Although the material in Mr. Church wasn’t really worthy of it, Eddie Murphy gave a solid performance in his first dramatic lead role, bringing nuance to his portrayal of an alcoholic cook who helps out a sick mother and her teenage daughter. Those everyday heroics aren’t usually the stuff of most onscreen comic-book capers, but they have inspired some people to imagine Murphy in the world of gadgets, capes, and of course, lasers.
The actor-comedian recently sat down with Mashable for some Church talk, when he was asked if he had any interest in appearing in a superhero film. Given the option of playing the crimefighter or the villain, Murphy chose the former, with a couple of caveats. He believes he’s too old to carry a tentpole film, so he’d rather play the “voice of reason,” the person who points out the holes in a plan (or set of tights). Also, Murphy would rather star in a film that sends up superhero movies, instead of a more earnest adventure to save the world’s Marthas. But even then, he doesn’t think it’ll be an easy sell, telling Mashable that even he doesn’t “buy me flying in with a cape on and you know, fucking everybody up, having lasers shoot out.”