An unwritten rule of Hollywood is that every single superhero is going to be rebooted at least once – if not more – regardless of how many times various studios, writers, and filmmakers try and fail. The Phantom has been one of of the longest holdouts, but could a renewed lease of life on streaming light a fire under the tortured do-over?
Of course, this is all dependent on people actually getting around to watching Billy Zane indulge in a globetrotting adventure while clad head-to-toe in purple spandex that leaves very little to the imagination, which is by no means guaranteed when The Phantom isn’t very good. In fact, you could make a solid argument for calling it one of the most forgettable comic book adaptations there’s ever been.
It barely recouped half of its $45 million budget from theaters, secured underwhelming Rotten Tomatoes approval ratings of 43 and 31 percent from critics and crowds, before being swept under the rug as the 1990s realized bringing pulpy crimefighters to the big screen wasn’t worth the investment after The Phantom joined The Shadow and The Rocketeer in bombing spectacularly.
And yet, a follow-up has been lurking in the bowels of development hell for 15 years. Initially conceived as a direct sequel, a reboot was announced instead titled The Phantom: Legacy, with Sam Worthington rumored to be under consideration for the lead role. That had fallen to pieces by 2014, but it’s still out there somewhere.
Will it ever happen? Maybe, maybe not, but you can never truly rule out any comic book property when it comes to rising from the ashes.