Whoopi Goldberg and Keith David are jumping into the superhero world, but their new project isn’t chasing the usual capes-and-cosmic-disaster formula.
The acclaimed stars are leading Captain Zero, a new 2D animated superhero movie expanding filmmaker Z Cher-Aimé’s award-winning series of shorts.
The story mixes superhero action with a much more personal fight as its teenage hero battles a deadly cyber stalker while confronting his own depression.
The film follows Haitian-American teenager Xerxes Hughes, who has superpowers, a secret identity, and plenty to deal with when he isn’t saving the day. His biggest external threat is W.Z.R.D., a homicidal cyber stalker determined to destroy Xerxes and his city.
His other enemy is far more personal. David voices the Depression Demon, the physical embodiment of Xerxes’ depression. He previously played the character in the animated short, and his unmistakable voice feels like a great fit for a villain who literally represents the darkness inside the hero’s head.
Goldberg is also involved with the project as an executive producer alongside Tom Leonardis through One Ho Productions.
Cher-Aimé has spent roughly a decade building the Captain Zero universe, developing the character through two animated shorts before moving into a feature film. The latest short, Captain Zero: Into the Abyss Part II, premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Festival and featured David alongside Angelica Ross and Zolee Griggs.
The earlier Captain Zero project also picked up some industry recognition, earning a 2026 NAACP Image Award nomination along with multiple Telly honors.
Cher-Aimé is co-directing the feature with Andre Carl Engco for Black-owned Cutting Edge Animation. The studio currently has the movie in pre-production and is developing it as a traditional 2D animated action-drama rather than using AI-generated animation.
What makes Captain Zero interesting is how its superhero concept connects to its themes of mental health, self-worth, and empowerment. Xerxes isn’t simply trying to beat another supervillain. He has to deal with an enemy who knows exactly how to attack him from within while another is coming after him in the real world.
That gives the movie plenty of room for cool superhero action without losing sight of the teenager underneath the powers.
