There’s a segment of DC Comics fans that hold Virgil Hawkins, a.k.a. Static, in just as high regard as heavy hitters like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. From his original Milestone Comics appearances to the animated Static Shock TV show, this electric superhero remains a fan-favorite more than 30 years after his debut, and I’ve been wondering if we might see him in any of the DC Universe’s upcoming DC movies or upcoming DC TV shows. Well, James Gunn, who runs the creative side of DC Studios, has an update about that… kind of.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like this new superhero franchise will be getting a shock to its system anytime soon. Gunn, who’s currently making the press rounds to promote Superman (which he wrote and directed) had this to say when Pay or Wait inquired about if Static will be stopping by the DCU:
Yeah, no updates on Static Shock. There’s a whole bunch of complexities behind that character right now.
As someone who grew up watching Static Shock and enjoyed the numerous times it crossed over with other corners of the DC Animated Universe, I can’t help but be disappointed that there’s no movement on the character’s live-action debut. James Gunn didn’t elaborate on the “complexities” that plague Static right now. It could be that there’s some kind of rights issue between DC and Milestone Media, though I’m curious what that would be since the Milestone Universe was relaunched back in 2020 seemingly without any complications.
Looking back to the 2010s, there was a live-action Static Shock web series on development from Reginald Hudlin, with Jaden Smith reportedly being lined up to play Virgil Hawkins, but that apparently fell through. Then in 2020, it was announced that Michael B. Jordan was developing a live-action Static Shock movie through his production company Outlier Society. Two years later, Randy McKinnon was tapped to write the script, and Hudlin boarded to produce alongside Jordan.
At that time, this Static Shock movie was said to have “an urgency and agency surrounding it” because of the talent attached, and that it was intended to launch a universe focused on Black superheroes. Presumably, though, it too fell by the wayside once DC Studios was launched. An animated movie centered on Static and other Milestone characters was also announced back in 2022, but there’s been no update on its status.
Hopefully these “complexities” will fade away over time, as Static deserves a shot to shine in live-action, especially in a world populated by characters like David Corenswet’s Superman, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl and Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific, to name just a few. Until then, remember that the film side of the DCU will kick off when Superman is released in theaters on July 11.
