Summary
Knights vs. Samuraifollows Sir Charles Ward, a newly appointed knight leading a legion of royal guards on a mission to a mysterious island in the Far East. Although Charles is expected to be a brave knight and skilled leader, he is haunted by grief and self-doubt. When he and his forces arrive at the island, they discover that all is not as it seems. Instead of finding blood-thirsty monsters, they discover a regiment of skilled warriors with skills that Charles and his own fighters have never before seen.
David Dastmalchian has been a huge presenceboth in the comic book world and on screen. Not only isKnights vs. Samuraiset for release next month, but his series,Count Crowley, continues to hit shelves and Dastmalchian’s own take on theCreature Commandoswill be in comic shops soon. Dastmalchian will also be joiningthe world ofOne Pieceas Mr. 3 in the second season of Netflix’s live-action adaptation
Dune 2: Why Piter De Vries Actor David Dastmalchian Had Major FOMO Not Being In The Sequel Cast
David Dastmalchian plays an important role in Dune: Part 1 as Piter De Vries but is absent from the sequel, a fact that the actor is bummed about.
Screen Rantinterviewed David Dastmalchian about his upcoming comic seriesKnights vs. Samurai. He shared insight into the collaboration process with McFarlane and what inspired him to create this series. Dastmalchian also teased his upcoming role in Netflix’s live-actionOne Pieceand reflected onhis role inLate Night with The Devil. Dastmalchian also shared his hopes for adaptingCount Crowley.
David Dastmalchian Introduces His New Comic Series, Knights vs. Samurai
Screen Rant: We are right around the corner fromKnights vs. Samurainumber one, releasing on September 25th. I can’t wait. Can you talk to me about working with Todd [McFarlane] and your artist Federico [Mele]?
David Dastmalchian: It is insane to tell me that I am getting an imprint with Image comics that Todd McFarland is overseeing working with an incredible artist like Federico Mele. It’s a story I’ve always wanted to tell. People are like, Is that based on something Knights vs Samara? I go, Yeah, it’s Knight and it’s Samurai.
You’ve got broad swords and Katana clashing in this fantastical world that I’ve always been dreaming of where there are dragons and oni and witches and ogres and all kinds of mythological creatures from both English and Japanese stories. With my friend Thersa Matsuura, who I’ve been a fan of her podcast for ages called Uncanny Japan, I got turned on to so many different gross, scary, monstrous myths out of Japanese culture that I had never been aware of.
And folding those into this world, which at the end of the day is a story that’s really important to my heart because I believe historically, everyone who exists that is not in the power structure has been manipulated and fed different narratives which keep us separate from one another. That’s usually from people that look different from us, people that speak differently from us, people that do things or worship or do their lives differently than we do and have always been positive as like the enemy.
So these knights and these samurai just following orders completely see one another as monsters, the enemy. The truth of the matter is there’s more to the story than that. As you read these comics, the truth will unfold and through the power of magic and the honor of these warriors, the curiosity grows as to what’s really going on here?
As well as with monsters. There are certain monsters, dragons included that may have torched an entire village, but maybe we don’t know exactly why. Maybe we don’t know what was their motivation and what wrongs have been done to them. So I really am excited for comic fans, fans of battle, fantasy, horror to get their hands on this and see what we’re doing.
Well, let’s talk about the character, Sir Charles Ward for a second. What inspired the character? Talk to me about his story arc and what makes him a compelling protagonist.
David Dastmalchian: I love the idea of a leader who isn’t ready to be a leader yet. He’s thrust into this position because his brother, his twin brother Bennett, is killed before the comic begins in one of their battles with the dragon and Charles slays or so he thinks defeats this dragon, but his brother is lost and the trauma of that experience has him in a deep, deep depression, but there’s no time to wait because there’s a mission.
He’s now been knighted by the Duke and he’s being sent to this remote island in the far eastern seas where he needs to go on a vengeance mission against these supposed monsters that supposedly killed missionaries. So here’s Charles all of a sudden leading a regiment of soldiers, which include a German werewolf, a giant, an incredible swordswoman who when she drinks becomes like the drunken samurai and a master swordsman.
He has all these people he needs to lead, but he doesn’t know how to speak in front of people yet he doesn’t know how to give orders yet and he’s going to have to learn on the journey or else all these people he’s growing to care about will die.
David Dastmalchian PraisesTodd McFarlane’s Support During Their Collaboration
“He Allowed Me And My Artist Fede To Find Our Own Language”
That’s interesting because it reminds me a little bit ofThe Suicide Squad. Can you talk to me about developing the dynamic of this diverse assembly of fighters in the story?
