DC has several movie adaptations that have been reported to be in development over the past few years. One of the most unexpected ones at the time of its announcement was Blackhawks. In 2018, it was revealed that Steven Spielberg was developing a film based on the 1940s' "Blackhawk" comics, written by David Koepp (War of the Worlds, Spider-Man). The book — which was first published by Quality Comics in 1941's "Military Comics" #1 (DC would then acquire the property in 1957) — centered around a small group of World War II fighter pilots, led by a soldier called Blackhawk.
The Hollywood Reporter stated that Spielberg was producing Blackhawks with an intent to direct it, but the project went quiet for some time after that. Then, in late 2020, Koepp posted a picture on Instagram, showing that he was working on the film's screenplay:
Things then went quiet yet again, but we now have an update courtesy of David Koepp himself.
During an interview with Collider, Koepp was asked if there were any news regarding Blackhawks. He stated that the script was in good shape, but that the people behind Blackhawks wanted to wait for Warner Bros.' changing-leadership process to be completed, seemingly confirming the film's development has stalled. He also mentioned he was not aware whether or not Steven Spielberg would end up directing it:
"We have a script that's very good and we all think it's very good. There were a lot of management changes at Warner Bros, so I think we've just been kind of waiting for that to settle down and for them to decide what they want to do with their DC Universe. Obviously I hope [Steven Spielberg directs it], or if he doesn't direct it, I hope he produces it, someone great directs. Because it would be a great deal of fun. I'm very fond of the script and I hope it comes together. But again, that's one of those movies that's gonna need $200 million so, trying to get those whales off the beach is a big process."
When asked if the movie was intended to tie into DC's interconnected universe, Koepp said it didn't, mainly due to its period setting. However, he did mention that, due the nature of comic books, it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility for the property to eventually cross paths with some of DC's other crimefighters:
"No, and it would be hard because it's 1941 or 1940, actually. So it would be a little tricky. As we were developing the script, we said 'Hey, let's make one great movie. It's 1940, that's the way it is.' And if it works out and in the future they decide they want to unite anybody, I'm sure time travel will not be a problem. Because comic books have a great way of figuring that stuff out. 'We need Wonder Woman to be there!' Fine. Well, then she can, because of the 'Prometheus Portal.' I’m like, 'What's the Prometheus Portal.' 'You don’t know about the Prometheus Portal?'"
The apparent $200-million price tag could halt the project's development, but having a name like Spielberg attached to it could help bring it to fruition.
Blackhawk's First Potential Adaptation From the '80s
A fun fact about "Blackhawk" is that it could have potentially made it to the big screen in the '80s — at least, if it had reached any serious stages of development. In 2011, "Blackhawk" comic-book writer Mark Evanier gave an interview to The Quality Companion, in which he revealed that DC instructed him to revive the World War II comic.
As he explained, he believed that was a result of Steven Spielberg circling an adaptation of the property. Though according to Evanier, the film was not seriously considered for development:
"I believe what happened was that Steve Spielberg was interested in possibly doing something with 'Blackhawk' and somebody even mentioned that Dan Aykroyd wanted to play the character. But I think that was just a pie in the sky. I don't think there was ever an offer made — that somebody just inquired 'Are the rights available if we want them?' and DC let that leak or it leaked somehow and all of a sudden some other studios went "Hey, maybe we’ll grab Blackhawk if Spielberg thinks it's hot.' So, suddenly, DC thought it was advantageous to have a 'Blackhawk' comic back on the schedule. At that point, the initial thinking was that they would publish it as a quarterly. DC had a couple writers and artists under contract with them that they really didn't want to use on the books that they cared about. So, they initially suggested another writer and artist whom they just needed to find work for because they had signed contracts — to do 'Blackhawk' and knock it out."
The Blackhawks have been a part of DC Comics lore throughout the decades (admittedly, at times through alternate incarnations of their original concept), and have made appearances in shows like Justice League (Episode "The Savage Time") and Justice League Unlimited ("I Am Legion"). While they are not as popular as some of DC's other superheroes, they could be an exciting addition to the company's live-action tapestry.
"Blackhawk" was created by Will Eisner, Chuck Cuidera and Bob Powell.