If Marvel and DC show signs of weakness, then it's time for new, badass heroes - and if necessary: straight from hell! A new movie adaptation of the cult comic "Spawn" is currently in the works, which will hopefully breathe new life into the genre. Find out everything you need to know about the return of the anti-hero in our new article!

Who is Spawn?

Spawn was created by Todd McFarlane, who had the character appear in the first issue of the comic of the same name in 1992. It proved to be a huge success, leading McFarlane to found Image Comics in order to publish further issues.

The character Spawn is the former mercenary Al Simmons, who was betrayed and murdered by his boss. Simmons ends up in hell, where he meets Prince Malebolgia. In exchange for seeing his beloved wife one last time, he negotiates a deal with the demon and is sent back to Earth. Once there, however, he realizes that several years have passed since his death - his wife is now married to his old friend Terry Fitzgerald. With no memory and completely disfigured, he now seeks revenge and is supported by a living costume that grants him magical powers. As the sinister superhero Spawn, Al now imposes law and order and fights criminals as well as creatures from hell.

The First Spawn Film

In 1997, the dark comic book character had his first big-screen adventure - at the time with martial arts star Michael Jai White in the leading role. Although the movie was not a huge success and was largely met with disapproval by critics and viewers alike, it still represents something special in the superhero genre: White was the first black actor to portray a well-known comic book hero in a major motion picture. Basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal followed shortly after in "Steel" and Wesley Snipes as vampire hunter "Blade".
"Spawn" also attracted a lot of attention for its visual style and wild special effects, although its weak story was frequently heavily criticized.

A New Beginning

Comic creator Todd McFarlane was not very impressed with the old film adaptation. He decided to set up his own project, which ended up being in development for many years. McFarlane will now not only write the screenplay for the new project, but also direct it. In an interview with Comicbook.com, he revealed that 2024 will be a crucial year for the future of the film. At the forefront of production is horror powerhouse Blumhouse. In an interview in November 2023, Jason Blum revealed that "Spawn" is at a promising stage of development.

McFarlane is already busy working on the script. According to initial information, the story will be based more closely on the comics. In other words: more horror and less superhero adventure. Also, the film is aiming for an R-rating.

This Star is to Lead the Spawn Cast

Although the project has not made much progress yet, a well-known name has been in the spotlight for the casting of the title character since 2015: namely none other than Jamie Foxx, who is set to play Spawn. The Oscar winner has previous experience with the superhero genre as the "Spider-Man" villain and, at the age of 56, can still be seen regularly in action productions. He is certainly not a bad choice to take on the complex role of the dark anti-hero.

In fact, the actor himself was one of the driving forces behind the idea of remaking the story. Accordingly, comic book creator McFarlane still assumes that Foxx will play the role and told Comingsoon.net: "Until Jamie says he can't, he's still my guy".

When Will Spawn Hit Theaters?

After more than 9 years of development, the question naturally arises: when will the new "Spawn" movie be released? According to Jason Blum, production is scheduled to start in 2024 with a release in 2025 - but sadly there's no exact date yet. We are more than excited about the project: the original comic book series has a lot to offer in terms of style, and the setting around the creatures of hell also sounds exciting. If the degree of toughness is also right, we could be in for a great treat in the genre - beyond the current superhero productions from Marvel and DC.