Jamie Foxx's Spawn Movie Reboot - Will It Ever Happen?
The news of a "Spawn" reboot from Blumhouse has been floating around for years, with the character's creator, Todd McFarlane, hyping up the planned film starring the iconic Image Comics antihero. But even with Jamie Foxx set to bring the hell-powered character to life on the big screen, several real-world issues have delayed the project, leaving its future up in the air.
"Spawn" is based on McFarlane's comic of the same name, which tells the story of Al Simmons, a former military and Secret Service agent who is murdered in the line of duty. After making a deal with the devil in exchange for the chance to see his wife one last time, he's resurrected as Spawn. The fiery hellspawn's comic series, which debuted in 1992 and is still running to this day, inspired the 1997 film starring Michael Jai White and an acclaimed animated series, "Todd McFarlane's Spawn," which also debuted in 1997 and lasted three seasons on HBO.
In the present day, a "Spawn" reboot has been confirmed by McFarlane, with Foxx and "Avengers" actor Jeremy Renner both tapped to star in the movie. But will the new version of "Spawn" ever grace the big screen? The answer is complicated.
Why hasn't the Spawn reboot happened yet?
Todd McFarlane has been talking about a "Spawn" reboot since announcing it at San Diego Comic-Con in 2017. It's even been revealed that actors Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Renner will star in the film as Al Simmons and Twitch Williams, respectively. But the momentum of the project has stalled for multiple reasons.
Besides Foxx and Renner's busy schedules, the film, like many projects, was further delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the recent WAG strike and ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. According to McFarlane, the film was almost entirely written, with just 30 pages left to complete before the strikes put a temporary hold on finishing the script. But serious health problems involving Foxx and Renner may have also caused production delays. Foxx had a serious health scare that left him hospitalized in mid-2023, with the actor suffering a "medical complication" that he says put him through "hell and back."
Meanwhile, Renner suffered critical, life-threatening injuries when saving his nephew from a snowplow, leading him to break more than 30 bones. Both actors are on the mend and are doing much better than they were in the wake of their medical emergencies, but without Foxx or Renner being 100%, filming the "Spawn" reboot would require either waiting until they feel healthy enough to go back to work and participate or recasting their roles.
What McFarlane and Foxx have said about a new Spawn
Spawn's creator, Todd McFarlane, who will also direct the project, has offered continual updates on the film. In a 2023 interview with Screen Rant, the legendary artist said the writers' and actors' strikes in Hollywood, along with the pandemic, threw curveballs into the reboot's production cycle. Controlling the film's future was difficult with the uncertainty surrounding the strikes, he said, but "within 60 days after the resolution, we should then be able to actually go into [Hollywood]. And actually say, "'Hey, we're ready.'" More recently, McFarlane told ComingSoon he's still committed to Jamie Foxx in the lead role, stating, "Until he says he can't, he's still my guy."
In 2022, Foxx spoke with ComicBook.com about working with McFarlane on the "Spawn" reboot, comparing it to 2021's "Joker" and adding, "But it starts in a way that is so cool. And it's not big budget, you know? And that's what I love about it." Renner has not yet made any public comments about the "Spawn" reboot, although he remains attached to the project. However, Blumhouse Productions founder Jason Blum offered an encouraging update on the flick in summer 2023, weeks into the then-ongoing writers' strike, sharing that it was very much in "very active development" and that his "...hope is that that movie — my prediction is maybe we'll actually see a "Spawn" movie in 2025. No promises, but that's my prediction."
What could be explored in the Spawn reboot?
With Scott Silver ("Joker"), Malcolm Spellman ("Falcon and the Winter Soldier"), and Matthew Mixon ("Yesterday Was Everything") announced as the "Spawn" reboot's screenwriters alongside McFarlane, the film's story seems primed to deliver a sharp script. But even before they signed on, McFarlane dropped several details of what he envisioned the movie should look like.
While the "Spawn" film will obviously feature the titular character, McFarlane revealed he won't speak in the movie, nor will he technically be the main character. In 2018, the plot for the film was said to feature Jeremy Renner's Twitch Williams dealing with the murder of his daughter with Jamie Foxx's Spawn by his side as he gets revenge. Twitch discovers a sinister criminal underworld in his search for vengeance, leading to a team-up between the living and dead heroes. Of course, details may have changed as the script has undergone rewrites since then.
The "Spawn" reboot is set to be a possible R-rated affair, though the initial plan for it to be a low-budget horror film has changed. McFarlane says the scale of the film has grown, in part due to more A-list actors potentially joining the project, which, in turn, means the budget has to increase. The talented creator said the increased budget will make the movie more appealing to studios and audiences.
Who would star in the Spawn reboot?
The only two actors who have been connected to the "Spawn" reboot are Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Renner.
Foxx is set to play Al Simmons and Spawn, bringing the classic Todd McFarlane creation to life. Meanwhile, Renner is set to play Twitch Williams. While Twitch isn't known for being a badass in the "Spawn" comics, the reboot is set to reinvent the character. Foxx referred to Twitch as a "badass" cop." It appears the film is taking liberties with Twitch's comic book look and grit to make him a better heroic foil to Spawn.
Who else could round out the cast of "Spawn?" While no other actors have officially been named, in a 2023 interview with ComicBook.com, McFarlane said that he intends on putting some big names in the film: "...you start bringing on A-list people. And we're bringing on A-list people. Not just one but multiple A-list people. And it's going to continue to grow." Considering the star power of Foxx and Renner and a potentially increased budget, it sounds like more big names will eventually join the project. With Wanda Blake, Violator, Sam Burke, and other multidimensional versions of Spawn playing critical roles in the comics, they could be among the characters prominent actors play in the reboot or, depending on its success, future movies.
The Spawn reboot will likely happen - someday
Todd McFarlane is far too determined and passionate for the "Spawn" reboot not to be made — eventually. He will continue to prioritize the movie and is extremely eager to see his vision for the project come to fruition. Considering Jason Blum's comments about the film's future, fans of the comic book and other adaptations should be encouraged that it will eventually be released. However, with Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Renner's recent medical issues, the SAG-AFTRA Strike still unfolding, and questions about when the script will be finished, the movie still has some barriers to overcome before it sees the light of day.
Blum's prediction that the movie will be released in 2025 seems like a safe bet as to when to expect the "Spawn" reboot to hit theaters. But with so many variables still in play and the already 5-plus-year production cycle of the film, its best fans' expectations are kept low. Even with the positive reports, nothing is guaranteed, and until the "Spawn" reboot officially enters production, expectations on when, exactly, McFarlane's vision graces the big screen should be tempered.