Mark Millar is planning Superman and Batman movies independent of DC

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Mark Millar, the mind behind Kick-Ass and Kingsman, intends to create his own versions of Superman and Batman comics once the copyrights on those characters expire in under ten years. He also hopes to produce films featuring these heroes independently of DC and Warner Bros.

Hollywood is currently dealing with a challenge: the copyrights on many famous characters are running out, which means anyone can now create stories using those characters and franchises.

Recently, several classic children’s characters have become freely available for anyone to use, entering what’s called the public domain. This includes well-known figures like Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, and an older version of Mickey Mouse. As a result, we’ve seen the creation of horror-themed projects like ‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey,’ ‘Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare,’ and ‘Screamboat,’ which reimagine these characters in scary new ways.

The comic book world could see some major changes in the next ten years. Copyrights for iconic characters like Superman and Batman will soon expire, and writer Mark Millar intends to capitalize on this opportunity.

Mark Millar is paying an artist $250k to work on his Superman comic

Mark Millar recently shared on the Thinking Critical show that he’s already developing ideas for what he’ll do when Superman’s copyright expires in 2034.

I’m so excited! Mark Millar just announced that the project will be hitting shelves in January 2034! He said it’s been in the works for eight years now, and he’s already signed contracts with two of the three artists who will be working on it. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally happening!

One of the artists involved will take a significant amount of time on the project – a twelve-issue series – and I’m planning to begin working with him in four years. He’s receiving $250,000 upfront for the artwork. We’ve already signed a contract with him before any work begins, and I expect to start writing the story in about three years, with a planned release date of January 2034.

I’ve chatted with two other guys about joining the project, and I’m planning to get them officially signed up in a couple of years. I’m really committed to making this happen, and after that, I’m aiming to tackle the Batman project.

Lex Luthor and Mr Mxyzptlk are the villains

Millar has already decided on the villains for the initial storyline: Lex Luthor and Mr. Mxyzptlk. He chose them because they were both introduced very early in the character’s history, making them available to use relatively quickly within the story’s timeline.

He’s also made it clear who he absolutely won’t be featuring: “Definitely not Brainiac – you’ll have to wait another 25 years for him. Honestly, you can do without all the others too. Characters like Bizarro, Toyman, or the Prankster aren’t essential.”

Lex Luthor is the main threat, and beyond that, I’m planning to introduce a variety of new villains for Superman. That’s essentially my approach.

Superman and Batman movies will follow

Millar has ambitious plans, aiming to utilize DC characters extensively between 2034 and 2039. He intends to work with top artists, even recruiting them from rival companies like Marvel and DC, and playfully admits he enjoys stirring things up.

While he also has celluloid ambitions that don’t involve either DC or Warner Bros.

Okay, so I’ve come up with a completely fresh take on Superman – a totally new approach, honestly. I’ve already mapped out the whole story, every beat of it. And I’m hoping to turn it into a series of movies. The cool thing is, because the character will eventually be public domain, we aren’t locked into any one studio to make it happen. We’re really going for it, and I’m excited to get this ball rolling!

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2025-10-23 15:49