Jason Statham Up For Namor The Sub-Mariner

"Keys are under the mat, Flipper."

Will grizzled action vet Jason Statham put on a shiny fish-scale-sequined speedo to play the majestic, sea-dwelling Marvel superhero Namor the Sub-Mariner? Well, he's taken a meeting for the role but he's also exhibiting a little Vince Chase-like hesitation. IESB asked if there were any comic characters on his wish list...

"I took a meeting for Sub-Mariner. I don't know if I'd look right running around in a tight speedo with wings on my ankles but there's so many cool fucking characters."

A feature film about the devil's-peaked, fierce eyebrowed son of an Atlantis princess and a burly sea captain is planned by Marvel Studios for a release in 2010. Of course, Namor's friendlier DC Comics rival, Aquaman, might also make an appearance, cameo or otherwise, near that date with the Justice League of America film. Can you see Statham breathing underwater? I've always found Namor quite ridiculous, but it'd make for entertainment on the big screen, I'll give it that. Of course, as Statham sort of makes clear, if the film was a laughing stock, his career as a man's man would be chum.

A movie that I could not see Statham taking on is a new spin on The Crow, but he's interested...

"I'm trying to think of what would be a good comic book character for me to play. You know, there's talk of them redoing The Crow. That was a good movie with Brandon Lee, although that was years ago. So if that one comes my way, bang! You know, there's so many comic book movies out there and most of the time there's only a handful of people who can do them any justice. Hopefully, they'll come my way for one of them."

Still, Statham would probably be better than the usually ace Edward Furlong, who starred as a chubby emo Crow in the terrible fourth incarnation The Crow: Wicked Prayer. Something tells me Statham won't be taking to sea or sky.