Adam Egypt Mortimer's latest film,
Archenemy, is born out of his love for comic books. What's surprising is that he didn't just want to create any superhero film like your typical
Batman or
Darren Aronofsky. I had a chance to speak to Mortimer about how
Archenemy came together, how star
Joe Manganiello was perfect for his protagonist Max Fist, and what he looked for in casting the film. The story centers on Max as an interdimensional superhero who crossed into our reality but lost his powers and became a drunken vagrant. Along the way, he finds Hamster (
Skylan Brooks), who takes to Max and the stories he tells, the enemies he's faced, and saving his world many times. "I never stopped reading comic books from the time I was little until now," Mortimer said. "I love comics, and I love what they do with superheroes. I think since at least the early 1980s, if not before, comic books have been able to talk to the audience in a really sophisticated way."