Before Batman and Spider-man, there were American western folk heroes. Characters based off of real live people who roamed the wild west like Bufallo Bill, Jesse James and Billy the Kid. One of these western folk heroes was John Henry “Doc” Holliday, who if past films has been portrayed by Kirk Douglas, Val Kilmer and Dennis Quaid. Doc Holliday went from being a dentist to one of the deadliest gunslingers of the west. He took part in the epic gunfight at the O.K. Corral alongside Wyatt Erap, which has been featured in such films like Tombstone and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

According to The Hollywood Repoter, PalmStar Media has optioned the rights to two novels by Mary Dora Russell one being, Doc and Epitaph: A Novel of the O.K. Corral. This book is considered to be the seminal book on Doc Holliday that chronicles his life from a dentist in Atlanta to his battles alongside Wyatt Earp. Their choice for the legendary gunslinger? Well you might catch him as a superhero sharpshooter on the big screen as Hawkeye, Jeremy Renner. The film will be produced by PalmStar’s Kevin Frakes, The Combine’s Don Handfield and Jeremy Renner.

Here is a joint statement from Don Handfield, and Jeremy Renner:

“We are excited to re-introduce this classic American character to a whole new audience by chronicling Doc Holliday’s incredible transformation from average Joe dentist to a man who Wyatt Earp called the ‘nerviest, speediest, deadliest man with a six-gun [he] ever knew,’”

PalmStar is currently in production of The Catcher Was a Spy starring Paul Rudd and Paul Giamattin, while The Combine has just finished up production on Season 1 of A&E and History Channel’s Knightfall.

Being that the movies are so saturated with superhero films, I enjoy a good western from time to time like The Magnificent Seven. The choice of Renner as a Doc Holliday was good since so many in the audience already know him as a sharpshooter from his role on the Avengers team, although I will say that Val Kilmer will always be my favorite Doc Holliday. How do you feel about westerns? If yes, then what other American folk heroes would like like brought to be big screen? If no, why not? Chime in below in the comment section!

RELATED: AMERICAN GODS – NEIL GAIMAN’S CONCERNS ABOUT THE STARS SERIES

Don’t forget to share this post on your Facebook wall and with your Twitter followers! Just hit the buttons on the top of this page.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter