Who Should Play 'Mother's Milk' In Big Screen Adaptation Of Anti-Superhero Comic 'The Boys'?

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by Tambay A. Obenson
August 16, 2012 3:38 PM
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The story goes... In 2008, Columbia Pictures optioned The Boys, a graphic novel by Garth Ennis and Darick Roberson, with plans for a film adaptation. There was not much movement on the project until 2 years later, August 2010, when Adam McKay signed on to direct the film. At the time, McKay revealed that a script was being rewritten for what he would later describe as "a $100 million, rated-R, anti-superhero movie," and was hopeful that production would begin the following January (2011). 

That obviously didn't happen. 

Skip ahead another year, to February of 2012, when it was reported that Columbia Pictures had abandoned the project, putting it into turnaround for another studio to hopefully pick up.

Skip ahead another 6 months to today, when director Adam McKay revealed on Twitter, in response to a fan question about whether the project was indeed dead:

Actually paramount picked it up and we're still developing.

That was likely a slip of the fingers by McKay because he would later delete that tweet. However, the follower who asked the question, retained a copy of the conversation thread.

So, assuming McKay's revelation is truth, my question to all of you who are familiar with the comic book (I'm not) is, who should play the character known as Mother's Milk?

For those not familiar with The Boys, a little backstory, based on some quick research I did.

Initially published in 2006, The Boys is set between 2006-2008, in a world where superheroes exist. However, most of the superheroes have been corrupted by their celebrity status, and often engage in reckless behavior, compromising the safety of the world. And it's for this reason that a super-powered CIA squad, known informally as "The Boys," is charged with monitoring the superhero community.

Alright. Sounds interesting enough.

The squad's core characters are Billy ButcherHughie CampbellMother's MilkThe FrenchmanThe Female and Lieutenant Colonel Greg D. Mallory. They are somewhat international bunch, from the USA, the UK, France primarily. 

But the one we're most interesting in is Mother's Milk. I'm sure you can guess why.

Here's how he's described:

A large African-American man, he is a highly patient and methodical man, taught by his father to check every possible angle and means of attack, and can be somewhat fussy (getting annoyed whenever anyone doesn't put a drink coaster under their glasses). He is the only member on the team, aside from the retired Greg Mallory, that is an American citizen by birth. His nickname was apparently because he is the "purest", i.e. most goodhearted, member of the team. He is the only member of the unit to have been exposed to Compound V since conception. As a result, he was born needing regular doses of his mother's breast milk to survive. His brother was killed by the manifestation of superpowers. He joined the United States Army, volunteered for the Rangers, and became an army heavyweight boxer. In a championship match, he manifested powers suddenly and punched an opponent's head off. He was subsequently released from the military and was recruited by Butcher and Mallory for the first incarnation of The Boys. 

His powers and abilities include superhuman strength and durability, all brought about thanks to his exposure to Compound V - the drug that grants superpowers to people in The Boys universe; most samples of it only give temporary superpowers, but the pure stuff makes the effects permanent.

There's much more, but you get the gist. 

Those who've read the comics can fill in whatever crucial items I left out about the character.

But back to my original question - as this looks to be a big-budgeted action movie as McKay put it, who should play Mother's Milk?

Browsing through other sites talking about this project, the usual suspects are mentioned: Michael Jai White, Idris Elba; I saw a Ving Rhames mention, Ice Cube, even Dennis Haysbert.

The key physical description is that he's large. Other characteristics: he can be fussy about little things, he's methodical and patient, and the most goodhearted member of the team. 

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1 Comment

  • Jerome | August 17, 2012 12:42 PMReply

    The book is WAAAY too violent and brutal for anything under an NC-17. Extreme, cynical, funny and warped (in a good way) I'm not sure a film version can be made without completely destroying the tone of the book. As for casting — Michael Jai White is probably the best choice.

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