The Static Shock live-action movie receives a discouraging production update. One of the most beloved superheroes from DC's Milestone Media imprint, Static a.k.a. Virgil Ovid Hawkins starts off as an ordinary boy in Dakota, but after he is exposed to a radioactive fluid called "Quantum Juice" during a chemical container explosion, he gains electromagnetic superpowers and transforms into a metahuman. With his newfound powers, Static combats villains in his city alongside a few other metahumans, who collectively comprise the superhero team in the Dakotaverse. The original Static comics ran for 45 issues, and WB also rendered his story into the animated show Static Shock, which aired for four seasons on Kids' WB between 2000 and 2004.
During DC FanDome in 2020, filmmaker Reginald Hudlin revealed he was working to revive Milestone Media with original creators Denys Cowan and Michael Davis. A live-action Static Shock movie was the first big project in development as a part of the initiative, with Hudlin attached as an executive producer. In subsequent months, it was also confirmed that Michael B. Jordan would co-produce, while Grand Army writer Randy McKinnon was hired to write the screenplay. Until recently, the script for the film was being developed, and many were hoping the project would start producing substantial output in the coming days. But after the newly minted conglomerate Warner Bros Discovery cancelled the nearly complete Batgirl movie earlier this month, panic spread among fans that Static Shock could face the same fate.
And as it now appears, the fears were not unwarranted. A new report by THR offers disappointing news concerning the development status of Static Shock. As the source suggests, work on the movie has taken a backseat, and the search for a director has been paused. Further details are not fully clear, as Hudlin and B. Jordan both remain silent on the matter.
The new development spells trouble for Hudlin's plans to expand the Milestone franchise and its characters into mainstream media. While the comics line has been restored, with titles like Static: Season One, Icon & Rocket: Season One, and Hardware: Season One gaining much acclaim around the world, there were also plans for a Dakotaverse animated film that would reunite Milestone's best-known heroes. But with Static Shock in jeopardy, it's unlikely that the animated feature would make any headway, either.
With the lack of progress on Static Shock, the optics do not look good for diversity in the DCEU. The decision to cancel Batgirl has already put the company under fire, as many see it as a missed opportunity for introducing an Afro-Latina superheroine alongside the first major transgender character in a DC Film. Now, the studio's apparent disinterest in making a film centered on a Black protagonist could provoke further backlash, potentially damaging the reputation of the franchise. That said, WBD CEO David Zaslav has indicated that he has a 10-year agenda for DC, so some projects may be on hold while the details of the plan are being ironed out. Once a full structure is conceived, the studio might give the green light for Static Shock to resume development, although nothing can be promised until there is an official confirmation on the same.
Source: THR
