Todd McFarlane Addresses Challenge of a New Spawn Video Game

Spawn has appeared in a number of video games dating back to the Super Nintendo era, but it’s been quite some time since the character got a starring role in one; unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like that will be changing at any point in the near future! Appearing on ComicBook.com’s ComicBook Nation podcast, Spawn creator Todd McFarlane was asked about the possibility. McFarlane revealed that there are currently no plans, as the new Spawn movie is taking priority. However, McFarlane emphasized that the film could help other projects get off the ground.

“I think [the movie] will be the driving force of so many things around it. Literally the snowball business effect. I don’t want to have like 30 things that I’ve got going and then I sort of regret because now we’ve got a bigger opportunity to do something cooler, or a bigger company wants to come in,” said McFarlane.

McFarlane raises a very good point regarding visibility and how live-action movies can lead to other projects getting green-lit. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a perfect example; while the comic book series had a faithful following beforehand, the live-action movies resulted in greater public awareness for the characters. The Guardians never would have gotten a major video game treatment prior to 2014, but seven years later, they starred in one of the biggest video games of 2021. That game doesn’t take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it never would have happened without the success of those movies.

While this news will no doubt prove disappointing for some Spawn fans, the character is currently available as a DLC fighter in Mortal Kombat 11. NetherRealm Studios went all-out for Spawn’s inclusion, including various references to the Spawn comics, including his previous encounters with Batman, and his history with Violator; the game even featured new voice work from Keith David! Obviously, fans would prefer an entire game based on Spawn, but Mortal Kombat 11 will have to tide fans over in the meantime!

Would you like to see a new Spawn game? Have you played any of the previous Spawn games? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!