A John Wick spinoff focused on the fictional assassin hotel The Continental has been in the works for years. And despite being able to choose any other actor to lead the series, The Continental has chosen Mel Gibson to star.
According to Deadline, Gibson — who has a laundry list of controversies ranging from blatant racism to blatant antisemitism — will join Starz’ John Wick spinoff as a new character named Cormac.
Reports say Gibson will have a starring role, though the premise of The Continental is still focused on a young Winston Scott (Ian McShane plays an older version of the character in the John Wick movies) in 1970s New York.
It was announced recently that The Continental would be re-tooled as a three-night limited series event. The 90-minute specials reportedly have a budget that rivals some movies.
On social media, reaction to the news that Gibson will be a lead in the upcoming John Wick spinoff has generally been met negatively.
After recordings of Gibson’s anti-Semitic outbursts during a DUI pullover in 2006 were made public, the Braveheart star was a persona non grata. But that appears to have only been a temporary setback as Gibson has staged something of a comeback both in front of and behind the camera.
It’s unclear if the creatives behind The Continental were hoping to bank on people fondly remembering Gibson for movies like Lethal Weapon; or if they were hoping people wouldn’t remember the time Winona Ryder recalled Gibson calling her an ‘oven-dodger.’
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.