Batman.  Superman. Spider-Man.  Some of the most, if not, the most popular superheroes.  They reign supreme.  Their success, movies, games, comic books and iconography ascend to the levels that few have.  Their shadows loom large.  Yet, that doesn’t mean that some heroes could still become popular.  Several have.  Fewer have gotten popularity who are outside of Marvel and DC.

  Of course, Invincible, Hellboy and obviously the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have claimed status.  But there is a hero that has that type of potential, following, and attitude that could use the momentum of recent superhero success.  While the aforementioned heroes have received recent attention, this hero has not outside of his books.  That character is Spawn.  Spawn has all the workings that could make a very rich and healthy franchise outside of his comic books.  It could be a movie, more games, another attempt at an animated show.  Regardless of what it is, keeping such a layered character like Spawn on the sidelines while other obscure heroes are having their time in the sun is an odd choice to say the least.  Spawn is a great character and he needs to come to the forefront.

There is a movie set.  Jamie Foxx has been attached to the project yet, other than the movie being announced and confirming Foxx is playing him, nothing much has been said.  This movie was announced years ago and nothing has been moved forward.  An unfortunate twist in the development of the film was Foxx’s health.  That event being the cause of the delay may or may not be the reason.  Regardless, there seems to be a lot of foot dragging.  Taking one’s time to make sure the project is perfect is a valuable reason.  It paid off for James Cameron when it came to Avatar.  And hopefully it works out for Matt Reeves when it comes to The Batman: Part II.  But, when it comes to Spawn’s case, very little has been shared since its announcement.  Ironically, it’s a project that’s stuck in limbo.  A movie that just seems to be floating around and avoiding anything to solidly it.  Spawn is a character that could jump on the scene at anytime but at some point, this project is hindering a further progress of the character.

His name did get some more popularity and attention when it came to two rather recent events.  For years, Spawn was about asked so much they became demands to include him in a Mortal Kombat game.  But since he does have a superhero flare, fans wouldn’t have been that upset if he did appear in an Injustice game.  He is a character that fits both those games.  With each passing game starting with Injustice: Gods Among Us, fans were wondering where he was at.  Eventually and finally, he appeared in Mortal Kombat 11.  It was a relief for many fans of his or people that just saw his potential.  A weight seemed to be lifted.  Then Spawn and Batman teamed up once again in the comic books.  It was a one shot, a very short crossover, but it did bring some extra excitement to the character again.  Both of those inclusions of Spawn gardened a lot of attention.  Positive attention.  It proves that there is love for the character that needs an outline to be shared.

In a time still where superhero content can still have success, Spawn could still ride that wave.  And unlike ten years or so ago, where it seemed only Marvel was the only one that will be successful, this is a time where lesser-known superheroes are getting a spotlight.  Characters like Antman, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and the Guardians of the Galaxy are household names. But they were not popular until they received movies.  But not only Marvel characters, but characters in other companies.  None more successful that The Boys and Invincible.  Spawn and Invincible have even crossed paths before. What that proves, is that lesser-known characters could not only be as successful as the titans but be more successful than them.  Spawn was arguably more known than The Boys prior to their series.  And just as famous as Invincible among the comic book community.  Spawn could easily follow the steps of those two franchises and perhaps land on the scene with more power.

This is also a time where superhero content is diverse.  Marvel will continue to run their more whimsical and family orientated content.  The DCU will have a respectable array of diverse storytelling just within their first chapter.  And The Boys and Invincible are both mature superhero shows but take their different approaches. Spawn could offer a tone to the superhero genre that a few projects have touched.  Superhero movies and shows don’t venture into the horror or the occult, or the violent side of the supernatural too much.  All that is a part of the DNA of Spawn’s universe.  If Spawn does take a step out of comic books, that is the side of storytelling that could almost exclusively belong to him.  Superhero movies are always trying to incorporate other genres to keep the superhero one fresh.  Yet, those movies can’t get out of their own way.  At the end of the day, those movies still feel like superhero movies.  Since there is plenty going on in Spawn’s universe, that superhero flare could potentially be glossed over which could be beneficial.  Plus, there is some basis that darker superhero stories tend to do a little better.  Again, the darker side of nature, belief, and people are constantly present.  Something a Spawn movie could really utilize.  If a Spawn movie finally gets underway, it could do great things for the character and the superhero genre.

Spawn is already a huge player and a beloved character within the comic book community.  He’s just a step or two away from being even more popular.  Another video game in the likes of the Arkham games and Marvel’s Spider-Man games could help him climb the ladder.  A revival of a series revolving around him could do the same.  But a movie is the right place for him.  For a character that has so many layers, feats, abilities, and challenges, Spawn needs more room to showcase that.  Spawn needs to be shared a lot more to mainstream audiences.