While it’s taken some time for it to rip and tear its way back into the spotlight, the Doom franchise has re-emerged as one of gaming’s most popular shooter series. After lying dormant for a decade or so, it bounced back with a brand new entry in 2016, which ended up being one of our favorite games of the year, in fact. Admittedly, we weren’t thrilled by the pared-back Nintendo Switch port, but id Software blew us away with the release of Doom Eternal, which proved that the series still has plenty of life left in it.
However, when it comes to the franchise’s big screen adaptations, things haven’t fared all that well. The 2005 self-titled movie was, if we’re being honest, pretty garbage, and last year’s 2019 Doom: Annihilation was so embarrassing that publisher Bethesda put out a statement to distance themselves (and their developers) from the project. Still, it looks like Universal hasn’t given up on the franchise just yet.
According to our sources – the same ones who told us a new Scream movie is in development and Han was returning in Fast & Furious 9 – the studio is planning on rebooting the movie series, with the next installment focusing on the events of the original game from 1993. The film won’t have any connections to any of the aforementioned outings, and while plot details are still scarce, we’ve been informed that one name the studio’s eyeing for the lead role is John Cena, who’ll soon be seen in the aforementioned F9.
Personally, we’re a little skeptical about another Doom adaptation – after all, the games have often prided themselves on prioritizing gameplay over story – but we hope Universal will find a balance that’ll appeal to general moviegoers and longtime fans alike. And if they do indeed manage to snag Cena to star, that’d certainly be a big step in the right direction.
