Out doing "Annapolis" promotions, Tyrese Gibson confirmed he's still very keen to play his hero "Luke Cage" according to MTV News.
"I'm probably going to be benching about 415 pounds once I get into that mode. They're just saying that 'Luke Cage was a real big and muscular guy, and we want to make sure that you appear to be that. They have me in mind, along with a few other people. Do I have a better chance at getting it? Probably" says Gibson.
Cage's character possesses superhuman strength and resistance to injury, the result of scientific experiments he underwent while in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Something of a cross between Shaft and a member of the Black Panther party, Cage is a "hero for hire" who's been known to invoke the catchphrase "Sweet Christmas!". "The idea of [Cage] being the first-ever black comic-book hero was a lot, as far as a statement. Those are big shoes to fill, man, and I've got to do it and do it right" says Gibson.
In order to show Marvel that it'd be making the right decision, the star recently began a strict workout regimen that will hopefully render him superheroic - "I just have to get in shape for it; that's the only thing. They want me to be really massive, and big, and it's going to require a whole other level". Marvel CEO Avi Arad has stated that he expects the film to be brutal enough to earn an R rating, and that longtime nemesis Diamondback will be the film's villain.
