Todd McFarlane might be known for his iconic art on The Amazing Spider-Man, but it was Spawn which made him a paramount figure in the world of comics. Spawn is a hero who initially appeared in the comic series of the same name for Image comics. Even though the character was created in the 1990s, it quickly garnered a cult following and "spawned" a successful range of incredibly detailed action figures and an unconventional, critically-lauded animation series. Spawn was a CIA operative/assassin who goes to the gates of Hell and is reborn as a supernatural being. He uses these powers to fight evil in the most brutal way possible.
Over the past few years, Todd McFarlane has been teasing that he'll be involved in a Spawn reboot which has kept fan expectations on a high ever since. Here are 5 reasons why a Spawn reboot might be a great idea, and 5 why it might be the opposite.
Great: R-Rating
Right from the start, Spawn's comics and animated series were intended for mature readers and viewers. Even if the 1997 feature film had an R rating, the violence seemed mindless for some viewers and didn't go well with the other substance of the film—the screenplay and acting were universally panned. Spawn, however, did earn enough at the box office to be a hit, but it was a risky venture nevertheless. R-rated superhero films anyway had a mixed record back then.
But, right now, it's the best time for R-rated comic films, Joker and Deadpool having changed the game. When Venom got a PG-13 rating, fans were disappointed, as they expected a darker take on the character. McFarlane has made it official time and again that he wouldn't let Spawn walk the PG-13 road in his reboot, and this new film will be loyal to its source material.
Not Great: Delays In Production
The project has been under work for quite some time and has undergone many delays. "Everyone has a different version of it in their head. You just to appease a handful of people while not giving in to what it is that I'm trying to do myself. Because if I have to change it too much, I'll just walk away from it all." Todd McFarlane has reportedly said.
Finally, under Blumhouse Productions, and with Jamie Foxx attached to the cast, the film's production was supposed to commence in 2018 and then pushed to June 2019 to no avail. Such sketchy production schedules would make one wonder what the end product will look like.
Great: Todd McFarlane Is Directly Involved
While it's still not official news, McFarlane has made it evident that he'll be on board as director and writer, citing the reboot as a passion project. This is good news as McFarlane's work around the comics has been consistently good, and no one knows the character as thoroughly as him.
He says that the reboot will be very loyal to the comics and will be different even from R-rated comic book classics like Logan and Deadpool. Needless to say, fans are more than satisfied with McFarlane's direct involvement.
Not Great: Todd McFarlane's Vision Is Unteseted
While we all know McFarlane is a great comic book writer and artist, he has no proof to show his potential either as a screenwriter or a director. As mentioned before, he will be a good pick to helm the reboot due to his passion, but what if it doesn't live up to the hype? Let's understand this situation with the failed cinematic endeavors of a few other popular writers.
Legendary novelist Stephen King once directed a comedy horror called Maximum Overdrive which was so bad that King himself described it as a "moron movie." Legendary graphic novel writer Frank Miller attempted to direct a stylish neo-noir superhero film The Spirit, but its reception was pretty negative.
Great: Blumhouse Is Producing
Jason Blum's Blumhouse Productions might have started out as a conventional horror studio, but, with the success of Get Out, the studio has been involved in several offbeat projects too like Blackkklansman, Upgrade, and The Invisible Man. So, Blumhouse's involvement with Spawn seems like a good move considering the studio's track-record and considering how the reboot seems to be a bit different from conventional comic adaptations.
However, it can be a risky tide of events, as, yet again, we don't have official news on whether Blumhouse is still attached or not. McFarlane has made it clear that he can walk away from Blumhouse too if they make too many changes in his script.
Not Great: Jamie Foxx's Previous Comic Work
Jamie Foxx has confirmed that he'll be starring as the title character. While the Oscar-winning star has had a good roster of leading and supporting roles, his last role in a comic book film didn't live up to the hype. He played the classic Marvel villain Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and his act became unintentionally funny or annoying for viewers.
Then again, the film in itself couldn't draw in many positive reviews, and its other flaws might have made Foxx's performance seem even worse. Fingers are crossed on how Foxx will reinterpret Spawn.
Great: Success Of The Animated Series
When Spawn first aired on HBO, the audiences were shaken as nobody expected such a dark animated tale to be shown on TV. The following around the show has been small but very loyal, and the episodes were even compiled as DVD movies in the years to come. This success of the animated series only adds to the marketability of McFarlane's edgy, dark superhero on the big screen.
Keith David who voiced Spawn was already a popular character actor but his voice talents received praise too following the show. David went on to voice many characters in mainstream films and games. Who knows if we get a cameo by him in the reboot?
Not Great: Oversaturation Of Comic Book Material
There is definitely hype for this film and McFarlane says that this reboot will be like a horror superhero film, not a generic origin story. But the truth is that there's hype for many other superhero films, too. The MCU clearly knows no stopping as they have planned a roster of Disney Plus shows and future Phase films. DC is planning to reboot its extended universe. After Bloodshot, Valiant Comics is also aiming to launch its cinematic universe. Even on TV, there's an abundance of superhero shows for both PG-13 and R-rated audiences.
So, is the superhero film market too saturated right now? Even if Spawn's not going to go through the usual superhero origin route, will people still see it as yet another big-budget superhero flick?
Great: People Need To Forget The 1997 Film
A Spawn reboot is clearly much needed to erase the travesty that the 1997 Spawn was. Lead actor Michael Jai White himself is embarrassed about the film. The critical flop also suffered from dated special effects and tacky dialogue. As mentioned before, an iconic character like Spawn deserves a much better cinematic treatment.
With developed effects and McFarlane's own involvement, the present seems to be the best time to relaunch the character for loyal fans and newer audiences. Adding to the good news, Greg Nicotero (of The Walking Dead fame) has also signed with McFarlane to work on the movie's makeup.
Not Great: Creative Differences
One of the reasons why the reboot is undergoing production delays is because Todd McFarlane is unable to gain a unanimous consensus on the script. He has finished the script, which will apparently revolve around Detective Williams (played by Jeremy Renner) seeking Spawn's help to solve his family's murder.
But, as nothing has been confirmed and the Blumhouse deal also seems to be hanging by a thread, McFarlane is definitely having his tussles with studio executives to present a Spawn movie that will emulate a hundred percent of his own vision. So, even if the hype is high around the reboot, the longstanding uncertainty is concerning.