DCULeaks, who are fairly reliable, previously shared intel that Darren Aronofsky was in talks to direct a “Plastic Man” film for James Gunn’s DCU.
A source corroborated this intel telling me that Aronofsky had indeed spoken to Gunn about hopping onboard the superhero project. Now, a listing on Production Weekly has Aronofsky named as director of “Plastic Man,” which is still in development. This is of course not a confirmation, but does further indicate Aronofsky’s potential involvement.
We don’t have any additional information at this time, but it’s something to look out for. Aronofsky’s inclusion into the DCU wouldn’t be that surprising given that he’s known for his eclectic movie choices and was even once attached to direct an R-rated ‘Batman’ movie co-written by Frank Miller.
“Plastic Man” is a character who has yet to have his own movie. Many years ago, Gunn pitched a “Plastic Man” movie to Warner Bros with Matthew Lillard in the titular role. The studio rejected the pitch, but it sounds like Gunn may now be revisiting this old project, and that it wouldn’t even need a greenlight since he’s the current boss of the DCU.
Honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about this leak (assuming it’s remotely accurate).
I suppose you could make a horror/thriller-esque story about Plas if you leaned into the body horror aspect of it; but he seems like a much better fit for a comedy instead.
The two most recent runs in 20 years (Gail Simone and Kyle Baker) definitely have Plas established as a pretty unserious guy. There’s definitely a tinge of tragedy in his origin of being betrayed by his fellow goons, but he definitely bounces back.
Even runs where he isn’t the primary focus (the Injustice tie-ins or the Terrifics) have him as a pretty comedic character.
Having said all that, I am not terribly familiar with Aronofsky’s work; so I could definitely be missing something that makes him a good fit…
