You’d think Justin Lin would’ve been done with bald superheroes after exiting the Fast and the Furious franchise. But no, as per reports the director has been signed on by Sony Pictures to direct a live-action adaptation of One Punch Man. 

We know what you’re thinking. The idea of adapting a popular anime into live-action movies hasn’t bode well for big studios. You don’t have to look further than the reviews of the recent Cowboy Bebop series on Netflix. 

But if it’s any consolation, Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner, the duo behind Jumanji: The Next Level and Venom, are writing the movie, while Avi Arad and Ari Arad of the Spider-Man, Iron Man, X-Men, Venom fame are set to serve as producers. Lin himself will also wear the hat of producer and writer, with production set to begin by the end of this year. 

One Punch Man follows the story of Saitama, the most mundane superhero in existence who can defeat any opponent with a single punch. Hence, the name of the manga. However, what really pulls you into the narrative is how he’s grown bored by the lack of challenging opponents and how he wishes to find a worthy opponent to defeat. 

Ever since its creation in 2009, the manga has received critical acclaim across the board, with more than 30 million copies being sold worldwide. Not to mention, its English adaption made it to the New York Times Manga bestsellers list and was nominated for the Eisner and Harvey Awards. 

Of course, this led to the manga being adapted into anime, which was also well received by longtime fans and critics alike. It is no wonder then, that Sony Pictures is trying to cash in on its success and kick start a live-action franchise. 

And who better to do that than Justin Lin, who resurrected the Fast and Furious series. He recently left the popular franchise after starting working on Fast X over creative differences with Vin Diesel. The director has worked on five F&F movies, after starting his journey with Tokyo Drift. All in all, though, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for now. 

(Image credits: Artist ONE)