‘Outlander’ Star Sam Heughan Goes Sci-Fi in ‘Bloodshot’
Outlander fans know Sam Heughan as 18th-century highlander Jamie Fraser. But in his new movie, Bloodshot, the Scottish actor is going dark, and he’s ditching his kilt for some ultra-high-tech armor.
What is ‘Bloodshot’ about?
Bloodshot is a superhero film based on characters from Valiant Comics. Vin Diesel stars as Ray Garrison, a marine who is brought back to life by a company called RST that enhances his body with nanotechnology. In his new body, Ray is a superhuman weapon who goes by the name, Bloodshot.
But Ray struggles to remember anything about his past. While training alongside other super-soldiers, memories of his old life come flooding back. Ray finally remembers the man that killed him and his wife, and he escapes the facility to get revenge.
Who does Sam Heughan play in the new movie?
Sam Heughan plays Jimmy Dalton, Bloodshot’s superhuman adversary. He is also an RST trained super-soldier who has robotic scorpion-like arms that he uses as weapons.
In an interview with ET Canada, Heughan talked about the character and revealed a little bit of his backstory. “He’s gone through this horrific trauma,” he explained. “He’s lost his legs, but through RST, he’s been enhanced and he has a second chance.”
The actor also explained how Dalton’s trauma has turned turns him into a villain. “He feels angry at a lot of things,” said Heughan. “He blames probably a lot of people. He blames the military, he blames Harding for not giving him this opportunity, and blames Ray for taking away everything that he wants, including the technology.”
What do ‘Outlander’ fans think of Sam Heughan’s new role?
Unlike his kind-hearted old-school character on Outlander, Heughan is taking on the role of a mean futuristic villain. “I was sent the script and I spoke to Dave Wilson, the director, who’s incredible,” Heughan told Extra TV during the red carpet premiere of Bloodshot. “To be honest, who wouldn’t want to do a movie with Vin Diesel and play kind of a bad guy. I’m so excited, it’s kind of departure from anything I’ve played before.”
When talking to Daily Record, the actor said he hopes fans will appreciate seeing him in a new light. “Hopefully, fans will see a completely different side to me and to some of the characters I’ve been playing recently,” he told the outlet.
Just as Heughan hoped, most fans are digging his dark new vibe. “Well Jimmy was definitely no Jamie Fraser! But I must say I enjoyed watching you step into a completely different role,” wrote one Twitter user. “Looks like you left Jamie at the ridge and brought your A game to Dalton. Great job,” tweeted another fan.
But some were not as willing to accept Heughan as a villain. While complimenting the actor’s performance in the film, one fan tweeted, “It’s hard to think of you as a bad guy. You have range but Jamie is still my fav.”
Either way, it’s clear that Heughan worked really hard on the film, and that’s something all of his fans can truly appreciate.
