Sony has announced the release of a Bloodshot novel that will tie into the upcoming Valiant Comics adaptation. Arriving in theaters this March, Bloodshot stars Vin Diesel as a resurrected soldier who works for the mysterious RST corporation as a nanotech-enhanced killer. He initially has no memories of his former life, but when they start to surface, he begins to question his purpose and what really brought him to RST. The film also stars Eiza Gonzalez (Baby Driver), Sam Heughan (Outlander), Toby Kebbell, and Guy Pearce.
Bloodshot will be the first Valiant Comics property to be adapted for the big screen. There were once plans to create a connected universe with other films, similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that seems unlikely now that another Valiant property, Harbinger, moved from Sony to Paramount. If Bloodshot proves to be a success, Sony might move forward with their own Valiant universe without Harbinger, but nothing has been confirmed.
To help promote the film, Sony has released Bloodshot - The Official Movie Novelization, written by Gavin Smith. The novel will be released by Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Valiant Entertainment, and Titan Books. The full synopsis can be read below:
BEING A HERO IS IN HIS BLOOD
After he and his wife are murdered, Marine Ray Garrison is resurrected by a secret team of scientists. Enhanced with nanotechnology, he becomes a superhuman, biotech killing machine – “Bloodshot” – without any memory of his previous life.
But some things can’t stay buried, and Ray refuses to back down when his memories begin to surface. Haunted by the face of his family’s killer, he will stop at nothing to take his revenge and discovers a conspiracy going deeper than he could have possibly imagined…
The novelization will also include an exclusive short story titled "Into the Fire". It's already available for purchase, giving readers plenty of time to absorb it before the film hits theaters next month. Bloodshot was initially supposed to debut in February, but ended up being pushed to March. This doesn't bode especially well for its box office prospects, but Diesel is certainly hopeful that it will be a success, because he's already considering sequels. Meanwhile, Diesel's biggest franchise, the Fast & Furious series, released the first trailer for its ninth installment last week.
It is unclear if Bloodshot will kick off the Valiant Cinematic Universe, though so far there has not been a great deal of buzz for the film. Releasing the novelization might help spark interest, but Sony needs to up its marketing campaign soon if they want to properly raise awareness. Comic book adaptations have been very successful in recent years, but most stem from either Marvel or DC. Valiant isn't as well known, so it might be hard to get general audiences interested in Bloodshot. Of course, having an action star like Diesel could draw in people, especially now that Fast & Furious 9 has kicked its own marketing campaign into high gear. With a little over a month until Bloodshot hits domestic theaters, only time will tell how the newest cinematic superhero fares.
Source: Sony Pictures
