Kevin Bacon Cast As The Villain In A Classic ’80s Reboot
Kevin Bacon has been cast as a villain in a classic 80s reboot. It looks like he's going to play this one way over the top on the evil side.
There’s a cult classic 80s movie getting a remake and things are starting to round out for the cast of what could be a very different kind of movie. The latest news has the villain role locked up and now we are heading towards the production for The Toxic Avenger getting underway. The Hollywood Reporter has it that Kevin Bacon has taken the part of Bob Garbinger in the production.
This Kevin Bacon casting news helps to start picturing what could be a very cool, and visually different movie than we are used to seeing. The Toxic Avenger remake looks like it will stay somewhat true to form around the original with the story of an innocent man who just happens to accidentally fall into a vat of acid. But instead of killing him, it instead grossly deforms him and gives him superpowers. It’s got a standard superhero origin story in this respect but the main character, if the original is any indication, won’t be so easy on the eyes.
In the remake, Kevin Bacon will play Garbinger, the greedy executive who runs Garb-X. With there likely to be a comedic element to the movie, it stands to reason that Bacon’s character really hams up the evil persona in this one, playing into the cliched power-hungry CEO who wants profit and status above all else. In the film, mild-mannered Winston will be employed by Garb-X but needs treatments to cure terminal cancer. Garbinger, of course, refuses and Winston ultimately has the accident that changes him for the, well, worse.
One can really picture Kevin Bacon leaning into this role, especially when he comes at odds with the Toxic Avenger and reportedly tries to get some of that power of his own as well. Joining Bacon in the cast will be Peter Dinklage playing the lead role of Winston though it’s unclear if he’ll be playing the mutated form of the character as well. Also in the cast is Jacob Tremblay who is playing his son.
If this Kevin Bacon news throws you off, don’t worry, it is a little unexpected. The previous news had this one going to Elijah Wood who was reportedly cast in the role. But there’s clearly been a change and the role has now pivoted to Bacon. Macon Blair is heading up the project as both the writer and the director. If his previous work on I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore is any indication, this latest flick could have quite a bit of dark humor along with a violent/ horror vibe as well.
With Kevin Bacon playing this villain role, The Toxic Avenger will differ slightly from the 80s cult classic that struggled in theaters to start but made its bones on the rental market. In that film, The Toxic Avenger fights crime in the city, taking down gangs of criminals. In this one, there will be more of a corporate vibe with the evil coming from the steel grip of fat-cat capitalists.
Before he takes this role, we can next catch Kevin Bacon in the action film One Way which is due out next year.
