DC Studio heads James Gunn and Peter Safran are in the midst of launching a whole new era for the comic book publisher's presence on the big screen, and for actors, that means that there is an abundance of opportunity. While a number of key roles in the canon have already been taken (as perfectly illustrated by the trailer for Superman that dropped this month), there is no better time than now for a performer to throw their hat in the ring to play a specific character.
For that reason, I am very happy to see that Ben Schwartz continues to pursue his dream of playing a live-action version of Plastic Man.
The Sonic The Hedgehog star has been pitching the idea of playing the stretchy DC hero for years now, and with the DC Universe now starting to take shape, he is not letting the idea go. He recently explained to ComicBook that he has an existing relationship with James Gunn, and while he has a lot of love for what's going on at Marvel, he sees himself with a bright future in the DCU. Said Schwartz,
I’m actually friends of James. Got to love James Gunn and can’t wait for his Superman too. My, plea for superheroes. I, of course, love the Marvel Universe, but DC has a character named Plastic Man. You and I have chatted about it. Maybe if we do it enough times. But I always thought that he could be like the Deadpool (of) that universe.
If you're familiar with Plastic Man and the comedic sensibilities of Ben Schwartz, it's hard not to see this as anything but a slam dunk – and the Deadpool comparison feels apt. While the DC character isn't as violent as the Merc With The Mouth, there are similar irreverent attitudes that fans have long appreciated about the characters that could see them translated to the screen in similar fashions. There is a silliness that would let Plastic Man exist as a unique energy in the DC Universe – and James Gunn has certainly demonstrated an appreciation for silliness in his body of work.
There's a part of me that wonders if a potential big screen future for Plastic Man (and the idea of Ben Schwartz playing the character) will be impacted by the arrival of Matt Shakman's Fantastic Four: First Steps next year. None of the Fantastic Four movies we have seen thus far have done a particularly great job portraying the stretchy abilities of Mr. Fantastic, and if that history can be changed with Pedro Pascal's portrayal in the upcoming Marvel movie, that could motivate DC to give the power a try (albeit with a totally different attitude).
We'll wait and see if the slate of upcoming DC movies ends up expanding with a Plastic Man project, but for now, audiences can start counting down the days until the big screen launch of the DC Universe with James Gunn's Superman on July 11.
