HBO is diving into the world of comic books.
Its upcoming TV show, “Watchmen,” is inspired by the 1986 graphic novel of the same name by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, which is considered a classic deconstruction of the superhero genre.
But if you ask the show’s creator, Damon Lindelof, his series isn’t so much a deconstruction because “nobody has superpowers.”
In his first in-depth interview for the series with Entertainment Weekly, Lindelof — who also cocreated “Lost” and HBO’s “The Leftovers” — was asked how he plans to “break new ground on super anti-heroes” when other movies or TV shows like “Deadpool” and Amazon’s “The Boys” have recently tackled the idea.
“I started to think that for ‘Watchmen’ maybe the more interesting point is to think about masking and authority and policing as an adjunct to superheroes,” Lindelof told EW. “In ‘Watchmen,’ nobody has superpowers — the only super-powered individual is Dr. Manhattan and he’s not currently on the planet.”
“The Boys.”
(Amazon Prime Video)
He added, “In ‘The Boys,’ you have superpowered individuals in capes that can shoot lasers out of their eyes and fly around and have feats of strength and turn invisible. Nobody on ‘Watchmen’ can do that.”
In “The Boys,” a group of government operatives keep corrupt superheroes in check, from the Superman-like Homelander to the Flash-esque A-Train.
The “Watchmen” graphic novel follows a group of costumed vigilantes who uncover a vast conspiracy after one of their own is murdered. In Lindelof’s “Watchmen” show, which takes place nearly 30 years after the events of the novel, vigilantes are outlawed and police officers wear masks.
“I felt like we wouldn’t be deconstructing the superhero myth because all the characters in Watchmen are just humans who play dress up,” Lindelof continued. “It would be more interesting to ask psychological questions about why do people dress up, why is hiding their identity a good idea, and there are interesting themes to explore here when your mask both hides you and shows you at the same time — because your mask is actually a reflection in yourself.”
“Watchmen” premieres on HBO on Oct. 20, 2019.
