Who Or What Is The Maxx: Channing Tatum's Superhero Movie Explained

Channing Tatum is bringing "The Maxx" to the big screen. On his Instagram page, the actor shared artwork from the beloved Image Comic series, confirming reports that the Sam Kieth comic will be getting an adaptation from Paramount Pictures.

"This is a childhood love of mine," Tatum shared while posting pictures from the original "The Maxx" comic and MTV animated series. "The truly brilliant genius creation of Sam Kieth. When i was grounded and wasn't aloud to watch TV, this was the cartoon on MTV's Oddities I would risk it all for. Sneak out of bed and put it on and pray I didn't get caught. Even now after all this time it feels some how still ahead of its time. The characters in the this — The Maxx, Julie Winters, and Mr. Gone — taught me things about life. Seeded complex ideas in my young mind that had a profound effect on how I viewed the world and the roles we play, that I only intellectually understood way later."

"The Maxx" comic series comes from Kieth, a writer and artist who previously teamed up with Matt Wagner on "Mage" and helped Neil Gaiman launch DC's "The Sandman" before debuting "The Maxx" at Image Comics in 1993. Working alongside Bill Messner-Loebs, Jim Sinclair, Mike Heisler, Steve Oliff, Reuben Rude, and Olyoptics, Keith's story stars Maxx, a homeless man whose perception of reality includes an alternate world called the Outback. In that realm, he's a hulking figure who protects a woman named Julie Winters, who is also impacted by the changing realities. While "The Maxx" hasn't had a big screen adaptation, it did have a short-lived cartoon on MTV in 1995, lasting one season.

While his more human, real-world appearance is that of a homeless man living in a box, in Maxx's purple, monstrous form, he has super strength and large, indestructible claws. An unreliable narrator, Maxx believes it's his responsibility and duty to protect the social worker Julie (aka, the Jungle Queen in the Outback) from the villain, Mr. Gone. In our world, Mr. Gone is a criminal named Artemus Pender. However, in his other forms, he can control the Outback and leads an army of deadly, smaller creatures known as Isz. Over the course of the series, Maxx and Mr. Gone battle across different perceptions of reality.

The stylish comic constantly jumps back and forth between what's real and what's not. The Maxx recognizes the Outback as a different place, while Julie is unaware of the alternate reality. However, the comic eventually reveals a significant connection between the creation of The Maxx and the Outback and Julie's role in the creation of the otherworldly place. The story plays on trauma, delusions, and mental health and isn't for those looking for a light-hearted read.

The comic's acclaimed run lasted 35 issues, published from 1993 to 1998, and has been collected in different formats. In 2021, Kieth produced new illustrations of "The Maxx" for a collectible calendar published by Clover Press.

Channing Tatum has made it clear he wants to see "The Maxx" on the big screen since his initial plans to adapt the comic book were announced back in 2019. Tatum has been connected to the superhero world before, of course, as he was set to play Gambit in a solo X-Men film that never made it out of its initial development phase. Persistent rumors do continue to hint he might play a role in "Deadpool 3."

Tatum also played Duke in Paramount Pictures' "G.I. Joe" films. However, Tatum has openly admitted how much he disliked appearing in the adaptation of the famous toy line, despite enjoying the franchise in his childhood. In fact, he hated the movie so much that he asked for Duke to be killed off in "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" –  a request that was granted, and the character died in the sequel's first ten minutes.

In "The Maxx's" case, Tatum appears excited to be making a movie version of a comic book he's loved since he was a kid. Tatum's role in the movie hasn't been revealed, but it would be surprising if he weren't playing the titular hero. At the very least, he will likely serve as one of the adaptation's producers, and seeing his level of enthusiasm for the project, fans should be excited for it as well.