It’s a good time to be a fan of superhero movies. In addition to the massive Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), Sony is working on a series of films based on supporting characters from the Spider-Man comics, beginning with Venom in October 2018 and possibly followed by a Nightwatch movie directed by Spike Lee.
The project was first reported by That Hashtag Show, but there’s been no confirmation by Sony Pictures or any of the major movie news outlets so far.
If you’re unfamiliar with Nightwatch (he’s not exactly an A-list comic character), here’s the skinny: Doctor Kevin Trench witnesses a costumed man die at the hands of some time-traveling villains. Upon further inspection, the dead man turns out to be a future version of Trench, which eventually prompts Kevin to adopt the suit and the powers it grants. Those powers include super strength, automatic healing, and telekinetic control of his cape (which he utilizes as a weapon). Nightwatch first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #97 in 1993. For reference, he kind of looks like a less evil version of Spawn. Historically, Nightwatch has operated in moral gray areas
The film originally had Now You See Me writer Edward Ricourt attached, but That Hashtag Show reports that the script will instead be written by Cheo Hodari Coker (Luke Cage). Just to reiterate: This is all rumor at this point.
Lee is known best for a run of successful, acclaimed films during the late 1980s and 1990s, including She’s Gotta Have It, Do The Right Thing, and Malcolm X. His more recent works, including a 2013 remake of the kit Korean film Oldboy (starring Josh Brolin) and the controversial 2015 musical drama Chi-Raq, have mostly met with mixed reviews. Lee has a film titled Black Klansman scheduled for release in 2018, starring John David Washington (Ballers) — Denzel Washington’s son — as a detective who infiltrates a Ku Klux Klan group and finds himself rising more quickly than expected. Adam Driver (Star Wars Episode VII: The Last Jedi) will appear in the 2018 film as well.
Other spin-off films in Sony’s Spider-Man universe (it doesn’t yet have a catchy name) include Silver & Black, which was recently shelved indefinitely (but not canceled), and a potential movie about Morbius the Living Vampire.
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