Marvel's El Muerto Movie Was Supposed to Be Released Today

The tapestry of superhero movies is continuing to grow and evolve, turning the wide swath of characters within them into household names. Sony's Spider-Man Universe of movies has definitely done that in spades, thanks to projects like Morbius and the forthcoming Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter — but unfortunately, one of their previously-announced comics has not yet come to pass. The live-action film adaptation of El Muerto was originally scheduled to be released in theaters this weekend, January 12, 2024.

Obviously, that did not end up being the case, as El Muerto — which was only announced in April of 2022 with actor and musician Bad Bunny attached to star — has not begun production at all, and is currently stuck a unique status.

What Is the El Muerto Movie About?

Created by Peter David and Roger Cruz, El Muerto first debuted in 2006's Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #6. Also known as Juan-Carlos Sanchez, El Muerto is a super-powered wrestler who fought Spider-Man in a charity wrestling match, where he nearly unmasked Spider-Man before being stung with a paralyzing poison. The two later teamed up to take down El Muerto's nemesis, Dorado. It might be an understatement to say that El Muerto is a relatively obscure part of Marvel Comics history, with only two comic appearances to his name — but Sony was excited about the possibility of the film being a vehicle for Bad Bunny.

"Sometimes we get lucky with perfect casting," Sony Motion Picture Group president Sanford Panitch said when the film was first announced. "We think audiences are going to be excited by where these Marvel characters are headed."

Will the El Muerto Movie Happen?

Shortly after El Muerto was announced, pieces surrounding the film began to fall into place — Chupa's Jonas Cuaron was brought on to direct, with Blue Beetle's Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer attached to write the film's script. The aforementioned January 2024 release date was subsequently set. Unfortunately, the updates surrounding El Muerto began to dry up around April of 2023, before it was confirmed in September of 2023 that Bad Bunny had dropped out of the film altogether.

At the time of this writing, there is no indication of if El Muerto will continue with a new star, or if work on the film has fizzled out entirely now that he is no longer attached. Either way, one of the (for better or for worse) most distinct films announced for Sony's SSMU has not come to fruition yet.

What Are Sony's Spider-Man Movies?

Sony has three Spider-Man Universe movies scheduled to debut in 2024 alone, with February's Madame Web, August's Kraven the Hunter, and October's Venom 3. In Madame Web, Cassandra "Cassie" Webb is forced to confront her past while trying to survive with three young women with powerful futures who are being hunted by a deadly adversary. The film will also star Tahar Rahim as Ezekiel Sims, with Mike Epps, Emma Roberts, Adam Scott, and Zosia Mamet cast in currently-unknown roles.

"It's really the story of Madame Web," producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura previously told ComicBook.com. "So, in that respect, if you're a Spider-Man fan, you're gonna love the character because you know it from the comic books, which she doesn't really have that big a character in the comic books, we're doing the origin story of Madame Web. And so you meet her before she's actually the person that you know in the comic book and you come to understand how she becomes that person. So, I think that'll be a really fresh new terrain for the fans."

Are you sad that production has been stalled on the El Muerto movie? Do you hope the film eventually becomes a reality? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!