For the last decade or more, superhero films have dominated the summer landscape. But despite the fact that fans keep turning out in droves to see the movies, many critics feel that the parts are too limiting for serious actors. After all, they say, how can you really stretch yourself when you're playing just another superhero?
By playing Stretch Armstrong, that's how.
The most flexible hero of the '70s is back, according to The Wrap, as Relativity Media announced today that they are moving forward with a big screen adaptation of the rubber Hasbro action figure. Now the question is: Just how does Taylor Lautner figure in to all of this?
Unfortunately, the answer is, he doesn't, as MTV has confirmed that Lautner -- who had been attached to star in "Stretch Armstrong" -- has now officially dropped out, right at the very moment the movie is finally getting made. It's a big bummer for all those fans of Lautner's previous on-screen superhero, Sharkboy, but the folks at Relativity don't seem too concerned.
"We are absolutely thrilled to partner with Hasbro, a company whose global reach and ability to innovate has made them immensely successful in the arena of brand re-imagination-- as evidenced by their legacy of creating such franchises as "Transformers" and "G.I. Joe,"" said executive producer Tucker Tooley. "We look forward to bringing Stretch Armstrong to audiences worldwide."
For those of you not yet in the know, Stretch Armstrong was a popular action figure back in the day who stood out from the crowd not only because he was basically a really buff dude in a speedo, but also because he was made of rubber, meaning you could just pound the snot out of him without risk of breaking.
Just how the film will proceed without Lautner remains to be seen, but we have feeling they'll figure out something cool. After all, if there's one thing we know about Stretch Armsrtong, it's that he can rebound from any setback.
