These days, comic book adaptations have swept cinemas, becoming some of the only bankable options for major studios. As a result, a solid handful of classic but lesser-known comic series’ have received big-screen adaptations in the last few decades, which have managed to bring fresh eyes onto stories like Hellboy, Kick-Ass, and Men In Black. One such story received feature film treatment in 2010 in the form of the star-studded DC Comics movie The Losers, which unites a number of Marvel Cinematic Universe mainstays.
The Losers Is Based On A DC Comic
The Losers was written by Scream VI scribe James Vanderbilt and Patriots Day filmmaker Peter Berg, based on the hit Vertigo Comic series of the same name. The movie was directed by French filmmaker Sylvain White, who has since gone on to helm numerous episodes of hit television series such as Hawaii Five-0, The Rookie, The Umbrella Academy, and Fargo.
Despite getting a few positive reactions from critics, The Losers was largely forgotten due to a number of comparisons to the A-Team film adaptation, which premiered in the same year.
A Star-Studded Cast
As mentioned, The Losers touts a star-studded ensemble of actors, who each chew the scenery with some highly enjoyable campy performances. The cast includes Idris Elba, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Columbus Short, Jason Patric, Zoe Saldana, and Captain America himself, Chris Evans. Hawkeye actor Jeremy Renner was also considered for a role in the film, though he ultimately dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
Black Ops Super Spies
The narrative of The Losers centers on a team of black-ops super spies who turn to mercenary work after they are deemed a security risk to the US government. The opening scene of the film sees the gang taking on a search-and-destroy mission at a Bolivian drug compound, where they discover a group of children who are victims of human trafficking.
After killing the cartel responsible for the operation and destroying the base, the spies place the children on their escape chopper, only for their boss to shoot the bird down in an attempt to kill the black-ops agents.
Horrified by their accidental hand in killing the children and concerned about their own safety, the entire gang committed to faking their deaths and lay low in Bolivia for several months.
Getting The Gang Back Together
One day, while the team’s leader, Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), is drowning his sorrows in a dive bar, a mysterious woman named Aisha approaches him and explains that she has a plan to seek out and kill Max, the operations manager who ordered the strike on the helicopter. Clay takes some convincing to get on board with the plan, though he eventually resolves to round up the Losers crew, and return to the United States.
As the film continues, the gang systemically relies on their individual skill sets to locate Max and his goons and unpack his evil plot to sell weapons to foreign terrorists for financial gain.
A Fun Comic Book Action Film On Max
Throw in a few twists and turns along the way and a thrilling explosion-heavy climax, and you’ve got yourself a sure-fire formula for an action blockbuster. Unfortunately, The Losers failed to make a major splash at the box office and ultimately made an incredibly modest $29.9 million at the global box office against an estimated production budget of over $20 million.
Despite the film failing to become a major sensation, The Losers still holds up as a solid watch today. If you’re interested in catching The Losers, it can be streamed right now on Max.
