DC Confirms Plastic Man Movie

Earlier this month, reports emerged that Warner Bros. was developing a movie based on Plastic Man, with an episode of DC Daily confirming this report earlier this week.

The DC show described the film as a “comedic, action-driven” film focusing on “Eel” O’Brien, from writer Amanda Idoko (Breaking News in Yuba County).

While confirmation of this project is sure to excite corners of DC Comics fandom, given the character’s cult following, it’s tough to deduce whether the film will ever officially come together. Warner Bros. and DC Comics have a history of announcing projects, even giving them tentative release dates, only for those projects to be delayed or even scrapped completely. With a number of projects focusing on well-known characters seemingly indefinitely delayed, it’s tough to determine whether or not a Plastic Man will ever actually come together.

A driving force behind a film’s production can sometimes land on the shoulders of its star, with multiple actors already showing their interest in playing the hero.

Reid Scott, star of HBO’s Veep and Venom, voiced his interest in playing the character earlier this year “because it’s just so silly and out there.”

“And because he was a thief, he was a pickpocket, he’s got this checkered past, and stuff like that. I tend to like characters that go through some sort of accident,” Scott confirmed with ComicBook.com. “I’ve always been sort of fascinated by that — I used to love Swamp Thing, and Toxic Avenger, and stuff like that — but Plastic Man was just so frickin’ weird, man. He was cool.”

Scott wouldn’t be the first actor to leap from one franchise to another, with Chris Evans having played Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four before becoming Captain America for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and with Michael B. Jordan playing Johnny Storm in a different incarnation of Fantastic 4 before starring as Killmonger in Black Panther.

The actor might have some competition, as Parks and Recreation and House of Lies star Ben Schwartz was also quick to throw his hat in the ring.

“I’ll start stretching now just in case,” Schwartz shared on Twitter when initial reports emerged last week.

Earlier this year, Schwartz tweeted, “I’m ready to play Plastic Man. Is there like an application process or do I just dress up like him and make fun of Stretch Armstrong?”

Both Scott and Schwartz might have to be patient, as the DCEU already has multiple projects in the works that could take priority.

Upcoming DCEU films include Aquaman on December 21st, Shazam! on April 5, 2019, Joker on October 10, 2019, and Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020.