David Dastmalchian: I know, in fact, I’ve learned so much from James Gunn and watching the way he tells stories. There’s never a stone unturned, there’s never a character that doesn’t have a purpose, a need. There’s never something put into a story just for decoration. So I wanted every one of these characters to have meaning and purpose in the journey between these knights and eventually the Samurai we’re going to meet because there’s a whole regimen of Samurai that have really incredible personalities, characters, struggles.
And so with James, when he makes a film, whether it’s the Guardians of the Galaxy or The Suicide Squad. I’m so excited to see what he’s going to do with Superman. He knows that looking deeply at the characters, finding their flaws, finding their fears, finding the things that make it difficult for them to lead, fight, be victorious. That’s interesting because we can all relate to that. All of us enter every day, I think, for the battle that is the day ahead.
And all of us are deeply flawed. We’re all filled with insecurity. We don’t know how this interview is going to go, how is this next meeting that I’ve got going to go? How is this interaction with my kids going to go? All of us can relate to that.
If you’re just painting picture perfect one-liner delivering characters that are good swordsman, I think it gets boring and it’s cool watching how James can take characters as wildly disparate as Peacemaker, the Polka Dot Man and a killer shark that is King Shark and have us be interested in watching them go on an adventure together.
Can you also talk about the guidance that the Todd Father, Todd McFarlane, gave you during this process? He’s like the modern-day Stan Lee. He’s absolutely incredible.
David Dastmalchian: Well, Todd did this thing that to me was such an honor. He read my pitch, he looked at the documents I’d created because I’d been working on this idea for a long time where I’ve written out character descriptions and plot descriptions. He sat down with me over Zoom and he said, I get it, Knights vs. Samurai, I get that the battles are going to be epic. We could make this thing look beautiful, but here’s what’s most exciting to me about this, and this is what I want you to invest in.
This idea of people being told those guys are your enemy, so go fight on my behalf against those guys. And then those guys being told, those guys are your enemy, go fight those people on our behalf. He said, that is something that we all can relate to. All of us, we live in such a divided time right now, and we’re constantly told that the people on the other side of the fence, the wall, the border, the belief system, the party line are our enemies and it’s just not true.
They’re other human beings and we have to figure out how to communicate with them or else we’re all doomed. So I think that encouragement from Todd to really lean into the narrative engine of this story and what meant so much to me was such a blessing.
He allowed me and my artist Fede to find our own language for how to script, which was very cool because I generally write panel structure with dialogue per panel, but with this book we found a new flow, which is per page. I describe the action that I would love to see on that page, but I don’t delineate panels and then I just write the dialogue in the bottom so he knows what I need the characters to say, but then we allow Fede the freedom to find out how he wants that layout to work.
David Daastmalchian Reflects On Late Night With The Devil
I’ve been meaning to talk to you aboutLate Night with the Devil. This is my new Halloween jam. I think I’m going to watch it every single year for Halloween. I love that movie. Talk to me about the character, Jack, how you got into the role, because it reminds me of a classic horror movie mixed with a lot of modern sensibilities, which is really cool. It’s just like this picture of the 1970s horror that I absolutely love and it’s so psychological.
David Dastmalchian: Thank you so much. I can’t believe to this day that not only did I get to be a part of that film, but that we found our audience. It’s so scary when you’re making something that you love so much and you’re sitting there every day on set going, Wow, if people get to see this film, if it finds the light of day because it’s a small movie, you just never know how is it going to get out there? But if it does, if they can even have a fraction of as good of a time watching it as I’m having making this thing, we’re in great shape.
I had never gotten to play a role like Jack Delroy before. I’d never been on a set like the Late Night with the Devil wet. I love the aesthetic of the 1970s. I love horror, possession, psychodramas. So working with the team as frankly just monster kid, fun as the Cairnes brothers are with the whole crew that surrounded them. In, it’s like that Flanagan film world or the Gunn film world where they’re just surrounded by their friends and family. You just go for it.
I think it’s so cool to get to be a part of something, this little film that just broke out this year, and people come up to me quite regularly and have a similar reaction to you, and I’m humbled every single time. I can’t believe it. I was very scared about not only playing a lead role like that, but playing a role outside of my normal style. I’m so grateful I took the risk and that they believed in me.
David Dastmalchian Is “In Process Of Figuring Out How Count Crowley Goes From Page To Set”
Yeah, look, there’s subtleties to your performance that you disappear in the role and Jack becomes a person. I think that’s so crazy because I know you, I’ve seen you work, but man, you completely disappear as Jack. Last time we spoke aboutCount Crowley, you talked about wanting to do live-action and animation for it is any update on that front?
