Detective Vigilant

Detective Vigilant is a 2025 American superhero comedy film, produced by Miramax, Troublemaker Studios, and Smashup Productions. Distributed by Paramount Pictures, the film was directed by Spy Kids director Robert Rodriguez and stars Xavier Shaquille, Ice Cube, George Clooney, Ken Jeong, Rob Delaney, and Deedee Magno-Hall. The film follows a young adult named Thomas Travis who becomes a crime fighter to in solving the murder of his mother.

After production on his animated production Millvale, Shaquille began developing Detective Vigilant; he was inspired the Deadpool films of the X-Men film series and Blankman. Shaquille wanted to collaborate with Rodriguez on his film after looking back at his Spy Kids film series and The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl; Shaquille wrote the story while Rodriguez was behind directing and screenwriting.

Detective Vigilant premiered in Los Angeles on November 18, 2025, then was released in the United States on November 26. The film was given mixed reviews for its formulaic plot, pacing, and self-referential humor, while praise was towards the cast's performances (Shaquille, Cube, and Magno-Hall in particular). It was fortunately financial successful, earning over $203 million against a $70 million budget. The film was followed by an animated series sharing the same name which lasted four seasons. A sequel, Detective Vigilant Issue No. 2, was released in 2029.

Plot
Residing in the town of Northvile, Arizona, Thomas Travis is a young adult who is a fan of superheroes and Noir movies who lives in an apartment with his adoptive mother Jamie, who is a detective of the Northvile Police Department (N.P.D.). During dinner, Jamie is called to investigate a shootout at the alley; Thomas is brought along on see her in action for the first time. Not long after she goes into the alley to investigate, a gunshot was heard, making Thomas get out of the car and rush into the alley. She finds a shot Jamie laying on the ground unable to utter any words to her son before dying. The next morning, he attends her funeral and mourns her death; he promises to avenge her death by finding the killer and turning him in.

After her death, Thomas had taken over handling the payments of the apartment and keeping it tidy. After reading a Dick Tracy comic book and watching Spider-Man, that is what inspires him to become a vigilante; purchasing a trench coat and fedora and donning a black mask, he becomes the alter ego named "Detective Vigilant". Overhearing a pair of robbers about to rob the local bank, he intervenes and apprehends them after a poor first impression. Fortunately, when world got out later that night, the whole town is elated about his presence after Jamie's death; Thomas takes up the vigilante business and cleans up the streets while confronting every crook if they were behind murdering his mother, which were unfortunately not. As every citizen was praising Vigilant, Jamie's long-time partner, Daron Isadore, who was promoted as chief of police after her death, is less than pleased about Vigilant as he thinks he will taint the N.P.D.'s place in crime fighting.

Returning home after his recent arrest, he ends up discovered by a woman named Caren, the person who called him about the room for rent; after giving her the tour and showing her room, she tells her that she is a fan since he came along.

Cast

 * Xavier Shaquille as Thomas Travis / Detective Vigilant. His name was inspired by the many comic book characters with alliterative names, such as Peter Parker / Spider-Man and Billy Batson / Shazam.
 * Ice Cube as Chief Daron Isadore.
 * Deedee Magno-Hall as Detective Jamie Jean Travis.
 * George Clooney as Julius Kasity.
 * Rob Delaney as Mayor Magnus Anders.
 * Ken Jeong as Officer Terrance.
 * Sarah-Nicole Robles as Caren.

Production
TBA