Dev Patel Lights a Fuse of Vengeance in Super Bowl Teaser for Jordan Peele-Produced Monkey Man

"One small ember can burn down everything," someone declares in the Super Bowl teaser for Dev Patel's directorial debut, Monkey Man. Very fitting, seeing how Patel's character literally fights some goons over a hot stove. And you better believe he'll be serving up his enemies extra crispy once the action-packed project hits theaters this spring by way of Universal Pictures.

Clearly influenced by the revenge-fueled, highly stylized, one-man-against-the-many saga of the John Wick franchise, the Jordan Peele-produced film centers around Kid (Patel), an anonymous young man, who dons a gorilla mask every night before entering the ring of an underground fight club. After years of pent-up rage, the character finally decides to bring retribution down upon the elite members of Mumbai that killed his mother and continue to abuse the poor and powerless.

The screenplay — credited to Patel, Paul Angunawela, and John Collee — takes inspiration from the simian figure of Hanuman, a symbol of strength and courage in Hindu mythology, who joined forces with the god Vishnu and an ape army to thwart the demon Ravana.

Watch The Super Bowl Teaser for Dev Patel's Monkey Man

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Who Stars in Monkey Man?

Photo: Universal Pictures

In addition to writing, directing, and producing the hotly-anticipated movie, Patel leads a supporting cast comprised of Sharlto Copley (District 9), Sobhita Dhulipala (Made in Heaven), Pitobash (Million Dollar Arm), Vipin Sharma (Hotel Mumbai), Ashwini Kalsekar (Ek Tha Hero), Adithi Kalkunte (Hotel Mumbai), Sikandar Kher (Aarya) and Makarand Deshpande (RRR).

"[Dev] is one of the most amazing directors I have worked with because of the way he communicates with an actor and his openness to sharing ideas," Kher said in a recent chat with India-based site Moneycontrol. "I had a great time being directed by him."

Speaking with the Hindustan Times, Dhulipala teased Monkey Man as a "roller coaster," going on to add: "It left me feeling inspired and even more in love with cinema. The action, the music, the style and the raw emotion. It’s going to be a sensory feast."

Jomon Thomas (Hotel Mumbai), Jordan Peele (Nope), Win Rosenfeld (Candyman), Ian Cooper (Us), Basil Iwanyk (John Wick franchise), Erica Lee (John Wick franchise), Christine Haebler (Shut In), and Anjay Nagpal (Greyhound) serve as producers. Jonathan Fuhrman, Natalya Pavchinskya, Aaron L. Gilbert, Andria Spring, Alison-Jane Roney, and Steven Thibault are executive producers.

When Does Monkey Man Open in Theaters?

Monkey Man arrives exclusively on the big screen Friday, April 5.

Need more stylized action in your life? Be sure to check out The Continental: From the World of John Wick — all episodes are now streaming on Peacock!