With his muscular frame and square-jawed good looks, Channing Tatum seems like he was born to play a superhero on the big screen. Yet, despite the fact that every comic book character ever has been the subject of a movie within the last five years, Tatum has somehow missed all the action. What's a guy got to do around here to get into a pair of spangled long johns, anyway?
Well, apparently the answer is "produce it yourself," because according to The Hollywood Reporter, Tatum is set to portray America's number one real world superhero, the costumed daredevil known as Evel Kneivel. Forget about leaping tall buildings; how about jumping a whole friggin' canyon?
That was just one of the high profile stunts that Kneivel attempted back in the 1970s, when the late motorcycle stuntman became a national celebrity thanks to a series of insane tricks even the guys from "Jackass" wouldn't have dared to try. And the fact that Kneivel, who was known for wearing a signature red, white and blue jumpsuit, often totally failed in his attempts — he's listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for most broken bones — somehow made him even more heroic to the average fan.
And now Tatum is apparently in talks to introduce Kneivel to a new generation, as the red hot star of "Magic Mike," "The Vow" and "21 Jump Street" is in negotiations to both produce and headline a new biopic based on author Stuart Baker's 2008 book, "Life of Evel."
A cool code name, a brightly colored costume and incredible feats of daring do? True story or not, it looks like Tatum finally got that superhero movie after all.
