While superhero TV shows and movies will not be going away anytime soon (in fact, many more are planned), they seem to be changing somewhat. Of course, we won’t stop seeing all of the staples, like Batman, the X-Men, and the Avengers. However, either because folks are getting a little tired of them or perhaps the old guard is wearing thin, we’re starting to see a lot of new faces.
Though familiar to superhero aficionados, the lesser-known Daredevil has made a big return to the public consciousness thanks to Netflix. Due to the success of that show, Jessica Jones recently made her appearance in her own show, and two more Marvel characters will soon follow in their own series: Luke Cage and Iron Fist. We’ve also recently seen Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy, and Deadpool is on the way.
This dawn of new and different superheroes is particularly great for fans of characters that have gotten short shrift in the past. Take Judge Dredd, for example. He’s a great comic book hero who doesn’t get as much attention as he deserves. While the 1995 film starring Sylvester Stallone did nothing to help his cause—it probably had the opposite effect, depending on who you ask—the 2012 version was significantly better. So, why aren’t there more movies coming? What about a TV show? Well, both could soon be in the works.
Dredd fans have launched a campaign in the hopes of either getting a sequel for the 2012 movie made or a new TV series on Netflix or Amazon. The petition already has over 135,000 signatures and has gotten the attention—and support—of Dredd stars Karl Urban and Olivia Thirlby.
Frank Palmer and Brian Ritchie are the guys who first started the Make A Dredd Sequel page on Facebook, and Jason Kingsley is impressed with their efforts. Kingsley is the co-owner of Rebellion and 2000 AD, which produces the monthly Judge Dredd Megazine. “What Frank and Brian have achieved over the last three years has been incredible – they’ve kept the fires burning and their decision to open out the campaign to include TV and films is a sensible one,” Kingsley said. “Who amongst us wouldn’t want to see a Dredd series from Netflix or Amazon?”
The world of Judge Dredd isn’t just compelling on the big screen; he also makes a great video game character. There have been many Judge Dredd games over the years, and they date all the way back to 1987. A mobile game called Judge Dredd vs. Zombies came out shortly after the more recent film. There is even a casino-style game that includes comic-inspired visuals and a striking soundtrack. A review of that particular title notes that it’s a particularly thrilling experience and that it includes nods to the films and comics with features like an I Am The Law bonus.
But aside from a possible TV show, could another movie happen? One of the co-creators says yes. Not long ago, John Wagner posted this on Facebook: “There will be a new Dredd film. It’s just a question of when.” Alex Garland, writer, and producer of 2012’s Dredd has said similar things in the past though he has intimated that he probably would not be involved.
Time will tell when (or if) new Judge Dredd material is produced, but as long as the comic craze continues, the chances are definitely good.