Because Hollywood can never have too many superhero characters, superhuman assassin Bloodshot is headed to the big screen in 2020. Vin Diesel is bringing the popular hero to life, as he makes the jump from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to Valiant's first stab at building a cinematic universe. (Watch the second Bloodshot trailer with Vin Diesel.) But who is Bloodshot, and why is his movie debut such a big deal? Read on for everything you need to know about the character and how the movie is drawing from the comics. These are the topics we'll be covering here:

• Who Is Bloodshot?
• Bloodshot's Origin
• Bloodshot's Powers and Abilities
• Bloodshot and the Valiant Universe
• A Tale of Two Bloodshots
• Vin Diesel, Bloodshot and Valiant's Cinematic Universe

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Who Is Bloodshot?

The easiest way to describe Bloodshot is that he's a mash-up of Wolverine and The Punisher. He made his comic book debut at a time when violent anti-heroes were all the rage and borrows many familiar elements from both those Marvel characters, even if the end result is a unique character. Like Wolverine, Bloodshot was subjected to medical experimentation by a sinister organization, transforming him into a killing machine with few memories of his past. Also like Wolverine, Bloodshot can heal from nearly any injury, thanks to the nanites coursing through his blood and transforming him into the ultimate super-soldier. As for the Punisher, Bloodshot shares Frank Castle's single-minded obsession with killing the wicked. But whereas Frank wages a constant war against any and all criminals, Bloodshot tends to direct his wrath against the organization that made him what he is. His goal is to get revenge for his stolen life and ensure Project Rising Spirit doesn't use its nanotechnology to create more super-soldiers. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=The%20easiest%20way%20to%20describe%20Bloodshot%20is%20he's%20a%20mash-up%20of%20Wolverine%20and%20The%20Punisher...%20even%20if%20the%20end%20result%20is%20a%20unique%20character."]

Bloodshot's Origin

Bloodshot is the culmination of decades of work by the scientists at Project Rising Spirit. PRS is dedicated to creating advanced super-soldiers capable of carrying out dangerous missions with no remorse or hesitation. Many of their previous creations failed, and it was only after PRS perfected its nanotechnology in the 21st century that they were able to fully realize their plans. Thus, Bloodshot was born. The actual origin of the man who became Bloodshot is shrouded in mystery. Bloodshot believes himself to be a man named Ray Garrison, a soldier who was revived after death and transformed by PRS. However, Bloodshot has come to learn most of his memories are false implants. In order to control their creation, PRS implants these memories into Bloodshot's mind, giving him a fake but very believable personal grudge against the targets he's assigned to kill. For a time, that system worked well, but Bloodshot eventually rebelled and now seeks to destroy the men and women who made him what he is... and just maybe find some semblance of a normal life once he's finished.

Bloodshot's Powers and Abilities

Even if he didn't have superhuman abilities, Bloodshot would be a formidable opponent. He's trained in many forms of armed and unarmed combat, skills which make him an excellent fighter and assassin. But once PRS's nanites enter the equation, Bloodshot becomes an almost unstoppable foe. Those nanites grant Bloodshot all the basic superhuman abilities like enhanced strength, agility and endurance. They also allow him to heal almost instantaneously from any injury. The nanites even allow Bloodshot to morph his own body, changing his shape and appearance and also letting him interface with computer systems. [caption id="attachment_2229407" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Art by Brian Reber. (Image Credit: Valiant Entertainment)[/caption]

Bloodshot and the Valiant Universe

The various Bloodshot comics are published by Valiant Entertainment. Bloodshot himself exists as part of a larger, shared universe alongside other heroes like X-O Manowar, Ninjak, Faith and the members of the Harbinger Foundation. The Valiant Universe is similar to the Marvel and DC Universes in many respects, though it's generally geared toward an older audience and leans in a more science fiction-oriented direction. Most of the superhero characters in the Valiant Universe tend to either be technology-based, a la Bloodshot and X-O Manowar, or they're a member of an advanced subspecies of human known as Psiots (basically the mutants of the Valiant Universe). For the most part, Bloodshot's comics tend to stand alone without crossing over too heavily into other Valiant titles. However, characters like Ninjak do tend to pop up in Bloodshot's adventures from time to time. Valiant also publishes annual crossover events where several series are brought together, such as Harbinger Wars and 4000 AD. The current Valiant Universe has forged direct links between Bloodshot and the Psiot heroes of Harbinger. In fact, Bloodshot was originally tasked with hunting down and killing Psiots before he broke away from PRS. That connection may end up carrying over into Valiant's cinematic universe. On that note... [caption id="attachment_2229412" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The heroes of the Valiant Universe. Art by Lewis LaRosa. (Image Credit: Valiant Entertainment)[/caption]

Vin Diesel, Bloodshot and Valiant's Cinematic Universe

Bloodshot is set to make his big screen debut in March 2020. The Bloodshot movie is directed by Dave Wilson and written by Jeff Wadlow and Eric Heisserer. It stars Vin Diesel as the titular hero, Guy Pearce as his creator, Dr. Emil Harting, Sam Heughan as Cpl. Harlan Shifflet and Toby Kebbell as Axe.

Check out the first trailer for the Bloodshot movie below.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/bloodshot-trailer-2"] The movie looks to focus on Bloodshot's origin story, as the first trailer shows Ray Garrison waking up in a PRS facility, coming to terms with his new powers and being repeatedly mind-wiped and reawakened. The trailer doesn't actually show Ray in his evolved Bloodshot form, but an action figure displayed at NYCC indicated Diesel's Bloodshot will eventually gain the iconic white skin and red chest emblem that serve as the character's defining look. Indeed, in the second trailer for the film he does look closer to that version of Bloodshot in some shots. When Sony first announced the Bloodshot movie, the plan was to use it as a launching pad for a larger cinematic universe. Sony also revealed plans for a Bloodshot sequel, a Harbinger spinoff and a Harbinger Wars movie that would serve as a crossover between the two franchises. However, Sony recently sold the Harbinger rights to Paramount Pictures, part of what seems to be a trend of Sony minimizing its risk on expensive, unproven franchises. It's unclear whether Bloodshot and Harbinger will still exist as part of the same universe, meaning the Harbinger Wars crossover could be in jeopardy. [widget path="global/page/polldaddy" parameters="id=10439112&question="] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/all/~3/2CH-MzcJORg/bloodshot-movie-vin-diesel-trailer-valiant-cinematic-universe-explained-origin" target="_blank">Read More . . .

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