The formidable Scooter Braun is finally pursuing his lifelong dream: making movies. For any mere mortal, the thought of managing the likes of Kanye West and Ariana Grande would be Mount Everest. But, a new article in the New York Times details what might Braun’s biggest venture yet. The music mogul is teaming with David Maisel, the founding chairman of Marvel Studios, to form a new film company called Mythos Studios.
The goal? Braun wants to create hit comic-book movie franchises in the mold of Marvel and DC. The company already has a good source of content to tap into, thanks to a 50 percent stake they own in Aspen Comics. Mythos is already working on several projects, which include adaptations of Soulfire and Fathom, both of which come from the Aspen Comics oeuvre. The company wants to make some original content as well.
This isn’t Braun’s first foray into film—he executive produced 2014’s The Giver and this year’s Burden—but this is still a huge leap of faith for someone with limited experience in the movie business. Braun and Maisel, who left Marvel after Disney acquired the company, met via their connection to Kanye West. From the sound of it, Maisel will oversee the day-to-day business operations the studio, while Braun helps fund the company’s development costs.
When asked if Braun will be providing Mythos with a pipeline of talent—think Justin Bieber as a superhero or a soundtrack by Carly Rae Jepsen—he didn’t shy away from the idea. “There will be synergies,” he told the Times. “If any of the talent we work with wants to be a part of the projects we’re doing, we welcome them to join us on this journey. I’ve already had conversations with certain talent that are very excited about being a part of this.”
Despite the fact that Aspen Comic heroes are not necessarily household names, Braun thinks Mythos will be able to break through the saturated industry. “Are they as popular as Superman or Batman? No, but why do people know the name Forrest Gump? If you tell a great story, people will care,” Braun said, adding that he’s used to being second guessed. “We both come from a background of being second-guessed our entire career. I was second-guessed on Ariana Grande, ‘Gangnam Style,’ ‘Call Me Maybe.’ That’s usually the direction we ran in.”
