Right now animated shows and movies are the easiest to produce and push to the public obviously since the pandemic is still very much in effect and trying to be safe isn’t as easy as it sounds, even with safety protocols in place. While some folks have resumed filming and there’s talk of what might be coming down the pipeline, especially when it comes to movies that have already been finished and are just waiting to be released, animation is about the only bastion left for those that really want to push any big ideas. At this point, the summer has been less blockbuster and more nostalgia since while streaming networks have managed to keep people entertained, the drive-in theater business has experienced at least a small surge in profits since they’ve been rehashing old movies that people have flocked to just to get out of the house. Walking into a regular theater at this point isn’t going to be a possibility for a while it feels like, even as some folks are announcing that various movies are still coming out at the end of the month and in the months to come. That’s some serious optimism. But in the case of Spawn, since the live-action movie doesn’t appear to be moving forward that quickly, and with good reason, an animated feature might be on the way if people can make up their minds on what they want to do.
An animated feature of Spawn was pushed back in the 90s, though it only lasted for three seasons apparently. There is enough content in Spawn to make it last for longer, but the truth is that it is more adult in its content and it might need to be dialed down or put on a network that might find it allowable to let the language and subject matter flow naturally rather than cutting a good portion of it off. That was likely a good reason why the last Spawn movie starring Michael Jai White didn’t do so well, as it censored a lot of things and wasn’t nearly as raw as the comic. Of course, it could have been that the movie didn’t really appear to follow the natural progression of the character either, as it kind of mashed everything together in a way that was less than acceptable. The only problem with bringing Spawn back as an animated feature though is whether or not a live-action movie is really going to be needed afterward. It’s also a question as to whether it would be advisable to let Jamie Foxx voice the character for the animated feature just to keep some sort of continuity.
Spawn is one of those many characters that were popular with teens when he first appeared on the scene but was also a character that a lot of parents didn’t approve of since there was excessive language, violence, and like always, the women that were featured in the comic were typically clad in as little as possible. Despite how parents felt, the Spawn comics managed to gain a pretty big fan base, and it wasn’t much of a surprise that the fans would want to see one of their favorite heroes on the big screen eventually. When it came it was a pretty big disappointment though, since the CGI was a different kind of horrible and the story was just as bad. Years later, when the technology is so much better and the acting is bound to be better (it can’t get much worse) it’s likely that Spawn will finally be given the treatment he deserves, so long as the pandemic is able to let up and the shutdown can end. Until then it does sound as though animation might be the direction that Todd McFarlane is headed in, but hopefully, he won’t be thinking about directing this on his own, since the idea of allowing this to happen might be a huge mistake. He’s to be respected for bringing Spawn to life and for making him such a big hit, but otherwise, it might be time to sit back and let someone else have the reins, with a great deal of guidance of course.
A big hope is that an animated Spawn series would be something that might land on Netflix or possibly another popular streaming network since Spawn isn’t owned by Disney or Warner Bros. and therefore has a lot more freedom than any other property. The question though is who might be able to step up and snag the idea before it’s too late. The idea might fit well with Netflix since it’s taken on quite a few ideas in its time that have been big hits, and it could do wonders for this character. We’ll have to wait and see what happens though.
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