Mark Wahlberg Focused On ‘Six Million Dollar Man’ Movie, Calls It “Grounded” And “Real”
Mark Wahlberg is not one for superhero roles but there is a hero he’s had his eyes on for years, and that’s Steve Austin – no, not the wrestler. The original Steve Austin was a character made famous by Lee Majors in the action drama series The Six Million Dollar Man, an all-time classic of American television.
Wahlberg has been attached since at least 2014 to star in an update that’s “gone up due to inflation.” Thus, the film is being called The Six Billion Dollar Man though the story that comes with that price tag is virtually unchanged. The Father Stu actor explained to ComicBook what drew him to the part in the first place.
“It’s grounded, and it’s plausible, real. You know, there is lots of bionics technology, and science happening right now. So this is something that has all the wish fulfillment of a superhero, incredible things,” he said.
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However, while he is passionate, Wahlberg doesn’t want a costume. But I don’t have to wear one of those suits. I don’t have the confidence to walk around in one of those suits. Halle goes, ‘Oh you’d look great in one of those costumes,’ I go, ‘It’s not the physical appearance, it’s the mental confidence to walk out of my trailer,'” he added.
Whether he gets a trailer or a set for this film is still in question. Development of Six Billion Dollar Man has stalled several times because of a constantly revolving roster of directors and writers. Still, Wahlberg believes the momentum is in his favor this time. “You know what, I think there is finally hope for that to happen,” he told Collider last year via CB.
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“And I think it’s kind of actually a lot to do with this movie, because hopefully Skydance will have the rights, if not fully buttoned up now, very soon, and we’ll fast track that movie to get made. So, I’m still not out of the fight, I’m still grinding every day to get it made. You know, it’s tough to get certain things made, it’s very difficult, it was an uphill battle, but I think certain ones are worth just seeing through to the end,” Wahlberg continued.
Hopefully, he reaches the summit of that climb sooner rather than later, or else his comments from 2020 will ring strangely prophetic. “By the time it comes out, we’re going to call it 60-year-old 6 Billion Dollar Man,” he joked. “They’ll have to change the title to that. At least then you’ll know why.”
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