By He may be confirmed to be stepping back from portraying John Wick, but Keanu Reeves has discovered a new protagonist to brutally combat, shoot, and take down adversaries in significant numbers, with director Justin Lin set to assist him in bringing it to life. The Hollywood Reporter has verified that a comic book creation by Reeves titled BRZRKR is finally receiving a live-action adaptation for Netflix, with Reeves taking on the lead role.
First hitting the shelves in 2021, the 12-issue comic series centers on a character known as B (Reeves), a battle-hungry demi-god who has roamed the earth for over 80,000 years. Immortal and drawn to chaos and conflict, B finds a way to satisfy his bloodlust under the watch of the US government. From this point, he’s assigned to undertake missions that no ordinary human could accomplish, resulting in a staggering body count, all while seeking a cure to his eternal plight.
Reeves collaborated with Matt Kindt to write the comic series, which is now being adapted by Mattson Tomlin, a writer for The Batman 2. Given Reeves’ extensive history of high-octane action, creating an immortal character like B seems destined to unleash chaos for those on the wrong side of his narrative.
Fortunately, the creative talents behind this project are a comforting presence, especially considering Lin’s previous partnership with Reeves on a more personal and independent venture. His latest film, Final Days, which depicts the poignant story of missionary John Allen Chau during his final moments before being killed by a Sentinelese tribe, nearly fell apart, almost driving Lin to halt his production altogether. It was only through Reeves’ involvement that the project secured funding and eventually came to fruition, further solidifying the actor’s reputation for being a great collaborator.
Lin shared his thoughts on the project with Collider, stating, “I believe that with a project being an independent film, you attract benefactors. In our situation, for a year, we thought we had our funding, and I met some individuals, only to find out it wasn’t legitimate. It was one of those dark times when I felt like, ‘I did everything I could.’”