Another superhero is making their way to television, and that’s Lee Falk’s The Phantom.
Per Variety, Falk’s comic strip is getting a new show courtesy of filmmaker Reginald Hudlin, who will direct and produce the series. Throughout his decades-long career, Hudlin’s written for Black Panther at Marvel Comics and helped relaunch DC’s Milestone imprint. He’ll be working on the show with King Features, the studio behind The Cuphead Show!.
“[This series] marks a pivotal expansion to meet the current cultural zeitgeist for this brand,” said King Features president C.J. Kettler. “Reginald possesses a deep reverence for the comic industry and source material itself, [and] we’re confident this adaptation will meet the high expectations of both longtime and new fans globally.”
First released in 1936, The Phantom typically focuses Kit Walker, a non-powered crimefighter with marksman and sword skills. He’s famous for being the first fictional hero to wear a skintight costume and considered a historical stepping stone for superheroes, inspired by pulp icons like the Shadow and going on to influence later comic book heroes such as Batman and Superman.
Comics-wise, Phantom has had adventures published by various companies, including Dark Horse and DC. As Variety notes, the character’s had a popularity boost lately thanks to digital editions of old comics and the Phantom 2040 webcomic by Alex Segura, Michael Moreci, and John Amor. Outside the 1996 Billy Zane movie, the Phantom’s had a steady life in TV and film, and has a few parodies to his name, including The Venture Bros.‘ Phantom Limb.
We’ll have more on The Phantom as news emerges.
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