Samaritan, a 2022 American superhero film directed by Julius Avery and written by Bragi F. Schut, offers a fresh and dark perspective on the genre. Prior to its adaptation into a film, the story was brought to life through the Mythos Comics graphic novels by Schut, Marc Olivent, and Renzo Podesta.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Balboa Productions joined forces to co-produce Samaritan. The film features an impressive cast, including Sylvester Stallone in the lead role, alongside Javon "Wanna" Walton, Pilou Asbæk, Dascha Polanco, and Moises Arias.
The plot revolves around a young boy who becomes suspicious of his secretive neighbor, Mr. Smith (played by Sylvester Stallone), suspecting him to be a hidden superhero thought to have perished years ago. The legendary Samaritan, Granite City's super-powered vigilante, was believed to have died in a fierce warehouse battle with his nemesis, Nemesis. While many in the city assume Samaritan is gone forever, individuals like Sam continue to hold onto hope that he may still be alive. As crime escalates and the city teeters on the edge of chaos, Sam takes it upon himself to draw his neighbor out of hiding, aiming to save the city from impending ruin.
Samaritan was released on August 26, 2022, by United Artists Releasing and made available for streaming on Prime Video, courtesy of Amazon Studios.
In summary, the film centers around thirteen-year-old Sam Cleary (Javon "Wanna" Walton), who suspects his enigmatic neighbor, Mr. Smith (Sylvester Stallone), to be none other than the fabled Samaritan. Twenty years earlier, Granite City's superhero vigilante was believed to have perished in a fiery showdown with his archenemy.
While most have accepted Samaritan's demise, individuals like Sam cling to the possibility of his survival. With the city engulfed in escalating crime and chaos looming, Sam takes it upon himself to coax his neighbor out of seclusion, driven by a mission to save their city from impending destruction.