Hellboy – Hellish Anti-Heroes

Not all heroes wear capes… some take justice into their own hands to save the world. Anti-heroes may not be perfect, but they make up some of the most intricate and loveable movie characters. To celebrate the release of Hellboy available on Digital Download August 9 and on DVD and Blu-Ray™ August 19, we’re taking a look at some of the most hellish anti-heroes you can’t help but love!

Venom (2018)

Although Venom is commonly known one of Spider-Man’s greatest enemies seen in the Marvel Comics, the fang-ridden creature has taken up a new role in recent years as a hero in it’s own right. Venom isn’t actually a character in itself but in fact a sentient alien Symbiote which survives by attaching to a human host, and when the host happens to be Tom Hardy (Eddie Brock) it takes up a new, quite likeable form of anti-hero. Following the introduction of Spider-Man to the Marvel Universe, the stand-alone film adaptation of Venom was released in 2018, which featured Tom Hardy, Riz Ahmed, Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate. The film proves how Venom can be easily transformed to villain to hero depending on the host.

Deadpool (2016)

One of the most popular anti-heroes has to be Marvel Comic’s Deadpool, the character was introduced to the big screen in 2016 with none other than Ryan Reynolds in the starring role. The story follows Wade Wilson, a mercenary who protects young girls from stalkers. After meeting his soon-to-be wife and escort Vanessa, he soon discovers he is ill with terminal cancer. With no easy cure Wilson resorts to a treatment offered by a strange recruiter from a secret program, which is not as it seems. After being trapped in a human experimentation facility, Wilson is injected with a strange substance which happens to cure his cancer but leaves him with a severely disfigured face and body. However, noticing his newfound powers and crude sense of humour, Deadpool is formed and his powers are used to track down the man who tried to take his life.

Suicide Squad (2016)

Suicide Squad is based on the DC superhero supervillain team of the same name, consisting of a whole squad of anti-heroes. The film contains an all-star cast of Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto and Cara Delevingne, playing some of the most iconic DC villains. Following Batman’s death, the world needs a new hero and due to the lack of choice, U.S. intelligence officer (Viola Davis) decides to assemble a team of dangerous, incarcerated supervillains for a top-secret mission. After searching some of the most dangerous and remote prisons, the final anti-hero squad consists of Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc and other despicable inmates that must learn to work together. With a mysterious and dangerous entity on the loose along with the joker playing his usual tricks, the team find a way to protect man-kind in their own way…

Wolverine

Gruff, rude and with huge metal claws, Wolverine led the way for the unconventional anti-hero. The character was first portrayed by Hugh Jackman in the first live-action X-Men (2000) and continued to be the face of the character until Logan (2017). Wolverine is a Canadian treasure, born in Alberta as the illegitimate son of wealthy farm owners John and Elizabeth Howlett, though it is soon discovered he is actually the illegitimate son of the Howlett’s groundskeeper, Thomas Logan. When a fight breaks out between his fathers, in order to break it up Wolverine discovers the huge retractable bone claws coming out of his fists. After being discovered by the government and forced to be a human weapon, he breaks out and his fight for good begins.

Hellboy

Hellboy made his first appearance at San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 in August, 1993 as one of Mike Mignola’s comic creations. Since then the character has appeared in three live-action feature films, two straight-to-DVD animated films, three video games and most recently appeared in the film adaptation with David Harbour starring as the anti-hero himself. Half-demon and half-human, Hellboy was summoned from Hell to Earth as a baby by Nazi occultists, however, was saved by a United States defence researcher and then raised in secret by the U.S. government and trained to be a paranormal investigator. In the 2019 film adaptation, Hellboy is called to the English countryside to battle a trio of rampaging giants. There he discovers The Blood Queen, Nimue, a resurrected ancient sorceress thirsting to avenge a past betrayal. Suddenly caught in a clash between the supernatural and the human, Hellboy is now hell-bent on stopping Nimue without triggering the end of the world.

Hellboy arrives on Digital Download August 9 and DVD, Blu-Ray™, 4K UHD, and Steelbook Editions August 19