David Dastmalchian: I am deeply at work at that as we speak. I hope to have updates for you soon. Count Crowley volume three trade paperback will be coming to stores in October the same week, I believe, that my contribution to the Headless Horseman with Leah Kilpatrick will be coming out. So it’s an exciting comic book fall for me. And don’t forget from DC Comics, the Creature Commandos.
So yeah, I am, as we speak in process of figuring out how Count Crowley goes from page to set. And I think that there’s an incredible world there if we get the right actress and the right writing and directing team. We could have something really fun and also really meaningful on our hands for those of us who love classic monsters, who love complex character stories, and just good old fashioned werewolf battles.
One Piece Season 2 Has Plenty Of Surprises In Store For Fans & Stars Alike
“I’m Excited About Finding That Version Of Mr. 3 That Lives Within Myself”
I want to talk aboutOne Pieceseason 2. You’re playing Mr. 3, and I’m excited. Are we going to have that same hairdo? Have you watched the anime or read the manga? Are you inspiring your take, if at all, on the English version or Japanese version of the character?
David Dastmalchian: First answer I cannot give yet, because of design secrecy. But I will tell you I love the world of One Piece. My son is the biggest manga fan I know; he’s read every one of the volumes of One Piece, and he’s up to I think #105, so he keeps me updated on it.
I love the anime. I think the anime is so irreverent and weird and bizarre and beautiful and heartfelt and action-packed, and it makes so many awesome, weird choices. It’s so fun to keep up with. And the live-action does such a great job of taking all of that intensely expansive worldbuilding and making it accessible so that people who don’t know anything about One Piece can jump in at episode 1 and go, “Okay, so this pirate hid some treasure out there somewhere, and everybody’s going to go find it off to the races.”
I’m excited about finding that version of Mr. 3 that lives within myself, that is true to the original source material, and that’s true to the world that’s created in the live-action space. One that is also true to something that only David Dastmalchin could bring to Mr. 3. I am really looking forward to getting a chance to play in there.
David Dastmalchian Wants To Team Up With James Gunn Again
I know that we’re going to have you inCreature Commandos, but the last time we spoke, you talked about wanting to play the Mad Hatter or the Riddler. Have you talked to James Gunn about bringing those roles to life or bringing back Polka Dot Man for the DCU?
David Dastmalchian: No. In all honesty, James is the busiest person, I think, on planet Earth - maybe next to someone who’s the president of a country. So, when we communicate, it is always just about life and personal stuff. I haven’t talked to him about work stuff in a very long time.
But James is the same as Nolan, Villeneuve, or any of these amazing artists I get to work with. [I’d do] whatever he would want me to do. If James called and said tomorrow, “I want you to come and be - I don’t even know - this character who’s made of shoes,” I would be like, “I’m there. You name it, I’m on board.” Being around his presence as a human lifts my soul, but being around his presence as an actor on set makes me better, so I just want to keep doing it.
David Dastmalchian Shares His Theories About The MCU’s 616 Anchor Being
I’m assuming that you’ve seenDeadpool & Wolverine. Since you’re in the MCU, who do you think the 616 anchor being is?
David Dastmalchian: Who do you think? I want to know your opinion first.
For a while, I went with Tony Stark, but now I think Wanda is the key here.
David Dastmalchian: Interestingly, I was [thinking]… It depends on what they’re doing with time. Wanda could be, but Wanda and Vision have their children. So, it would be very weird and cool if there was a magical combo of that.
It’s interesting that you lean towards Wanda, because I was in that space [of thinking] something to do with Wanda, Vision, or their family has some kind of connection to the anchor being. That’s cool that we’re on a similar platform. I think it’s Wanda, that’s a really good call… But it could also be, don’t forget, somebody we haven’t even seen introduced yet in the MCU.
About Knights Vs. Samurai
Sir Charles Ward, “The Dragon Butcher,” has achieved knighthood, acclaim, and is leading a legion of royal warriors on a noble mission, yet his self-doubt and grief haunt him. Venturing to a mysterious island in the Far East, Charles leads his diverse assembly of fighters (including a giant and two clerics) to seek vengeance against savage monsters who ambushed a group of English missionaries. Arrival on the island reveals that the truth may be drastically different from what Charles was led to believe, and the “savage monsters” he will face are actually a regiment of skillful warriors the likes of which he has never seen.
Check out our previous interviews with David Dastmalchian here:
Knights vs. Samurai
Created by actor David Dastmalchian, Knights vs. Samurai is an action-fantasy comic series. Announced at SDCC 2023, the series is set in the 16th century and will follow characters from opposing warrior classes as they contend with the bloody truths of war.
