The last time we saw any new Duke Nukem media was in 2011 with the lukewarm title, Duke Nukem Forever. John Cena (Bumblebee) signed on to star as Duke in 2018 for a feature film but now, it appears that this movie may not be happening at all.
Jon St. John, who has voiced the legendary video game character Duke Nukem since the 90s, revealed on Twitter that there are no new Duke Nukem projects in development:
There does not appear to be any upcoming Duke Nukem game, there is no Duke Nukem movie in the works.
I'm afraid my hero is fading into obscurity…and this makes me very sad.
— Jon St. John (@JSJisDuke) January 29, 2019
Like stated above, it was revealed that John Cena was attached to star in a Duke Nukem movie just last year. In an exclusive interview with ScreenRant, Cena talked about how crucial it was to get this character and movie right:
“I think that’s the direct attachment and I’m very honored to be attached to that but that is a very fragile franchise. That was one that was very timeline specific, that is 1990s to the hilt. So, once again, it reflects upon story. The story has to come in dead-on balls, man. Like it has to come in told correct, told in a palatable sense for this generation, which you’re walking on eggshells…you can’t not be Duke Nukem, but you can’t make the wrong move…so I’m…what a blessing to be attached to that, a name like that, and I just hope development does the franchise justice.”
Unless St. John has been left out of the loop on the development process, this is some troubling news for the status of the Duke Nukem movie. Duke is the personification of the over-the-top action stars of the 1980s and 1990s. With Cena and Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes attached, this premise has the potential to be a big hit whenever it hits theaters. But, unfortunately, there is evidence to think the project has been dumped all-together.
Do you think St. John’s statement on Twitter means that the Duke Nukem film is in trouble? Is this a movie you would want to see? Let us know in the comments below!
