Noah Hawleyhas been knocking it out of the park lately on television with critically acclaimed seasons ofFargoand the controversial but fascinatingLegion. Today at Comic-Con, Hawley was on a panel for the second season ofLegion, but he made a surprising announcement at the end. Right as the panel was ending, he said he was developing a movie for Fox that involved two words: “Doctor. Doom.”THRadds that Hawley is writing the script with an eye towards directing.
For those who don’t know, Doctor Doom is the main antagonist for the Fantastic Four. Since 20th Century Fox owns the film rights to Fantastic Four, they’re well within their rights to make a Doctor Doom movie, and it’s a smart move on their part to just scrap Fantastic Four (there wasn’t much love for the 2014 reboot) and bring in a visionary storyteller like Hawley to try and tackle the property from another angle.
Furthermore, Doom is consistently one of the most popular villains among comics fans, which is why his appearances in the first twoFantastic Fourmovies and the reboot have been so frustrating. There’s a great character to present, but the films have botched it repeatedly, so non-fans are really only familiar with him as a metal-faced dude who can shoot out electricity. All of the detail and nuance were pretty much discarded, but if Fox decides to start anew, that gives Hawley room to try something interesting.
Additionally, Fox seems to be embracing their role as the studio that makes unconventional superhero movies.Deadpoolwas the first step in that direction and thenLoganwas another. They’re also makingNew Mutants, which is supposed to be a superhero movie crossed with a horror film. So there’s no burden to play by the rules of what we’ve come to expect from the superhero genre. It may not be theFantastic Fourfilm some people want, but I’m all for Hawley’s trying to take on a Doctor Doom solo picture.
For more on Doctor Doom,check out our list of the character’s best momentsfrom the comics.
