From being one of Milestone Comics’ first superheroes to leading his own animated series set within the DC Animated Universe, Virgil Hawkins, a.k.a. the electrically-charged Static, has accomplished a lot in his nearly three decades of his existence, and soon he’ll finally make the jump to the theatrical realm. It was announced in October 2020 that Black Panther actor Michael B. Jordan will produce a Static Shock movie through his Outlier Society production company, and today it’s been revealed who’s been tapped to write Static’s big screen debut.
According to THR, Randy McKinnon, who co-wrote the football drama Safety, has been brought aboard to write the Static Shock movie. And he’s not the only Safety alum attached to Static Shock, as Reginald Hudlin, who directed the Disney+ movie and has an extensive comic book writing resume, will produce this DC flick alongside Michael B. Jordan. The project reportedly “has an urgency and agency surrounding it” thanks to its “heavy hitting producers,” and is intended to launch a cinematic universe focused on Black superheroes.
In addition to Safety, which hit Disney+ last December, Randy McKinnon’s credits include being a staff writer on the Uma Thurman-led horror series Chambers and working as a story editor on the teen drama series Grand Army, with both shows hailing from Netflix. Safety marked McKinnon’s first feature credit (with Nick Santora also working on the script), and in addition to now getting the opportunity to craft a cinematic Static Shock tale, he’s also the creator and executive producer of the Hulu sports series White Rabbit and is adapting the memoir Notes from a Young Black Chef for A24, which will star Judas and the Black Messiah’s LaKeith Stanfield.
Several years after his original Milestone comic book series set in the DakotaVerse concluded, Static debuted on TV with Kids WB’s Static Shock, which ran for four seasons and significantly boosted the character’s popularity. In the late 2000s, Static, along with fellow Milestone heroes like Icon, Rocket and Hardware, was incorporated into the main DC universe, and he scored a new solo title at the start of the New 52 reboot in 2011, although it was canceled after eight issues. Static has most recently popped up in the Young Justice animated series, where he gained his abilities after being experimented on by The Reach and has subsequently mentored by Black Lightning, another African American superhero with electricity powers. He also has a new comic book series coming called Static: Season One that launches in June.
Needless to say that Static getting to star in his own movie is a big deal. Back in 2014, Warner Bros began developing a live-action Static Shock digital series that Reginald Hudlin was also involved with and was intended to star Jaden Smith in the title role. But nothing ever came of that project, and by the time DC FanDome rolled around last summer, it was announced that Warner Bros and DC decided to give Static his own movie instead. There’s still no word on who’s being looked at to play Static, and it’s also unclear if Michael B. Jordan will appear on camera or if his work will strictly be limited to behind the cameras.
Either way, we’re now one step closer to the Static Shock movie becoming a reality. While we wait for more news about its progress, scan through out upcoming DC movies guide to learn what else is coming from this corner of the comic book movie space.
