The Stuntman - Release Window, Producer, Director And More Info

Remember the halcyon days of 2010? The Marvel Cinematic Universe was still in its infancy, but much was already being made of any superhero movie that felt even slightly different from the future juggernaut's quippy origin stories. Future DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn's name was already in the middle of conversations about superhero ethics thanks to his new film "Super," while fans of Alan Moore's "Watchmen" comics were still debating the merits and myriad drawbacks of Zack Snyder's big-screen adaptation. From "The Spirit" to "Hancock," recent alternative superhero stories were actively dividing audiences who had yet to lay eyes on a single "Avengers" film.

Then "Kick-Ass" showed up. The R-rated action-comedy featured a scrappy teen hero, a little girl who loved to beat the s**t out of people, a fittingly odd Nicolas Cage performance, and the unofficially cinematic mascot of the late aughts, "Superbad" breakout star Christopher Mintz-Plasse. The film was a hit, temporarily uniting fans of superhero comics and genre newcomers seeking something slightly off the beaten path. It earned nearly $100 million worldwide against a much smaller budget and garnered a sequel in 2013.

"Kick-Ass 2" was not as successful as the first, which is likely why we haven't seen a third "Kick-Ass" film a full decade later. Yet, according to the original film's writer-director, Matthew Vaughn, fans should now expect not just one upcoming film from the world of "Kick-Ass," but three, one of which is "The Stuntman." Here's everything we know about it so far.

According to Variety, "The Stuntman" could reach some audiences as early as late 2024. The movie is apparently pretty deep in production, with some sequences having been reportedly shot last fall. While there's still likely work left to be done on the project, producer Vaughn told the outlet he's hoping for a launch at the Toronto Film Festival in September or at Sundance in early 2025.

Of course, the festival circuit is just the first step towards a wider release, and it's likely the film won't reach audiences until it secures distribution at a fest (the movie comes from production studios Zebbo Productions and Marv Studios, though initial coverage doesn't mention a distributor). Unless it's a total trainwreck, the movie should be able to find a home fairly easily, as it's been hyped as part of a "Kick-Ass" reboot trilogy that will likely appeal to comics fans and anyone who dug the first two films in that superhero universe.

Details on the plot of "The Stuntman" are still sparse, but Variety reported that it will "tell the story of two brothers who both become stuntmen." No, really, that's it. Vaughn has confirmed, though, that the film is the second in a reboot trilogy leading to a new "Kick-Ass" movie, so it's probably a safe bet that it'll be an origin story of some sort.

The original "Kick-Ass" movie, released in 2010, told the story of teenager turned hero Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and a squad of self-styled vigilantes and antiheroes including Hit-Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz), Big Daddy (Cage), and Red Mist (Mintz-Plasse). While casting information for "The Stuntman" hasn't been announced yet, Vaughn has confirmed that we won't be seeing familiar faces –- at least for now. "None of the other characters from the other 'Kick-Ass' are in it, though we'd like to have them back after the reboot," he explained (via Entertainment Weekly). "I can't really talk about it, but it's fun!"

Though the team behind "The Stuntman" haven't revealed whether or not the film will be based on anything from the "Kick-Ass" comics, it's worth noting that a new hero has taken over the hero's duties on the page as well. In the comic run starting in 2018, "Kick-Ass –- The New Girl," a 40-year-old soldier named Patience Lee uses the title of Kick-Ass while operating as a crime lord. Again, it's not yet clear how –- and if –- this plot will relate back to the trilogy Vaughn has in the works.

"Kingsman" and "X-Men: First Class" filmmaker Matthew Vaughn directed the original "Kick-Ass" film, with "Truth Or Dare" filmmaker Jeff Wadlow helming the 2013 sequel. While Vaughn seems to be the one sharing updates about the new trilogy, he's actually on board as a producer only, having handed the reins over to another filmmaker this time around. First-time director Damien Walters has reportedly already wrapped production on the first installment in the trilogy, "School Fight," and is returning for "The Stuntman."

Walters is himself a stuntman whose credits include "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," "Skyfall," "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," and Vaughn's own "Kingsman" films. He's also appeared on screen in movies like "I Am Number Four" and "Kingsman: The Secret Service." According to his Youtube account, Walters is a "world renowned freerunner, stuntman and gymnast." He also honed his filmmaking chops on "Argylle"; he's credited as a second unit director on Vaughn's latest action flick (read our review).

Walters and Vaughn are both set to produce "The Stuntman," the former through his company Zebbo Productions and the latter through Marv Studios, which Vaughn launched as SKA Films with Guy Ritchie in 1997. The pair reportedly severed ties in the aughts, at which point the company was rebranded as Marv Films. In 2018, Deadline reported that Vaughn launched the Marv Studios subsidiary in part to make the "Kick-Ass" follow-up films. According to Variety, Walters and Vaughn have plans to convert an 80,000 square foot location in the English county of Derbyshire into a production site.

Writing credits for "The Stuntman" haven't been publicized yet, but it's clear that Vaughn has an overarching vision for the upcoming films –- and he's indicated that he's one of the people working on the "Kick-Ass" reboot script himself. "We're halfway through it," the filmmaker told Collider in January 2024 when asked about the script for what will presumably be the third film. Walters clearly has a major hand in the trilogy's stories as well, with Broadcast Beat reporting, "The concept for ['School Fight'] was the brainchild of seasoned stunt professional Damien Walters."

Admittedly, the "Strangers"-esque chronology of the "Kick-Ass" universe seems pretty complicated these days, especially since we're hearing about the second and third films in a planned reboot trilogy before audiences have even gotten used to the idea of the first one. To be clear, though, the actual "Kick-Ass" reboot — which is reportedly the third film in Vaughn and Walters' upcoming trilogy –- is still expected to pull in some way from the original comics by Mark Millar and John Romita. At this point, it doesn't seem like watching the previously released films is a requirement for understanding the new trilogy.

With that in mind, fans should first expect to see the film "School Story," then "The Stuntman" (which was previously called "VRAM"), then an as-yet untitled movie that will serve as a "Kick-Ass" reboot. "It is a very, very meta universe," Vaughn told Collider when speaking about the third film in the trilogy. "It is what, you know, 'Kick Ass' was reinventing and creating a R-rated superhero and no one was really doing it. This is taking that whole concept to a worthy [...] not even a sequel, because I think it's just a whole new way of doing 'Kick Ass,' which couldn't be more 'Kick Ass.'"

Sure! But those are the only "Kick-Ass" properties we have to keep track of, right? Wrong! Vaughn has noted previously that he's hoping to do more "Kick-Ass" films down the line, including with familiar characters who will apparently be absent from these movies. "I would like to make a 'Kick-Ass 3' with those characters but I think we just need to use a sorbet, shall we say to cleanse everyone's palate, remind everyone that 'Kick-Ass' is crazy and different," the filmmaker told SyFy Wire in 2023. We'll keep you posted on the status of the franchise as its complicated, three-part future becomes more clear.