Mattson Tomlin, screenwritter, says Hollywood to make “a shift from being comic book obsessed to video game obsessed”
The screenwriter says the era of comic book dominance may be coming to an end.
The era of superhero movies may be coming to an end, and now video games seem to be emerging as Hollywood’s next big focus. This is according to Mattson Tomlin, co-writer of ‘The Batman – Part II’.
On his X account (formerly Twitter), the screenwriter was asked if he was still working on a movie based on the blue bomber, Mega Man. Although he said no, he also made it clear that the project wasn’t officially canceled and revealed that Hollywood’s interest in adapting video games for the big screen has grown considerably.
“Don’t know if it has been canceled or not but it’s definitely not on my dance card anymore,” explained Tomlin. “I wrote a fun set of drafts and then I believe another writer came on some years later. Hope it gets made, there was a really emotional and surprising way in. Hollywood is sort of making a shift from being comic book obsessed to video game obsessed, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it sees the light of day in some form, but after so much time gone by, it’s unlikely I’ll have anything to do with it.”
More Video Game Stories on the Big Screen
While there has been talk for several years now of a fatigue with the superhero genre in film, it’s also true that it’s becoming increasingly difficult for these characters to be a guaranteed success. Both Marvel and DC have suffered recent setbacks, and although there are still names capable of drawing large audiences—such as Spider-Man or the Avengers—the idea of a shared universe seems to be losing steam.
In contrast, video game adaptations have fared better in recent years, though not without setbacks. Franchises like ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ failed to win over critics, but they were box office hits, grossing over $1 billion. However, there have also been notable failures, such as the recent adaptations of ‘Borderlands’, ‘Mortal Kombat’, and ‘Silent Hill’, which, despite significant efforts, failed to make an impact either commercially or critically.
Looking ahead, expectations are focused on projects such as ‘The Legend of Zelda’, ‘Elden Ring’, ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’, ‘Call of Duty’, ‘Gears of War’ and a new ‘Resident Evil’ film, among other projects that are in development hell. At a pivotal moment for the industry—with rising prices, studios facing difficulties, and physical media on the decline—the question remains: Can Hollywood find in video games a new way to revitalize both cinema and the video game industry?
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