'Kick-Ass' Creator Mark Millar Talks About a Sequel: 'We Shoot This Summer'

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Comic creator Mark Millar said Sunday in an interview that Kick-Ass 2, the follow-up to the 2010 superhero movie, is set to start filming within the next several months. Speaking with Scotland’s Daily Report, Millar said, "We shoot Kick-Ass 2 and American Jesus this summer. Then Matthew and I have Secret Service, which is a neddy James Bond."

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Although he didn't offer additional specifics, the writer seemed to imply that original Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn was also involved, albeit presumably as a producer since he announced in January that he would be directing the next X-Men film. Currently the film has no attached director or stars, and the original film's studio, Lionsgate, has made no announcements comfirming when or if the film might go into production.

Regarding American Jesus, Millar also explained that the story would be a straightforward, respectful take on the idea of a modern-day Jesus Christ, despite his reputation for irreverent takes on otherwise conventional material. “A lot of people are surprised because much of my work is irreverent and expect the same with American Jesus," Millar said. "But I want it to be a beautiful film. A film about the returned Jesus Christ has amazing artistic potential. Jesus shows up in the middle of the financial crisis, America is in turmoil and the Eurozone is collapsing. They are quite apocalyptic times that we are living in with the gap between rich and poor."

"It is the reverse of The Omen, which is about a kid who finds out he is the anti-Christ. This is a kid who finds out he is Jesus Christ."

Secret Service is another project Millar said was being developed, and he described it as "My Fair Lady meets James Bond." "We came up with this idea of a wee ned who becomes a gentleman spy, ditching his trainers for his Savile Row suits and being taught how to speak properly," he revealed. "I am halfway through the comic and Matthew and I are halfway through the script." Millar aid that he and Vaughn are contemplating actors right now, but no roles are cast. "There is a good role for a 50-something actor to play an older gentleman spy training this young kid. There are not a lot of tough actors in that age group but you would never believe Colin Firth or Hugh Grant in a fight scene. We are bouncing names around."

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Since Timur Bekmambetov adapted his comic book Wanted for Universal in 2008, Millar has shepherded several of his print properties to the big screen. Kick-Ass enjoyed a warm reception during its initial appearance at 2010’s San Diego Comic-Con, and subsequently brought in more than $96 million during its theatrical run. Since that time, he’s launched efforts to get a variety of other projects going, including Nemesis, Supercrooks, American Jesus, and War Heroes.

In the meantime, however, sequels to both Kick-Ass and Wanted have thus far stalled, as the studios have had trouble re-assembling key cast and crew members: while Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn took on 2011’s X-Men: First Class, one of his stars, "Hit Girl" Chloe Moretz became one of the most sought after young actresses in Hollywood, appearing in everything from Matt Reeves’ remake of Let the Right One In to Martin Scorsese’s Hugo.