New Russian film takes on the big-budget superhero trope in cinema

A new, upcoming Russian film will take on the big-budget superhero team genre.

This is not your regular Fantastic Four

Titled Защитники or Zaschitniki, meaning Guardians in English, the upcoming film comes from Turbo Films and features a team of four taking on a villain who wants to instigate a march on Moscow. The four characters in question are called Waterwoman (Xenia), Wildman (Arsus), Windman (Khan), and Landman (Ler).

The number “four” is important to the symbolism of the plot, as the four characters are said to represent “different nationalities of the Soviet Union” with each overlooking their differences to fight a greater goal. It is believed that the characters are influenced by American counterparts, with Windman being compared to the Winter Soldier, Landman being compared to Magneto, and Waterwoman being compared to the Invisible Woman.

Added to that, the characters seem to take a bit of influence from Russian mythology and folklore. Wildman, who is said to take the form of a bear, resembles the Russian folk-hero of Ivan the Bear’s Son, a figure who had been raised by bears, and in some versions of the myth, had the head of a bear on a human body, or vice-versa.

Waterwoman may have also been influenced by the Russian figure of the rusalka, a water fairy that was believed to be the spirit of a drowned woman, often compared to mermaids.

What is happening behind-the-scenes?

Waterwoman/Xenia is played by actress Alina Lanina, Wildman/Arsus is played by actor Anton Pampushnyy, Landman/Ler is played by Sebastien Sisak, and Windman/Khan is played by Sanzhar Madiyev. Sarik Andreasyan reportedly will serve as the director. The film is set for release in 2017 and a sequel is already reportedly in the works. A trailer can be seen below:

The film is not Russia’s first foray into the superhero genre, as a previous film from 2009 touched the genre, dubbed “The Black Lightning.” As seen in the trailer below, the film concerned a student with a super-powered car, and was speculated to have been influenced by the American Spiderman films.