gaining local media attention, Stall becomes a minor celebrity. Stall desperately shuns the attention, realizing a clock has begun ticking and his secret, extremely violent past, is about to catch up to him and his family. This comic book-based film is inspired by John Wagner and Vince Locke’s 1997 graphic novel of the same name. Director David Cronenberg masterfully translates themes of moral complexities and hidden identities from the page to the screen.
Oblivion (2013)
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Writer and comic book creator Joseph Kosinski’s sci-fi thriller draws inspiration from his own unpublished graphic novel to direct this film. Instead of giving up, Kosinski shopped his unfinished comic book as a sci-fi film pitch. Set in 2077, the Earth has been made uninhabitable in the aftermath of an alien war. Tom Cruise portrays a drone technician and scavenger, Jack. His routine existence unravels when he discovers a mysterious woman and uncovers long-buried secrets. Unassuming comic book-based films like this were created as an homage to 1970s sci-fi according to Kosinski.
Road to Perdition (2002)
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If someone asked you to make a list of all the comic book-based films that you have seen since 2000, this would probably not make your list. Set during the Great Depression, Tom Hanks portrays a hitman out for revenge with his son after the rest of his family is slaughtered by the mob. Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner’s 1998 Road to Perdition graphic novel provides the emotional core for this haunting crime drama. Collins and Rayner’s work is also influenced by the Japanese manga Lone Wolf and Cub. The film was nominated for several Oscars in 2003.
Oldboy (2003)
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Comic book-based films like Oldboy are so influential that they were made into films twice. Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi’s 1996 Japanese manga of the same name inspires the film. Park Chan-Wook directed the Korean version in 2003 with Spike Lee directing the Americanized version in 2013. After being inexplicably imprisoned for 15 years, protagonist Oh Dae-su, portrayed by Choi Min-sik, seeks revenge against his captors. The film is a treatise on the perils of vengeance, the price of redemption, and the unwitting ease by which one can make an arch enemy.
Snowpiercer (2013)
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Featuring an all-star cast, Snowpiercer is a showcase for Chris Evans to flex his dramatic skills fresh off his 2011 MCU debut as Captain America. In a frozen world, the remnants of humanity survive aboard a perpetually moving train called Snowpiercer. Class warfare erupts as the oppressed tail-section passengers revolt against their privileged overlords. Director Bong Joon-ho’s dystopian thriller draws inspiration from Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette’s 1982 French graphic novel Le Transperceneige. The film’s allegorical layers and social commentary about climate change mirror the comic’s artistic depth.
Surrogates (2009)
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In a stark future where humans interact with each other and the real world digitally through robotic avatars, FBI agent Tom Greer, played by Bruce Willis, investigates a murder that threatens the delicate balance between the real world and hermit-like surrogate existence.
Surrogates draws inspiration from Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele’s 2005 graphic novel of the same name. The film’s exploration of social identity and human dependence on technology was ahead of its time and mirrors the thought-provoking themes in the comic.
The Losers (2010)
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The Losers is a showcase where an ensemble cast of up-and-coming talent shows off their skills and future potential. Actors Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Zoe Saldana, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan starred in this film right before each became household names due to starring in other comic book-based films. The film is about a covert Special Forces team betrayed and left for dead in Bolivia seeking revenge against the shadowy figure who set them up. Comic book creators Andy Diggle and Jock’s 2003 comic book series The Losers provided the blueprint for this action-packed film.
Men in Black (1997)
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Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) belong to a top-secret organization that monitors extraterrestrial activity on Earth. Their mission is to protect the planet from alien threats while rocking sleek black suits and using memory-wiping devices Lowell Cunningham’s 1990 comic book series The Men in Black inspired the iconic film franchise. The film’s quirky blend of sci-fi, humor, and intergalactic action became a pop culture phenomenon that spawned several sequels.
Whiteout (2009)
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Kate Beckinsale portrays U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko investigating a murder in Antarctica during the continent’s brutal winter. As the icy landscape closes in, secrets thaw and danger looms.
After finding a dead body, Stetko is attacked by a masked killer who is trying to get ahold of the cargo in an old Soviet plane that crash-landed on the ice during the Cold War. This film is inspired by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber’s 1998 graphic novel Whiteout. The film adaptation captures the bone-chilling isolation, dramatic tension, and frostbitten intrigue found in the comic.
Virus (1999)
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Jamie Lee Curtis and William Baldwin star as crew members on a salvage crew aboard a tugboat in the South Pacific. The crew discovers a derelict Russian research ship and attempts a salvage mission. The salvage mission becomes a fight for survival when the crew encounters a malevolent extraterrestrial force. Chuck Pfarrer’s 1992 comic series Virus provided the eerie premise for this sci-fi horror film. The tension, claustrophobia, and otherworldly terror in the film echo the original graphic narrative.
The film was promoted with a line of action figures and a tie-in video game. It turned out to be a critical and commercial flop but gained a cult following over time.
The Best Comic Book-Based Films Are Usually in Disguise
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The best comic book-based films are not always about Marvel or DC superheroes.
Some comic books are used as revised filmmaking pitches. Or they contain a story that a filmmaker feels must be translated into film, even though it doesn’t contain any superheroes. The inspiration for a film is not always found in a novel or screenplay – sometimes, the story found in a comic book can be so compelling that it is just too big for its panels.
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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
