Is Mark Wahlberg Universal’s New Six Million Dollar Man?

They can rebuild him. They have the technology. But will audiences even care? That’s the question that Universal is facing now, as The Tracking Board reports that the studio is trying yet again to assemble a reboot of the beloved 1974 series The Six Million Dollar Man. 

A remake of The Six Million Dollar Man has been in the works for decades. First came a screenplay from Kevin Smith in the 1990s that he eventually adapted into a comic book titled The Bionic Man. Then came a comedic take starring Jim Carrey from The Hangover writer/director Todd Phillips, followed by an attempt in 2006 from Richard Anderson (who had a supporting role in the original series), which never materialized due to a fight between Miramax and Universal over the rights to the property.  Universal then tried again in 2011, with Bryan Singer in the director’s chair and Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role.

Word has it that the studio is giving the remake another shot, this time with the intention of reuniting Lone Survivor director Peter Berg with Mark Wahlberg. Berg will produce and possibly direct the film, with Wahlberg in consideration to star as the titular astronaut-turned-cyborg.

For those unfamiliar with the property, The Six Million Dollar Man is based off the novel Cyborg by Martin Caidin. It tells the story of Col. Steve Austin, an astronaut who gets seriously injured during a test flight. A government agency known as OSI (The Office of Scientific Intelligence) spends six million dollars rebuilding him using advanced technology. He receives bionic legs (giving him super speed), a mechanical eye that can zoom in and out, take pictures, and use night vision, and a mechanical arm said to be as strong as a bulldozer.

Honestly, I don’t think the world really needs a Six Million Dollar Man reboot, and I wonder if the concept would even interest modern day audiences. Sure, the idea of a bionic man probably seemed cool in the 70s, but today’s moviegoers have seen far more exciting and outlandish science fiction properties. Chances are Universal will give the character even more enhanced abilities and gadgets to set him apart from the likes of RoboCop, Inspector Gadget, Iron Man, Cyborg, and even Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Deathlok.

Tell us, are you excited about a Six Million Dollar Man reboot from Peter Berg starring Mark Wahlberg? Let us know in the comments section below!