Jack Kesy has been cast as the new demonic badass in Hellboy: The Crooked Man, and if he looks familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen him in other popular movies and TV shows.
Kesy has been in a wide array of projects over the years, from comedies to action movies, and this will be his biggest starring role yet. Hellboy and Hellboy: The Golden Army were the first two movies in the franchise. Actor Ron Perlman played the demonic superhero and Guillermo Del Toro directed it, and together, they made a winning combination that turned a profit at the box office. Unfortunately, Stranger Things actor David Harbour didn’t fare as well in the 2019 reboot, which grossed $55.1 million against a $50 million budget, and wasn’t as well-received as the preceding movies.
Despite the underwhelming last attempt, the franchise is returning with a new Hellboy, and this time, Hellboy creator Mike Mignola will be co-writing the movie with Chris Golden and Brian Taylor directing. The movie will be an adaption of the three-issue miniseries of the same name by Mike Mignola and Joshua Dysart. The movie’s been described as a folk horror movie that will have an R rating. Hellboy will be stuck in 1950s rural Appalachia with a rookie from The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD) and he’ll find a community of witches led by the mysterious Crooked Man.
These might surprise you — but where have you seen Kesy before?
Deadpool 2
Kesy played Black Tom Cassidy in Deadpool 2, a mutant who’s being held at the high-security prison run by the D.M.C. known as the Ice Box. He could generate and discharge concussive blasts in the comics, but his powers in the movie remained unseen because of the inhibitor collars that prevented the prisoners from using their abilities. He gave Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Julian Dennison’s Russell Collins a hard time, and Deadpool called him out for his cultural appropriation. He met his end when Cable shoots him in his cell, so it’s unlikely he’d be returning to Deadpool 3.
Claws
Kesy played Roller in the irreverent comedy series Claws, a gangster who was in love with Niecy Nash’s Desna, a nail salon owner who gets herself and a squad of women involved in a money laundering scheme. Roller’s the adopted son of Uncle Daddy (Dean Norris), the eccentric head of the Dixie Mafia, and an adult club owner who wants to keep Roller on his side, but he’s often pulled to Desna’s side instead. Roller is very good at accomplishing Uncle Daddy’s missions, and the kingpin is grateful for him, but he’s prone to acts of violence and jealousy, which make him a bit of a wildcard.
The Outpost
The Outpost is a movie about one of the most decorated units of the Afghanistan War. It takes place in 2009, when a small unit of U.S. soldiers are on their own at the remote Combat Outpost Keating. The soldiers are up against Taliban fighters and there’s a lot of bloodshed and loss during the conflict. Kesy played Sgt. Josh Kirk, and it’s a role that helped get him the job as Hellboy. Co-President of Millenium Media Jonathan Yunger is producing the reboot and has mentioned before in passing that he was impressed with the actor while working together on The Outpost.
Baywatch
The 2017 comedy movie Baywatch, starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, followed a group of lifeguards who have to stop a crime wave on the beach. They’re all determined to prove they can keep everyone alive and uncover the plot of the ruthless businesswoman Victoria Leeds (Priyanka Chopra). As Leon, Kesy plays a thug who’s more of a man of action than he is a man of words. Leon does some awful things in the movie, like slathering a dead body with meat and dumping him in the sea for the sharks to eat, and the good guys try their hardest to take him and his group of criminals down before more lives are lost.
Without Remorse
Without Remorse, based on the novel by Tom Clancy, stars Michael B. Jordan before his turn as director for the anime-inspired Creed 3. John is an elite Navy Seal John Clark seeking justice for the murder of his wife. John uncovers a covert plot that could lead to a world war between the United States and Russia. Kesy played Thunder, who joins the team and flies to Russia, where they HALO jump out of a passenger jet to bypass Russian detection. It’s yet another action role that Kesy shines in, which bodes well for his turn at having a starring role in Hellboy: The Crooked Man.