Not all heroes wear capes, but some of them do. And sometimes the ones that do also happen to wear little else, save for a pair of white underpants. Such is the case with famed children’s book superheroCaptain Underpants, who is getting his own movie next year. Now we finally have our first look at the upcoming animated adaptation of the best-selling book series.
This first photo from theCaptain Underpants moviecomes courtesy ofEntertainment Weekly, which shows a very faithful animated adaptation of the titular hero. EW spoke a bit with directorDavid Sorenabout the movie and howEd Helmswas able to bring the character to life. Here is what he had to say.
“[Helms] has managed to tap into the sheer stupidity of Captain Underpants. He’s adelusional superherowho thinks he’s got all kinds of powers and has literally zero ability beyond just that of a middle-aged man.”
In the movie,Ed Helmsis playing the very tough, no-nonsense principal of a school who rules with an iron fist. This is evidenced by this first photo, which shows a couple of pictures hanging in his office that say “discipline” and “authority.” There is also a plaque on the front of his desk that says “kneel here.” A couple of fourth-graders, voiced byThomas MiddleditchandKevin Hart, wind up hypnotizing him and convince him to transform himself intoCaptain Underpants. He doesn’t have any actual powers, he just winds up tying a curtain around his neck and stripping down to almost nothing.
The book series is wildly popular and was started by authorDav Pilkeyback in 2007. Since then, there have been 12 differentCaptain Underpantsbooks and three spinoffs which to date have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide. That success is even more impressive considering that the books have been banned in many schools. During the course of those books,Captain Underpantshas squared off with many different villains, but the creative team decided to use Professor Poopypants for this first movie, who will be voiced byNick Kroll. The choice was pretty simple, according toDavid Soren.
“I mean, with a name like that, he’s kind of irresistible.”
There are a lot ofsuperhero moviescoming out next year, likeSpider-Man: Homecoming,Wonder Woman,Justice LeagueandGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but this looks like it will offer up something pretty different within that space and give kids something to look forward to. Not only that, but given the popularity of the books and with the talent involved, it seems like a fair bet this movie should do fairly well at the box office, assuming the creative team managed to make a good movie. Dreamworks should be releasing a trailer forCaptain Underpantsvery soon, but for now, thisCaptain Underpants photowill have to do.Captain Underpantsis set for release on July 22, 2025. Be sure to check out the new photo from the movie for yourself below.
