Now that TV audiences are perfectly comfortable with comic book characters taking over their screens, the subject matter that studios and network execs are willing to tackle has expanded immensely. The latest and greatest example of this comes in the announcement that comic legend Jim Starlin’s spaced-out superhero Dreadstar has his own series heading into development. Please, oh, please let this one find its way to a cable network or streaming service, for budget's sake.
If the possibility of hearing the name of sorceror “Syzygy Darklock” on a weekly basis isn’t enough to grab you, how about the fact that Starlin is actually a part of the creative process behind Dreadstar? Starlin, who also created the formerly sidelined Guardians of the Galaxy, will be on board not just as an executive producer, but also the writer. Or at least one of the writers, but why would they even let anyone else in on this?
Here’s how Starlin explained the process behind turning this wildly exciting space opera into a TV series.
I consider Dreadstar to be an extension of my family, so it took me a while to feel comfortable letting anyone else take care of this project. It has taken some time, but I know I’ve put my trust in the right team and I’m excited to collaborate with Universal Cable Productions and Benderspink to bring Dreadstar’s unique brand of chaos to television.
Indeed. The story centers on Vanth Dreadstar, the only survivor of a destroyed Milky Way galaxy, and his otherworldly crew’s involvement in the biggest conflict in the universe, between the Monarchy and the Instrumentality. (Not exactly hospital procedural plotlines going on here.) We’ll assume that madness will be the basic plotline behind this new series, although some streamlining will probably ensue to make it more palatable for mass audiences.
Benderspink has been known for mostly comedy films like We're the Millers and Horrible Bosses 2 in recent years, but they've also been behind genre projects like Zombeavers and The Ring. And it's almost always good for a show's chances when it's being developed outside of a network's eyeline and pilot deal, as it's more likely to get a full series order. Hopefully that's the case here as well. There's a decent chance that Constantine's struggle with ratings could cause some networks to balk, but those networks don't deserve Dreadstar anyway!
Jim Starlin is also the guy who created Thanos, and since the Dreadstar comics have been under Marvel imprints, can we possibly expect some Guardians crossovers down the line? I'll wish upon whatever star isn't going to be destroyed next.
