Castlevania And Devil May Cry Anime Producer Buys Duke Nukem Rights

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Producer Adi Shankar, who has already transformed Castlevania and Devil May Cry into anime series via Netflix, has now announced that he’s obtained the rights for Duke Nukem, a first-person shooter franchise renowned for its crude humor, which was originally developed by 3D Realms.

During an interview with Esquire, Shankar expressed that he acquired ownership of Duke Nukem, specifically not the gaming rights, but from Gearbox. He described this as a symbolic gesture towards everyone. When Duke Nukem became popular, many tried to transform it into a brand, but for him, it’s just a middle finger. According to Shankar, Duke Nukem cannot be produced by a corporation because once a corporation takes over, it ceases to be the original Duke Nukem. He made it clear that he doesn’t want anyone dictating how he should handle this project.

It’s uncertain if Shankar’s agreement with Gearbox has any impact on the ongoing development of the live-action Duke Nukem film at Legendary Entertainment, the team behind Cobra Kai. Since its announcement in 2022, there hasn’t been much news about this project. Similarly, the last game in the series, Duke Nukem Forever, was released in 2011, and since then, no new games have been developed or plans for sequels discussed.

Shankar provided no additional details about Duke Nukem’s future projects, but he did discuss Devil May Cry Season 2, which Netflix has already commissioned. A few subtle hints about the conclusion of Devil May Cry Season 1 may be found in the following paragraphs.

Shankar mentioned, “I’ve always intended for Devil May Cry to be constructed and broadened, and the first season was meant to serve as an introduction. However, the narrative approach in Season 2 will change. In fact, Season 2 will present a distinct style and mood compared to Season 1. Virgil is a significant, crucial character, making it feel like we’re embarking on a new series.

Rather than aiming to match the success of his work on Castlevania, Shanker is now striving to surpass Arcane, the highly-praised animated show inspired by League of Legends.

I have ambitions, I aim to surpass Arcane in terms of viewership… Arcane is like setting money on fire and it’s impressive. With Season 2 of Devil May Cry, I aspire to outshine that performance. It’s like showing up to a battle with a water balloon and still destroying the tank, because it’s just cool.

Netflix hasn’t set a premiere date yet for Devil May Cry Season 2.

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2025-06-21 01:39