Filming on Kick-Ass 2 has wielded unofficial photos of the cast in (superhero) costume, including Scrubs alum Donald Faison as the deluded Doctor Gravity as well as husband-wife team "Remembering Tommy" and muscular bodyguard Mother Russia (bodybuilder Olga Kurkulina). The most intriguing addition to the Kick-Ass ensemble - Jim Carrey as Colonel Stars - remains unspoiled for the time being, leaving fans to wonder whether the character's appearance will remain intact from Mark Miller's source material, or given a lampoonish overhaul (a la "Remembering Tommy") befitting its comedic superstar.
The latest set pics reveal Christopher Mintz-Plasse's outfit as the masked villain formerly known as Red Mist - now operating under the very NSFW monicker The Motherf**ker - in the comic book movie sequel. It is not, however, the black-and-orange costume that Chris D'Amico/Red Mist was briefly shown wearing at the conclusion of the first Kick-Ass movie, nor is it a direct replication of the twisted psychopath's red attire from Millar's comic. Rather, it is something more stylized altogether.
To jog your memory, here is a screenshot from the ending to Kick-Ass, where we see what were (at one point) going to be Mintz-Plasse's new duds in the sequel:
Mintz-Plasse's appearance in Kick-Ass 2 is a drastic departure from this, as you can see from the first image below (courtesy of shot7.com). The actor is instead wearing a black-and-burgundy uniform with a leathery texture and facial mask that makes him look more like Ben Affleck as Daredevil from a distance. Millar hasn't addressed the logic behind the change - beyond a wry comment on his blog ("Why did you wear something different today from yesterday?") - but clarified the scene shown being filmed comes from the conclusion to his "Hit Girl" #2 comic, where The Motherf**ker and his cronies head out to rob a convenience store. Kick-Ass 2 writer/director Jeff Wadlow Tweeted the second image, offering a better look at the setting for this sequence:
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You can head-over to CBM for a closer, but low-resolution, look at Mintz-Plasse in costume. Meanwhile, for those who missed it from a couple days ago, here is an amateur snapshot of "Remembering Tommy" in the film (via Instagram):
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Wadlow and his costumer designer's decision to swap the Viking-esque appearance of "Remembering Tommy" from Millar's comic for outfits with more of a comically-homemade design - coupled with Mintz-Plasse wearing an outfit that feels like a self-parody - suggest Wadlow is emulating director Matthew Vaughn's self-satirical approach with the first film. We've also been told Wadlow's script passes over more gratuitous elements of the Kick-Ass 2 comics, favoring character growth over the shock value elements that make Millar's source material somewhat controversial.
For more "proof" that Kick-Ass 2 could be more tongue-in-cheek subversive than exploitative, check out new cast addition Enzo Cilenti (Rome) in his Tweeted photo from the film's set. Variety says that Cilenti has a small role as John Leguizamo's "sidekick." The actor jokes that his comical hairdo made him look more like "Swiss Tony or NJ Guido."
It's not surprising to learn that Wadlow isn't deviating from Vaughn's angle on the Kick-Ass franchise, given he was hand-picked by the latter to oversee Kick-Ass 2's journey to the big screen. Moreover, the first act of the sequel will be primarily focused on Hit-Girl's (Chloë Grace Moretz) attempts to adjust to ordinary teen life. Hence, the film won't jump right into The Motherf**ker and his gang's savage campaign against the general population, as Miller's source comic (unwisely?) did.
That move on Millar's part prompted accusations that the Kick-Ass property had become exactly what the first mini-series - not to mention, Vaughn's cult film adaptation - were satirizing, ie. crass violence and brutality for its own sake. Wadlow, it seems, might have better luck avoiding those criticisms with his take on the story.
Kick-Ass 2 opens in theaters on June 28th, 2013.
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