Not content with joining the Marvel TV universe via his role on upcoming Netflix series Jessica Jones, David Tennant is taking on another comic book-based role, albeit one a little more obscure. He’s taking on one of the main roles in animated adventure Chew, adapted from the Image Comics title{
He joins geek icon (and Supernatural recurring veteran) Felicia Day and The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun in the story, adapted from the comic by original writer John Layman, who created the title with artist Rob Guillory. Jeff Krelitz is directing and co-producing the movie.
Chew is set in a world where bird meats such as chicken and turkey have been outlawed (Nand-noooooo!) following a bird flu outbreak that killed millions of Americans. Yeun voices a detective who is a “cibopath”, meaning he receives psychic impressions from whatever he eats. He’s in a relationship with a food writer (Day) who can craft the idea of whatever she reviews so precisely that the reader can taste it, and has to face off against Mason Savoy (Tennant), his mentor who has since become a villain.
The project is tinged with a little sadness: all was proceeding ahead last year when Robin Williams, who had been in negotiations to play Savoy, suddenly died. Tennant has a very different style, but we’re interested to see what colours he brings to it.
Tennant was back on UK screens in the second series of Broadchurch and is set to work on indie drama I Feel Fine. He will, as mentioned, crop up as the villainous Zebediah Kilgrave in Jessica Jones, which should be hitting Netflix later this year.