The Japanese underworld better beware, because this November, there’s a new name whispered in the darkest corners of Tokyo’s mean streets with fear and trepidation.
The name is Hit Monkey—and he’s coming for you.
Marvel Studios takes on its first adult animation project with Hit Monkey, a comic property with darker themes, created in 2010 for a one shot digital comic by Daniel Way and artist Dalibor Talaji. The character later went on to appear in a three issue arc in Deadpool, and later still received his own limited three issue series. It’s this solo story upon which the Hit Monkey animated series appears to be based.
High in the Japanese alps, a tribe of Japanese snow monkeys takes in a dying gaijin, or American, assassin by the name of Bryce (Jason Sudekis). When Bryce, and the tribe, are slaughtered, its lone surviving member and the restless spirit of Bryce are bound together in a quest for revenge. A misanthrope with a dry sense of humor and a smart mouth, Bryce becomes the conscience of the killer of killers and must find a way to guide Hit Monkey (Fred Tatasciore) towards his ultimate destiny.
Will Hit Monkey find a way to channel his rage and violent tendencies into the acts of justice that far better suit his gentler nature? Or will the likes of politician Shinji Yokohama (George Takei) and his niece, Akiko (Olivia Munn), suffer his wrath?
Hit Monkey will not only feature the voice talents of the legendary Star Trek actor Takei, the animated series will mark Munn’s first appearance in a Marvel production, and her second portrayal of a Marvel character on screen. Her first was the role of Psylocke in the Sony Pictures film, X-Men: Apocalypse.
Also featured in the Hit Monkey series will be the voice talents of Nobi Nakanishi as Ito, a Tokyo Police officer that has become the laughingstock of the department, but stands as a minority that believes Hit Monkey may be one of the good guys. Ally Maki also stars as Haruka, an honest cop from a small town up north whose partner is a joke as far as her peers are concerned, and has dreams of reforming an otherwise corrupt city. Together, they will help each other as Ito fights to restore his honor, and Haruka finally finds a mentor that will allow her to fulfill her potential as an honest public servant.
Hit Monkey debuts exclusively on Hulu with a ten episode run begining on November 17th.
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Liz Carlie (she/her/he/him) is a regular book, TV, and film reviewer for SCIFI.radio and has previously been a guest on 'The Event Horizon'. In addition to being an active member of the traditional fandom community, she's also an active participant in online fan culture, pro wrestling journalism, and spreading the gospel of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She resides in Southern California with her aspiring superhero dog, Junior, enjoying life one hyperfixation at a time.
