Wicked men, you will face The Tick again one day, and if there is a big blue god in The City, this next iteration will be a darker version. I can already hear some people bemoaning the existence of yet another dark superhero story making its way to audiences, but we’re not talking about scarred-up mass murderers blowing up hospitals ala Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. We’re talking about a superhero whose existence was informed by pure lunacy.
Speaking with MovieWeb about The Tick’s upcoming reboot/reimagining, actor Patrick Warburton shared quite a few unofficial tidbits, saying The Tick’s creator Ben Edlund has developed the beloved hero with a new direction in mind. “I think Ben’s newest vision and truest vision for the show is a darker, edgier spin,” Warburton said, and it wasn’t the first time in the interview that he used either of those descriptors.
In Edlund’s comics, which began back in the late 1980s, The Tick escaped from a mental institution outside The City, with no memory of his life before turning into the bulked-up hero. His behavior was more erratic and irreverent, making him seem more like an addled teenager than an awe-inspired child, as he was presented in Fox’s live action show. I’m not saying that negatively – I love Warburton on The Tick – but that version of the character was a jolt to comic fans, at least those who hadn’t watched the animated version. So if Edlund wants to bring his creation back to the dark side, I’m all for it, because I know it won’t be exploitative just for exploitation’s sake.
Though he wasn’t technically at liberty to discuss the in-development project – going so far as to joke, “Isn’t it ironic that Captain Liberty’s friend isn’t at liberty?” – Warburton still manages to divulge some good info. For one, he said he’d definitely play the character again and that he never thought he’d get another opportunity.
“One thing about The Tick, he is an insane character,” he said. “I guess he doesn’t have to be 29-years-old like Thor. He’ll be 50 battling evil.” I love that kind of optimism, because it’s true. The Tick’s age is one of the least relevant aspects of the character. But Warburton also talked some smack about the big blue suit, saying how non-fun it was to basically spend twelve hours in “a soup of sweat and K-Y jelly.” We can probably expect a new design for the costume this go around, though it probably won’t skew too different. Maybe Warburton can begin the performance-capture stage of his career with this.
Should The Tick indeed find a future home on Amazon, Edlund would definitely be able to go anywhere he wants to, as far as subject matter goes. Will you guys stick around to watch The Tick turn as dark as midnight…blue?
