If it were up to every movie studio, they’d have their own blockbuster superhero universe like Marvel at Disney and DC at Warner Bros. But there are only so many popular omic book universes to go around. The folks at Valiant Entertainment have been trying for years at various studios to get a foothold on the big screen, and finally got it done at Sony when Bloodshot opened in 2020. That film was hurt by the pandemic, but Valiant is getting another shot at it with Paramount, who have hired Wes Ball to direct a Harbinger movie.
Harbinger centers on a group of powered heroes led by Peter Stancheck, who brings the team together to battle Toyo Harada, a former mentor of Peter’s and the most powerful psionic on Earth. Basically, they are the Valiant version of the X-Men, and their ranks even include Bloodshot. A crossover had been planned until Harbinger switched studios from Sony to Paramount.
Ball is best known as director of the entire Maze Runner trilogy, and he’s a supreme talent at world-building, which is why he’s also been hired for a new Planet of the Apes.
Ex-Marvel EIC Jim Shooter created Harbinger back in 1992, with David Lapham on art. A Harbinger film has been in development as far back as 2015 with Noah Centineo and Dylan O’Brien circling roles at different points. Other Valiant films in the works include Faith and Eternal Warrior, but neither has seen significant progress.
