Summary
The upcomingSpawnadaptation at Blumhouse has a ton of potential to really wow fans, a recent update from someone at the production company doesn’t exactly bode well for the film’s planned release date, and revealed the reason why.
Blumhousetook on the challenge of developing the iconic Image Comics character Spawn to live action, a daunting task that was under discussion for years starting in 2016, before an agreement was finally reached to produce the film. While the character has received adaptations in the 90s, includingan underrated adult animatedSpawnseriesand a less-than-stellar live-action film, the currently planned reboot would bring the popular character into the modern mainstream in a way that the recent comics could never manage, despite their success.
WhiletheSpawnfilm got a pretty substantial update recentlythat seemed to posit good news for a timely delivery in line with the previously revealed 2025 release window, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Blumhouse recently showcased its 2025 release slate at New York Comic Con, and many were quick to note thatSpawnwas nowhere to be seen on the schedule. Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum was on hand to explain the situation, and it’s not exactly exciting news. “The script isn’t going as fast as I hoped,” Blum revealed toInverseat the event when questioned aboutSpawn’sabsence from the 2025 slate. “We got a script, we’re still doing work on the script. It’s just not going as fast as I hoped, so it won’t be coming out in ‘25.”
This is disappointing news for a plethora of reasons, most notably as it entirely discounts a 2025 release instead of just casting doubt, as these sorts of statements often do. Blumhouse hassome incredible writing talent from both the MCU and DC on the Spawn film, so the polish being applied to the script will likely be well worth the wait and effort on the part of all parties involved. On the bright side, this statement confirms that the project is alive and well and still in much better shape on the whole than the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s ill-fatedBladereboot, which has once again hit a major roadblock at Marvel Studios. With a tentative 2026 release now looking more likely, Blumhouse, McFarlane and attached leading man Jamie Foxx now have more time to prepare and deliver a home run.
The upcoming film, whichfranchise creator Todd McFarlane offered critical clarification on following a script reveal, has seen a lot of script revisions, most recently to upgrade the film to an R Rating following the success ofJokerin 2019, proving that there was a market for a more adult film in the superhero adaptation game. While the recent critical failure of the sequel filmJoker: Folie à Deuxprobably hasn’t affected the attitude behind the scenes, there could be many other issues under consideration that could be delaying the writing process. Recent projects have forced the industry to sit up, as a botched introduction could feasibly lock a popular comic book character like Spawn out of the mainstream for another few decades. The delays are unfortunate, as 2025 would have been an auspicious release window for a superhero film, following the palette cleanser offered byDeadpool & Wolverine,giving fans hope in the genre again, if only for a little while. Post-2025, both the MCU and DCU will be back in full swing, and that might not bode as well forSpawn.
For better or worse,Blumhouse still has a relevant hero in Spawn, despite the character’s 90s origins and lack of kid-friendly comic book appeal. Fans can only wait while all the scripting, pre-production and more happen behind the scenes. Whether or not the film will soar like its R-rated inspiration or flounder like that project’s sequel remains to be seen, but fans can certainly keep their hopes up for a culturally and theatrically successful adaptation of one of the coolest comic book characters ever.
