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Todd McFarlane is expanding the Spawn universe. In his upcoming miniseries Spawn '77, McFarlane and artist Mark Spears are introducing an all-new Hellspawn-adjacent anti-hero loosely based on the original design McFarlane had for the character that he's most recognized for. But if you know McFarlane at all, you know his ambitions never stop with his current project.

Or for that matter, the current medium he's working in.

I recently sat down with the Image Comics co-founder and Spawn creator in advance of Spawn '77 hitting shelves this fall. But eventually, our conversation shifted from McFarlane's comic plans to his movie plans, plans which, as you might know, have been in the works for a while. Currently being produced by horror titan Blumhouse, the King Spawn movie is McFarlane's second shot at the big screen and, if all goes well, one of many more.

"The big master plan has always been," McFarlane told me, "If you come out with a small movie and it's successful again, then that will open up the floodgates. I'm already talking to people about GunSlinger and about Medieval and a couple of the other characters. As we get going on this one movie, when we get there, we'll start working on those other characters in parallel."

In case you don't already know, reader, "GunSlinger" and "Medieval" are fellow Hellspawns, similar to Al Simmons, from different points in the history of the Spawn-Verse. McFarlane says that discussions about those characters geting the cinematic treatment are in motion, "so that, once the movie comes out, then there will be a couple of sort of 'Spawn Universe' stuff following behind it; without it being slavish to, 'It all has to be connected.' Or whatever."

But not all of McFarlane's hopes for that "Spawn Universe" are on the big screen

"I think that there's a cool Sam & Twitch TV show," McFarlane concluded, "That's just - I'm going to date myself - Hill Street Blues meets X-Files. There's just like a creep factor in what otherwise is a super grounded, gritty show."

Well we hope to see those soon, Todd.

Todd McFarlane's Spawn is available now wherever you get your comics. Todd McFarlane's Spawn, the movie, is also available now.

Interested? Here's where to find your closest local comic store, courtesy of Sweet, and here's a guide to how (and where) to read comics online. If you're looking for the best comics in recent memory, check out the Eisner Awards winners and the Harvey Awards nominees. And if you like free comics, here's everything we know about Free Comic Book Day 2027.