When he first made his debut in 1992, Todd McFarlane’s Spawn quickly became one of, if not the, most popular superheroes of that decade. In fact, the Image Comics mainstay is also one of the few heroes not named Batman to get a movie adaptation during the ’90s.

The superhero explosion of the last few years, combined with the knack for studios to reboot everything, meant it was only a matter of time before Al Simmons made his return to the big screen. Now, it appears we are one step closer to that reality.

In an interview with Tiffany Smith on AMC’s Geeking Out (via ComicBook.com), McFarlane himself revealed that he is almost done writing the new film. “I’ve finished the script, and I’m in the process of editing. It’s 183 pages, and [producers] usually like 120. I still think it’s going to end up being about 140 because I’m putting in details for myself,” he said. Considering that most superhero movies run well over two hours nowadays, I am not surprised.

Also interesting is how different this version of the movie seems like it will be from the 1997 film. According to McFarlane, you will barely see Spawn throughout the film. He will be more like a ghost rather than a full-on superhero in a rubber suit. McFarlane compared this version of the antihero to Spielberg’s Jaws, where he will always have a presence, but will only be visible for a short time.

As a fan of the early days of the comic, I am looking forward to seeing this darker version, as the ’90s film seemed to be going more for a “Batman vibe” rather than match the tone of the source material. Seeing McFarlane’s true vision come to life will for sure be something to check out.

So what do you think? Are you excited to see Spawn come back to theaters? Do you feel this character’s time has passed? Let me know on Twitter or sound off in the comments below.

Image: Image Comics