With DC and Marvel's big characters consistently proving huge money-makers for their parent studios, other companies are beginning to look at what existing superhero properties are available to them. Amazon has settled on The Tick, and is bringing the cult favourite back to TV screens as a live-action show.

　　As reported by Deadline, Guardians of the Galaxy's Peter Serafinowicz will play the titular antennae-spouting superhero in the upcoming show. Serafinowicz is also known for his role in Shaun of the Dead, as well as providing the voice of Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace.

　　The pilot episode is to be directed by Wally Pfister, the Oscar-winning cinematographer of such films as Inception, The Dark Knight, and Moneyball.

　　The Tick was created by Ben Edlund, and first appeared in 1986 as a spoof of superheroes, initially in a comic strip before heading up his own title in 1988.

　　This will be the third time the character has been adapted for TV. In the mid-90s he featured in an animated series, while a live-action show was broadcast on Fox in 2001. Athough that only lasted nine episodes, it received strong reviews and has since gained a cult following. A video game was also released in 1994.