Michael Jai White discusses why Todd McFarlane’s new Spawn reboot should lean into the darkness with an R rating. White portrayed Spawn, aka Al Simmons, in the original 1997 Spawn movie. McFarlane has been wanting to reboot Spawn for years now, and it seems that dream will finally come to fruition with Jason Blum announcing that they are aiming for a 2025 release date.
Screen Rant exclusively interviewed Michael Jai White about One More Shot, but he also discussed the upcoming Spawn reboot. He explained why he thinks Spawn should be an R-rated movie and why it needs to push the envelope. White also shared why it is important for this to lean into the darkness of Spawn. Check out White’s full quote below:
Michael Jai White: [Todd McFarlane’s] been talking about that for, it is been 25 years or so. So I mean, I wish him all the best of luck, but I know he described something to me at one time that he wanted to do and have Spawn be kind of a shadow, but you don’t really see him. I would encourage him not to do that. But I mean, I think it’s time to be badass. I think it’s time to do a live action that competes with the cartoon. That’s what it should be. I think it should be dark as hell and badass and just, I think it should go for the top level. It should push the envelope off the table.
Screen Rant: We’re talking Hard R, huh?
Michael Jai White: Yes. That’s what I want to see. I think that’s what most people want to see. These dark superheroes have been rewarded with a lot of accolades. Well, why not make the darkest one the darkest?
Why Spawn Needs To Be An R-Rated Superhero Movie
Spawn is an inherently dark character. Al Simmons was a Marine turned spy who was betrayed by his country and a friend who made a deal with the devil to become a Hellspawn. Notably, Spawn is not a traditional superhero. Instead, he is much more of an anti-hero. This is the perfect opportunity to fully lean into the violence and darkness of this type of character.
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The hell aspect of Spawn’s resurrection and his powers also tap into the horror genre, which is another way an R rating could be utilized along with Blumhouse. Spawn could be the first movie within the superhero genre to truly tap into the horror genre. An R rating also opens the door to more brutal fight scenes, which would be perfect for Spawn.
White’s assessment of how the new Spawn movie can make an impact makes sense. Leaning into the more terrifying and gritty aspects of this world and character with an R rating would allow McFarlane the freedom to tell this character’s story the way it deserves to be told. Similar to how Marvel fans have been voicing their opinions about why Blade needs to be rated R, Spawn can hit very similar notes with horror, action, and a darker take on what a hero can be. Spawn can set the tone for a new corner of the superhero genre, opening the door to darker heroes from across comics.
