It seems as though nearly every iconic comic book hero has taken a trip on the Fortnite Battle Bus except this one.
In the 1990s, Spawn debuted in the comic book world. Todd McFarlane, who rose to fame after drawing for both Marvel and DC, brought his creation to life through his self-found publisher, Image Comics. Since then, Spawn's popularity has resulted in over 360 comics, an animated show, a 1997 live-action movie, and a soon-to-be new (also live-action) film.
The Direct chatted with Todd McFarlane at MEGACON Orlando about where fans may see Spawn next, whether in video games or on the big screen, and his time at the convention.
Todd McFarlane Considering Pushing for Fortnite Spawn Skin
"Maybe It’s Time for Me To Pick Up the Phone and Remind Them That I’m Still Here"
When The Direct's Pamela Gores asked if fans may see Spawn's video game presence expand in games such as Fortnite (which just dropped another new season), Todd McFarlane said it might be "time for me to pick up the phone."
Spawn has previously appeared in other well-known gaming franchises, such as Mortal Kombat and Call of Duty. However, the elusive Fortnite (which seems to collaborate with every IP imaginable) seems to remain out of reach.
- The Direct: "I was just gonna ask, do you think we're gonna see Spawn in other video games? Something I hear something online often is that people are kind of itching for a Spawn Fortnite skin, and it feels like Fortnite has everything, so just wondering if that could be in the works."
Todd McFarlane: On the Fortnite end of it, I had that conversation with them [Epic Games] because I was making toys. I also have a toy company, and we're making some of the Fortnite toys. So I was like, 'Hey, you know, if you need any characters. I'm easy. I got like gobs of them. I'll lend them to you.' But I didn't know. Behind closed doors, they were already just about to launch all that themselves. So it was a little bit like, 'We got Marvel, DC. And everything else. Don't worry about it. We'll get to you.'
McFarlane explained how, compared to other popular Fortnite collaborations (such as Marvel and DC ones), the worry likely stemmed from Spawn not being as common of a household name:
Todd McFarlane: To be completely honest, Spawn's in a pecking order in terms of the average person knowing the word, right? My mom knows Superman, Batman, I don't know that the average mom knows the word 'Spawn.' And the way you do that again, as I said before, is, you have to get out, get it in front of people. And that's usually TVs and movies. And then, at that point, the floodgates open up on all the other stuff. Hats, t-shirts, toys, video games, all those other things.
However, since the Battle Royale game now touches nearly every corner of pop culture, it could be time for him to "pick up the phone and remind them [Epic Games] I'm still here:"
Todd McFarlane: But the the thing about once a company does something like Fortnite, and they they've done all these cool characters, they start to go, 'Well, who else can we do?' So maybe it's time, to your point, maybe it's time for me to pick up the phone and remind them [Epic Games] that I'm still here off in the corner.
The Direct also asked McFarlane what he was most looking forward to during his first time at MEGACON Orlando. McFarlane first addressed the guest experience at conventions, in which talent is "usually in one spot for the most part:"
Todd McFarlane: It's interesting because I don't really do that many shows. And I've never done MEGACON in all the decades it's been going on. Unfortunately, you don't really get to experience it in the truest sense because you're usually in one spot for the most part, doing your thing other than a panel, and you've sort of got your quote unquote booth. The upside of it is you get to meet hundreds of great people, but you don't get the experience. It's sort of like being the ride conductor at one of the theme parks. You don't get to experience the whole park cause you've got to work the one ride. There's a joy in meeting so many people, but a lot of times I leave conventions going, 'Man, I didn't get to see anything.'
Despite this, McFarlane said his favorite part about being MEGACON was the chance to see friends along the many aisles of Artist Alley:
Todd McFarlane: The one thing I like to do if I have time is go down Artist Alley, because I've got dozens of peers that you don't get to see that often. You go, 'Oh, man, hey! How are you doing?' You get to say hi to your friends. Hopefully, I'll get to sneak off and do that a little bit.
Potential Spawn Reboot Movie Updates
"On the Spawn Creative Side, We Continue to Push..."
With Image Comics still being the third largest and most successful comic book publisher worldwide, there is no doubt that Spawn remains influential decades after his debut. Arguably, the greatest evidence of this is the Spawn live-action film that has reportedly been in development since 2018.
From that initial announcement, periodic reports touched on casting (including MCU veteran Jeremy Renner) and the title and script. However, the film remains largely shrouded in mystery as fans question whether those reports remain accurate.
- The Direct: "And now, obviously, Spawn's been in the comics for so long, and I think a lot of fans have been itching to maybe get him back on television or the big screen. A couple of years ago, you mentioned there were some animated series in the works and the movie, so wondering if you could just say if that's still happening behind the scenes at all."
Todd McFarlane: The thing that's been a bit frustrating, given that we've gone through writer strikes and a pandemic and the current state of Hollywood as a whole. I just actually read an article this morning saying, 'Is this going to be Hollywood's laziest year ever?' Which basically means, if you pay attention and go to a movie at a theater, watch how many trailers are brands that you already know about; that are sequels or reboots of stuff that have been there. And so right now, there's a bit of, in some cases a lot of, conservatism in terms of them wanting to go outside of sort of well-traveled creative, IP, and intellectual property lanes.
Touching more specifically on the Spawn movie, McFarlane reassured that he and his creative team are still "trying to sell ideas" and aim for the next update to be, "We've made the deal:"
Todd McFarlane: Everybody on our team, on the Spawn creative side, we continue to push, but we're sort of at the mercy of a big machine right now that is trying to find its way given that they shifted their model. They put all their eggs in this streaming basket, and they're starting to see that that's not covering all the same monetary goals that they had prior to it. So, we'll see. That's a long way of saying, we'll see. But I'm in a boat with lots and lots and lots of other creative people in that town trying to sell ideas. But we'll scream it from the hilltop. Once we have something a hundred percent that we can say with concrete instead of, 'We're working on it. We're developing it.' I want my next one to say, 'We've made the deal.'
As of writing, Jamie Foxx, who recently starred in Netflix's Back in Action, is still slated to lead the Spawn movie as the titular character.
Fortnite is free to play on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, mobile phones, and PC. Read more about another Fortnite collaboration that's frustratingly still in the works.
Spawn comic books are available online via Image Comics and wherever comic books are sold. Prior reports cited a 2025 release window for the upcoming Spawn movie.
