Unveiling the Creative Journey behind Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix by Adi Shankar

Article Overview

Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix is set in a dystopian version of the United States in 1992, controlled by a mega-conglomerate called Eden.

The storyline revolves around Dolph Laserhawk, a super soldier augmented with advanced technology, who embarks on a quest to escape from Eden and seek a happier life alongside his boyfriend, Alex Tayle.

With a remarkable lineup of voice actors, such as Nathaniel Curtis, Caroline Ford, Balak, Boris Hiestand, and others, the show serves as a heartfelt homage to the creator's cherished memories from childhood.

Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix takes place in an alternate version of the United States in 1992, now referred to as Eden and governed by a powerful conglomerate called Eden. The story revolves around Dolph Laserhawk, a superhuman soldier with advanced technology, and his quest to escape Eden and seek a better life with his partner, Alex Tayle. However, during their final heist, things go awry, resulting in Dolph being incarcerated. In prison, he is chosen to lead a team of fellow rebels, who are also imprisoned, on secret missions with the threat of death looming over them.

Inspired by Ubisoft's Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix is the brainchild of Adi Shankar. The series is written by Alex Larsen, Samuel Laskey, and Craig Coyne, based on a story by Shankar, and is directed by Mehdi Leffad. The cast of Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix features a talented voice ensemble including Nathaniel Curtis, Caroline Ford, Balak, Boris Hiestand, David Menkin, Mark Ebulue, Nigel Barber, Adi Shankar, Courtney Mae-Briggs, and Glenn Wrage.

Adi Shankar On Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix

We had the unique opportunity to conduct an exclusive interview with Adi Shankar in relation to his latest Netflix series, Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix. During the interview, Shankar sheds light on his creative process and how he connects with projects on a personal level. Additionally, he provides valuable insights into the central character, Captain Laserhawk, as well as the decision to cast wrestlers in the series.

Adi, we adore your website. The brilliance of Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix lies within the remarkable fusion of Ubisoft characters with your very own universe. Could you please enlighten us on the creative methodology behind seamlessly integrating these cherished characters, while preserving their individuality within the artiverse?

Adi Shankar approaches his creative process with intuition rather than a logical mindset. He delves into his subconscious, observing and documenting an alternate reality. The ideas flow naturally and effortlessly, without conscious planning. For Shankar, it's a process that feels like an experience happening to him, compelling him to put pen to paper and capture it all.

The resulting characters in his work hold a special significance for him. Each one is a cherished part of his childhood, and the series itself serves as a heartfelt tribute to the things he loved growing up. The new universe he creates is a culmination of his adoration for various characters, objects, people, and concepts.

I feel a strong connection to all of your projects because they are incredibly timely and relevant. From the Power Rangers fan film to Punisher: Dirty Laundry, Venom: Truth in Journalism, and even The End of Pokemon, they all resonate with me. Additionally, films like Dredd have taken this level of impact to a whole new level. Furthermore, the Netflix series, Guardians of Justice, stands out as highly innovative, due to its genre-crossing nature and visually stunning elements. You briefly mentioned observing and documenting certain things, scenes, and experiences. Could you elaborate on that?

You have a unique talent for connecting with audiences through visual means that haven't been explored before. Your use of projected images with deeper meanings, as seen in Captain Laserhawk, is truly innovative in storytelling. The way you blend the video game aesthetic with the animated show is also impressive. Additionally, the themes tackled in your work feel relevant, innovative, and timely for when they are released.

I am familiar with Indian Matchmaker as I have watched a few episodes.

In the show, the matchmaker tries to pair two individuals together. They then visit a face reader who predicts the future of the potential bride or groom just by looking at their face. Additionally, an astrologer provides insights into the person's life path. These practices are common in my culture, as I come from a family with a lineage of mystics. Sadly, my grandmother, who was one of these mystical individuals, recently passed away.

I regret to hear about that.

Adi Shankar: Thanks. She was a renowned author in South India, with her works archived in the Library of Congress. Similarly, my grandfather possessed similar abilities, although discussing him is challenging for me. My grandmother had the gift of foreseeing future events and would often inform others about them before they occurred. On the other hand, my grandfather exhibited this ability in a different manner. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to meet him. Consequently, my dreams frequently carry prophetic qualities. It is important to note that I do not actively seek these experiences; they simply happen to me. As a result, when I awaken, the emotional impact can vary. It can be overwhelming or unpleasant, but occasionally, I am able to glimpse a person's future in my dreams.

When I'm with someone in person or speaking to them over the phone, simply holding their hand evokes an indescribable sensation, reminiscent of the movie Frailty. It feels as though I am receiving a download of their entire life story, including the pivotal moments and decisions they have faced. Additionally, there are instances where I can enter a room filled with others and intuitively perceive their emotions, even when they are concealing them. It's almost as if I can read their very souls. Although this ability has never come with a user manual, it has proven invaluable in guiding my career.

As an illustration among countless others, a few years ago, while I had my eyes closed, I suddenly heard a voice booming in my head. It was relaying the story of how PUBG came to be. The voice insisted, "Contact this person you knew from a decade ago." This individual, named Chris Lee, didn't have a phone number I could readily access. Nevertheless, I managed to connect with him later that day through Facebook, following the urging of that voice. Astonishingly, he promptly replied, exclaiming, "This is unbelievable! I was just conversing with the CEO of PUBG, and they wanted me to get in touch with you." Although this example may not be the most compelling, it serves to demonstrate the unpredictable nature of my experiences.

