Kevin Bacon is now set to play the villain in the upcoming The Toxic Avenger reboot. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bacon will be in the film alongside Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, and Taylour Paige with filming set to begin in June. The project is a reboot of the original 1984 film that was notorious for being the type of high quality, over-the-top trash that can only be found in a B-movie that really hits the spot.
The original plot was about a down-on-his-luck outcast who falls into a barrel of toxic waste that subsequently transforms him into a disfigured mutant rather than instantly giving him powers. Still not to be deterred, he becomes a folk hero as he makes it his mission to fight any wrongdoers in the city. The film was first created under the infamous Troma Entertainment and subsequently got three additional sequels as well as a cartoon series. However, this is the first reboot of the original film that started it all.
As for how Bacon will fit into this wacky and weird world, full details on his character are not known, though one can only hope that he gets to play an over-the-top villain. Having previously played the villain in X-Men: First Class, there is even room for Bacon to be part of a metacommentary on superhero tropes if the film plays its cards right.
The film is being directed by longtime actor Macon Blair, who was also the writer and director of the 2017 film I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore. Blair, who will be writing the film as well, also wrote for the television series Room 104, and wrote the screenplays for Small Crimes and Hold the Dark. Considering Blair’s history with dark humor - especially I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore - one can only hope he gets to sink his teeth into the project and let loose with all the inherent potential in the classic yet chaotic story.
The Toxic Avengers does not have a release date, but with a cast like this, the film certainly can't come soon enough.