Of all the heroes getting movies, I never expected this one.

The above photo, featuring Thomas Jane under heavy makeup, is apparently the first effects test for a future Jonah Hex film.

Jonah Hex, for those not familiar, is a western anti-hero from DC Comics, most popular in the 70’s, who had a brief revival under the mature-themed Vertigo line in the 90’s. He’s best known for his handful of appearances in the animated DC universe, appearing in both Batman: The Animated Series and the Justice League toon.

According to Blog@Newsarama, where I got the image, the flick is to be helmed by the creators of Crank, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor.  They certainly have gone straight to the fanboys, grabbing Thomas Jane, who grabbed the nerd love in The Punisher (which, admittingly, I’ve never seen) and then gained further notoriety in The Mist.

I am left wondering, however, why Hex? I suppose if anything Iron Man has shown that audiences can gravitate to a comic character who is less known in the public eye, so long as there’s a solid story and a draw to the film.  But really….Jonah Hex before The Flash? Before Green Lantern? How odd.