A significant portion of my work involves downloading and transcribing information, as well as following a particular line of thought. Rather than visually seeing these threads, I have a tangible sense of them. It's as if I can feel their presence and anticipate what will come next, based on my previous experiences and sensations. This allows me to anticipate subsequent developments and understand the direction of collective consciousness. It's similar to receiving a download, where the information suddenly appears, prompting me to write about it and occasionally involve others in its realization.

I'm particularly intrigued by this aspect and have a follow-up question. To what extent does this ability manifest in your artistic endeavors, and has it always been your driving force? I've always admired your work for the fact that you selectively choose the projects you wish to engage in. How has this approach helped you navigate the challenges of Hollywood?

Adi Shankar: I'm not sure if I'm the one choosing the projects or if they're choosing me. They just come to me and I start envisioning a roadmap for bringing them to life. This is why I am passionate about my projects, because I align myself with love when pursuing them. Love vibration is crucial to me; if I don't love something, it's not what I want to do. Being in this industry is like falling in love, and if I'm not in that state, it doesn't really make sense to continue.

Speaking of love, we also see it reflected in our characters, such as Captain Laserhawk and Alex Taylor. I would like to briefly discuss what inspired their story arc.

Adi Shankar: The idea just came to me and it happened. But if I were to try to analyze it, Dolph is someone who is too attached. The reason Dolph can't become the person he wants to be is because he's too attached to the person he has been.

Now, let's talk about our shared interests. I have to ask this question to satisfy my wrestling purists, or else they'll be very upset with me. I know you're good friends with Cody Rhodes, who announced on Twitter that he'll be appearing in this. But what pleasantly surprised me was seeing Kenny Omega, also known as the cleaner, making an appearance, wearing Bret Hart sunglasses. Can you tell me how that came about?

Adi Shankar reached out to Kenny Omega via text, expressing that he had something for him. Although the exact message is not recalled, he reached out to Kenny Omega and that was the extent of it. Moving on to discussing the bigger picture of Captain Laserhawk, it resonated with Adi Shankar as it felt highly relevant to current events. He wonders when this project was initiated, as it seems to be perfectly timed.

Adi Shankar: 2017.

Wow.

Adi Shankar: Joseph, sometimes life feels strange to me. There's this episode of Twilight Zone where a guy writes news stories on a magical typewriter, and they actually come true. It kind of feels like that with what you were suggesting about Guardians of Justice. The cast would call me and say, "Dude, we shot scenes that are now happening in real life, word for word." And I'd be like, "Yeah, I know."

I hate to bring this up, but right now, we all know about the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike that has been going on for a long time. There's a scene in the show with Rayman that is so relevant to what's happening with these strikes. It's like it predicted it, just like that Twilight Zone episode with the AI. Back in 2017, you were already thinking about this, and now in 2023, it's one of the hottest topics in entertainment.

Adi Shankar: I wasn't actively considering that, I was simply immersed in the experience and subsequently recording it.

You mentioned this briefly before, and fairly recently, we both found ourselves in a similar situation where I was burdened with numerous things, and unexpectedly, you reached out to me. It was astonishing to think that we happened to start conversing at that precise moment. I'm certain you recall this incident.

Adi Shankar: Yes, that indeed occurred. I was aware of your poisoning situation and received a message to contact or reach out to you. Although I didn't have your contact number, I made the effort to connect with you. It's not unusual for me to have such intuitions and in this instance, I had a vivid image of Venom constricting you, signaling that you were being poisoned. I was able to identify the source of the poison as well, leading to the events that transpired.

After discussing the incident, we briefly delved into potential treatments and other matters. It was quite an intense experience. Building on that, I'm curious if you have begun exploring ideas and concepts for the second season of this project.

Adi Shankar: Are you using your clairvoyance to make season 2 happen? [Laughs]

Yes, essentially!

Adi Shankar: It's sort of a natural instinct, you know? But I do have some control over it too. My close friends, family, and collaborators are aware of this ability, so they often reach out to me when they face challenges and ask for my insight or how certain things will unfold. It's quite mind-boggling, honestly, to go through such experiences.

However, it can also be overwhelming. Because I'm fully immersed in it, it feels completely authentic to me. So everything you see on the show – sure, I can explain in an interview how I approached it with psychological realism to make the characters feel genuine. But, man, it was actually 100% real for me. I genuinely experienced it firsthand and then put it into words.

About Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix

Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix tells the tale of Dolph Laserhawk, a super soldier with cybernetic enhancements, and his partner Alex Taylor, who are determined to break free from the oppressive regime known as "Eden" and embark on a fresh journey together.

You can now watch Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix on Netflix.

Editor's P/S

1. In the realm of creative expression, Adi Shankar stands as a visionary, effortlessly weaving together Ubisoft's beloved characters with his own imaginative universe. His methodology, rooted in intuition rather than logic, allows him to tap into a realm of boundless creativity. Shankar's unique approach involves observing and documenting an alternate reality within his subconscious, effortlessly transforming abstract ideas into tangible narratives. It is through this process that Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix emerges as a vibrant tapestry of cherished characters, each possessing a distinct individuality within the expansive "artiverse" he has crafted.

2. What truly captivates me about Adi Shankar's projects is their uncanny ability to resonate with audiences on a profound level. From the groundbreaking Power Rangers fan film to the thought-provoking Punisher: Dirty Laundry, each of his creations strikes a chord with its timeliness and relevance. Shankar's keen eye for cultural zeitgeist and his willingness to tackle bold themes have consistently elevated his work to new heights. Moreover, his ability to seamlessly blend genres and infuse them with visually stunning elements, as seen in Guardians of Justice, showcases his innovative spirit and unwavering commitment to pushing creative boundaries.