Keke Palmer Says She's Been Asked To Join Marvel's 'Runaways'

Last we heard, Marvel's "Runaways" was set to being shooting next March, but buzz on the project has curiously been zero. No casting rumors at all and essentially no chatter around what should be a film with heavy geek interest.

At any rate, the buzz should start to build again as it looks like casting is indeed underway as Keke Palmer ("True Jackson, VP") tells Essence magazine that she's been asked to join the film saying, "['True Jackson, VP'] had me tied up so much that I haven't been able to do much of anything else. But before the show I did a lot of films, so I'm familiar with it. But I'm ready to go back. I've had a nice little break with the steady TV show but I'm definitely ready to do some more films again. I was just asked to join a new Marvel comic project called, 'Runaways.'"

The project is interesting for a couple of reasons. Firstly, Peter Sollet ("Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist," "Raising Victor Vargas") has been tapped to direct, which is intriguing given that he has essentially no action or special effects experience. But given that the film has been called "'The Breakfast Club' with superheroes," it seems like the right choice. Additionally, this will be the first Marvel film to hit with what could arguably be called unknown characters. "Iron Man" these kids are not. The story revolves around a group of teenagers who discover their parents are part of an evil crime group called Pride.

The last issue had the film under the title "Small Faces," but we're guessing that's a production code name, not an official title switch. But it definitely appears that offers are going out and a March shoot seems to be on target. The film was written by Brian K. Vaughn ("Lost") and has not yet been slotted with an official release date, but expect it sometime in 2012.