One of the Biggest Sci-fi Characters of All Time Getting Reboot From Marvel Scribe & Dune Producers

The world of science fiction has created a number of memorable heroes over the years, and one of the most iconic of these heroes is getting a new chance on the big screen. The journey to the screen has been a lengthy one, as the project has already been in development for five years, but now it’s actually moving in the right direction, and the reboot now has a Marvel scribe and Dune producers at the helm.

The science fiction icon in question is Buck Rogers, and while Legendary actually secured the rights to the adaptation five years ago, there’s finally been some major movement forward for the project, as a new report from Deadline reveals that Deadpool & Wolverine co-writer and Marvel Zombies executive producer Zeb Wells has been brought on to write the script.

At the moment, there aren’t any details on the plot or the script, but the fact that there’s a writer attached is a welcome boost in the right direction. Legendary has reportedly looked at Buck Rogers as a possibly major franchise that could include film, a live-action series, and an anime series, but the only project that seems to be in active development is the feature film at the moment.

Buck Rogers was created by Philip Francis Nowlan and made his debut in a novella published in the pages of Amazing Stories. The magazine was published in 1929, introducing readers to the story of a World War I veteran who ended up in suspended animation for hundreds of years. Eventually, he wakes up in the 25th century and in the midst of a battle against invaders.

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Buck Rogers would then make the jump to the comic strips and then radio and film, and a generation of fans remembers the 1970s series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century from NBC. There hasn’t been much in the way of new Buck Rogers adaptations since then, but Legendary looks to change all that and create another top-tier franchise.

Legendary has had some major success with adaptations this year, thanks to A Minecraft Movie, which brought in over $957 million worldwide. There’s also the Street Fighter movie coming next year, which could be another tentpole franchise if the film ends up resonating with fans. They are continuing to build out already established franchises as well, with more Dune projects in the works and more hopefully to come.

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