It may have taken over two decades, but the journey towards bringing SPAWN back to the big-screen took a huge leap forward last year. After countless delays and numerous teases, it was announced at San Diego Comic-Con that Todd McFarlane would be partnering with Blumhouse Productions to develop a reboot of SPAWN, and that McFarlane had signed on to direct the film himself. It's an exciting time for SPAWN fans, who have long been awaiting a proper adaptation of the anti-hero for quite some time. Just last month, McFarlane confirmed that Blumhouse had signed off on the script and that they'd had their first casting meeting, but as nothing has been announced just yet, we're free to imagine the possibilities.
Albert Francis Simmons was a highly trained and lethal member of a special black-ops unit known as the U.S. Security Group, who, after questioning the morality of their missions, was murdered on the orders of Jason Wynn, director of the group. Finding his soul sent to Hell, Simmons made a deal with a powerful demon known as Malebolgia, who would allow him to see his wife once again should he agree to become a Hellspawn and serve him. Simmons agreed, but was returned to the human realm five years after his death and transformed into a demonic creature with few memories of his former life.
Todd McFarlane has already said that his upcoming SPAWN reboot will be quite different from the critically-panned 1997 flick, where the title character was played by Michael Jai White, in that Spawn himself won't actually be the lead role, with McFarlane comparing the reboot to JAWS. "I like to explain that it's my "Jaws." Spawn doesn't say a word the entire movie, and it's the same way with "Jaws." It's about the sheriff and the people, chasing the ghost," McFarlane said. "That's it…The lead role isn’t Spawn, the lead role is a cop, like Sheriff Brody from "Jaws." I think we can hook a fairly significant actor that we want. Unlike a superhero movie, we wouldn't need an actor to put on prosthetic (makeup) or go to the gym. We just need him to act." The main character will be Maximilian "Twitch" Williams, a NYPD detective who has been a part of the Spawn series since the very first issue, and although they seem to be after a "significant" actor for the part, that doesn't mean that they should settle for just anyone to fill the role of Spawn.
The SPAWN writer/director has also said that the reboot will be less of a superhero movie and more of a supernatural thriller, with dark and heavy tones as well as an R-rating, which Todd McFarlane has boasted will push beyond the boundaries of what previous R-rated comic-book films such as DEADPOOL and LOGAN have done. "We're talking trauma, true trauma, as serious as possible," McFarlane said.
Well, it's probably time to get the show on the road and start thinking about which actor could perfectly embody this new incarnation of Spawn, keeping in mind that the role will likely be almost entirely silent, and that the ability to kick some ass is probably a good quality to consider as well. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. Michael K. Williams (Boardwalk Empire) is an actor who can do quite a lot with very little, and a steely glance from him would certainly imbue Spawn with some sinister attitude. Chad Coleman (The Walking Dead) would be another great choice in my opinion, and while we're playing around in the realm of fantasy, let's throw Jamie Foxx's (DJANGO UNCHAINED) name into the ring as well, as the actor has expressed a strong interest in the role over the years.
Let us know who you would love to see fill the role of Spawn in the comments below!
Jumping back to the previous Cast This column all the way back in October, you were tasked with selecting someone new for the role of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET's Freddy Krueger. Many were understandably hesitant to suggest anyone to replace the great Robert Englund, but there were a few great suggestions to fill the role of the wise-cracking serial killer, including Willem Dafoe, Kevin Bacon, and Patrick Wilson.