Mark Millar revamping Kick-Ass with black female lead

Mark Millar is taking his critically-acclaimed series, Kick-Ass, to a new city, and he's introducing a new character with the move.

Millar told The Hollywood Reporter that his new character, whose name has yet to be revealed, will be a black woman. The decision to change Kick-Ass came from wanting to explore story possibilities that aren't usually pursued because comics focus on straight, white male leads.

"Being older or younger or female or African-American just seems more interesting to me as a writer because this character is quite unique and opens up story possibilities that hasn't been tried in almost eighty years of superhero fiction," Miller said. "This woman has a completely different take on Kick-Ass."

Kick-Ass, according to Millar, has always felt like a story featuring a legacy character, much like James Bond or Doctor Who. The person who played the character wasn't as important as the stories told, and Miller said it shouldn't matter that the original Kick-Ass is no longer donning the suit. Millar added that he wanted to change the person sporting the suit every four volumes or so to keep it fresh and introduce new storylines.

The new Kick-Ass will be illustrated by Millar's longtime creative partner, John Romita, Jr., who has committed himself to work on the project for the next three years, according to Millar.