No, he's not a forgotten Marvel superhero, but inspired by an Indian legend, Monkey Man is a brand new action hero coming to the big screen in 2024. Bringing Monkey Man to life is Dev Patel, who is starring and making his feature directorial debut with the 2024 new movie.
Patel is collaborating with Get Out, Us and Nope writer/director Jordan Peele, who is producing the movie with his label Monkeypaw Production. For fans who love a good action movie, this one looks like it has a mix of comedy, incredible stunts and fight sequences that can certainly satisfy.
Here is everything that we know about Monkey Man.
Monkey Man release date
Universal Pictures has given an April 5 release date for Monkey Man. The movie debuts in movie theaters.
It shares the release date with the horror movie The First Omen.
Monkey Man made its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 11.
Monkey Man cast
Dev Patel leads the Monkey Man cast, playing the role of Kid, an anonymous man who is on a quest for vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systemically victimize the poor and powerless. While Patel's most notable roles for many are Slumdog Millionaire, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and his Oscar-nominated role in Lion, Patel does have some action credentials, having starred in Hotel Mumbai and The Green Knight. Monkey Man looks like a capital "A" action movie though, with Patel looking his most bad-ass yet.
The rest of the cast is made up of other Indian or East Asian actors, including Sobhita Dhulipala (Made in Heaven), Pitobash (Million Dollar Arm), Vipin Sharma (Hotel Mumbai), Ashwini Kalsekar (Ek Tha Hero), Adithi Kalkunte (Hotel Mumbai) Sikandar Kher (Aarya) and Makarand Deshpande (RRR).
Not of East Asian descent but also starring in the movie is Sharlto Copley (District 9).
Monkey Man plot
Dev Patel also came up with the original story and co-wrote the Monkey Man script with Paul Angunawela and John Collee. Here is the official synopsis:
"Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, Monkey Man stars Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash.
"After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him."
Monkey Man trailer
Watch the epic, action-packed trailer for Monkey Man right here:
A second trailer is also available to enjoy:
You can also check out these clips of some action scenes from Monkey Man:
Monkey Man reviews
What to Watch was weighed in with its Monkey Man review, proclaiming that Dev Patel has affirmed himself as a bonafide action star and promising young director.
As for other critics, the response has been strong for the movie, as it has a 92% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, easily classifying it as "Fresh" on the review aggregator site.
Has Dev Patel directed a movie?
Monkey Man marks Dev Patel's feature directing debut, but the actor has done some projects behind the camera, specifically a pair of short films, Home Shopper in 2018, which played at the Sundance Film Festival, and Roborovski in 2021.
