An obscure comic book from 2006 is going to get new life at Netflix with the star power of John Cena and Kevin Hart behind it. Writers Jon and Erich Hoeber sold their pitch to Netflix that will adapt the indie Oni Press comic book series called “The Leading Man”, which consists of only 5 issues, created by Jeremy Haun and B. Clay Moore.
The plot of the original comic revolves around Nick Walker, a successful Hollywood actor who is also a super spy that works for “The Agency”, a clandestine security organization but is actually a double agent. Nick gets caught up in between romance and other shadowy conspiratorial organizations and is eventually captured by a group called “Code Black”. Universal Pictures saw the potential in this IP all the way back in 2011 and bought the rights. They even had Justin Lin set to direct, but the movie never ended up going anywhere until the Hoeber brother screenwriter team adapted the story into a screenplay and got Netflix to cast 2 of the biggest stars on the planet to star in the movie.
The plot of the original comic revolves around Nick Walker, a successful Hollywood actor who is also a super spy that works for “The Agency”, a clandestine security organization but is actually a double agent.”
The Hoeber brothers are not unfamiliar with Netflix, as the duo penned a script called “Fast and Loose” that the streamer bought and landed Will Smith to headline. Michael Bay was brought on to direct but just left the movie a few days ago due to irreconcilable creative differences between Bay and Smith. That movie was set to commence shooting in October but is now looking at a 2026 window instead. Despite the troubles with project from their first deal, Netflix still seems to have the utmost confidence in the Hoeber brothers after greenlighting another script with Capital A-List Actors.
The actual longline for the film was also released: “When a self-absorbed movie star (Cena) discovers that his co-star / man in the chair (Hart) is an actual agent, he’s forced to swallow his pride and accept that action stars aren’t really action heroes… while trying to save the world.” The films longline seems to be drastically different than the synopsis of the comic books, so going to the source material will probably do little to reveal major plot points. The comic book story did sound a bit dated, so the changes will probably end up complimenting the existing IP while letting the movie stand as it'[‘s own work of art.
Kevin Hart will be Producing the films along with Luke Kelly-Clyne and Brian Smiley from his production company, Hartbeat, who has a multi-film deal with Netflix. Hart is also starring in another high rifle Netflix picture, “72 Hours”, which we reported on earlier this year. Cena is also producing for the film. Whether both stars will be intimately in oiled Linley depends on schedules and the general vibe going into production. Other producers for the project include: Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Eric Gitter, Peter Schwerin and Dan Baime.
Hart has also recently been working on “Little Brother”, a Netflix comedy where the comedian stars with Eric André. John Cena just recently released “Heads of State” alongside Iris Elba and a cameo in James Gunn’s “Superman” before his mega-popular DCEU/DCU series Peacemaker returns to HBO Max. Both actors are knows for their action comedy roles so this movie seems like a perfect fit. The actors have worked toss her briefly in Hart’s ‘Die Hart 2’, while Cena has also been featured on Hart’s talk show “Hart to Heart” for a pretty up close and personal interview.
With only 5 comic book issues to draw from, the chances of Netflix making any sequels or turning “The Leading Man” into a shared universe are solely based on n how well Hart and Cena perform together. Peacemaker season 2 can help build up that hype but we’re not likely to see a finished movie until spring of 2026 at the earliest. According to Deadline (who broke the story), the movie is still in early stages of development, so we may not end up seeing the film on the steamer until as late as 202
Netflix’s foray into action comedy with huge stars has produced some fun movies, but the streamer has yet to find serious franchise cornerstones like AMC with ‘TWD’ and HBO with ‘GoT’. Netflix is still undeniably the largest streamer in the world, but it may not be able to maintain it’s king of the hill status for much longer if it doesn’t produce another cash cow with potential for multiple projects a year (or at least 1).
What do you think? Is Netflix putting too much money into projects that won’t be memorable? Will Cena and Hart start a new franchise? Will they be able to bui;d even more chemistry or will rivalries rise up? We believe the potential for drama between the two is very low, but it’s also tough to say how they can make this project unforgettable. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
