Invincible’s Live-Action Project Means Now Is The Perfect Time For A Reboot Of This 1997 Superhero Movie

Invincible is set for an upcoming live-action adaptation which, if successful, will pave the way for other live-action movies and TV shows based on lesser-known comic book characters. With Invincible season 2 on the way, the movie adaptation of the beloved series comes as an even bigger surprise. Even though there are issues concerning the casting of the Invincible live-action movie, it’s still exciting to see Hollywood make greater strides to put a spotlight on the more obscure heroes, villains, and anti-heroes, that companies like Image, Darkhorse, and Milestone Comics have created.

While Hollywood has tried to bring lesser-known comic book characters to the big screen in the past, their movies didn’t perform particularly well, which only hurt their potential for future live-action installments. However, with the success of Invincible and even The Boys, the entertainment industry is in the perfect position to revisit some of the more obscure yet equally strong works by smaller comic book companies. Whether in the form of reboots or remakes or something entirely new, the entertainment industry should capitalize on the wealth of available possibilities, spearheaded by the Invincible live-action movie.

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Invincible’s Success Means Audiences Are Eager For Alternate Superhero Stories

The MCU and DCEU’s recent failures prove it is time for alternate superhero stories.

Although the Invincible graphic novel debuted in 2003, it wasn’t until the success of the Amazon Prime animated show that the series enjoyed more mainstream success. Additionally, because of the show’s superb first season, the overall positive reception of the second season’s first half, and the critical success of fellow Amazon Prime series The Boys, audience engagement with alternate superhero storiesis at an all-time high. Furthermore, the announcement of the DCEU’s Elseworlds movies in development suggests that Hollywood is acutely aware of the renewed interest in many of the lesser-known characters.

Despite superhero movie fatigue firmly settling in with audiences, the demand for movies in the genre is still just as high as any other time in history. However, the issue with many of the movies in the genre is that many of the more recent entries focus excessively on familiar characters, stories, and locations. With Invincible‘s unique subversion of the genre and The Boys‘ uncompromising brutality, the genre is in the middle of a resurgence courtesy of alternate superhero movies. However, Hollywood has already attempted to tell alternate superhero storiesin the past, to disappointing effect.

Why The 1997 Spawn Movie Didn’t Work

Spawn’s weak script and lackluster special effects contributed to its failure.

Mark A.Z. Dippé’s 1997 superhero movie, Spawn, was one of the first real attempts at an alternate live-action superhero movie after other releases like Steel and The Phantom. Despite its reputation now as one of the worst live-action superhero movies ever made, Spawn was supposed to be the first critical success among the live-action superhero movie genre. However, terrible special effects and a weak scriptresulted in a lackluster movie that effectively killed any immediate plans for future Spawn movies. Furthermore, Michael Jai White’s comments about the live-action Spawn further sealed its fate.

Another contributing factor to Spawn‘s failure stems from the fact that White’s performance as Al Simmons / Spawn was outshined by the superb performance as The Violator by comedic actor John Leguiziamo. The Spawn comics created by Todd McFarlane work so well because they balance their action and violence with thought-provoking subjects such as existentialism, faith, and the ethics of revenge. The 1997 Spawn movie only touched on those weighty subjects while placing a greater emphasis on the special effects and makeup. Nevertheless, a new Spawn movie could work well, and Invincible‘s success proves it.

2 Of Image Comics’ Biggest Characters Could Have Live-Action Movies Soon

The live-action Spawn and Invincible movies continue to receive positive updates.

Given the popularity of Amazon Prime’s Invincible and the respect that Spawn has earned through the years from avid comic book readers, live-action movies based on both characters could work very well in today’s entertainment climate.Invincible‘s endearing protagonist steeped in a world that subverts common superhero tropes while also developing compelling characters is exactly what the superhero genre needs more of. The Boys‘ success also proves that audiences are more than willing to engage with violent material so long as it has something poignant and challenging to offer audiences.

With advances in filmmaking technology and techniques coupled with the expectation that filmmakers will challenge audiences, now is the best time for Image Comics’ Spawn and Invincible to receive proper live-action adaptations. The stories that the MCU and DCEU have been telling work, but they’ve largely run their course, as seen by the diminishing returns of more recent movies. Invincible is already a hit in animated form and Spawn is already a beloved character who needs more attention. While there’s no release date set, the live-action Invincible movie will hopefully usher in a new era of superhero movies.