Get out your card decks and backgammon boards, because lucky Buck is back. That’s right, headway is finally being made on the reboot of Buck Rogers, the beloved sci-fi character whose origins date all the way back to 1929. According to a new report from Deadline, Deadpool & Wolverine scribe Zeb Wells has officially been tapped to write the script for this new incarnation of Rogers, which is being handled by Legendary after the studio entered into a deal to produce not only a feature film, but an entire transmedia franchise.
The deal with Legendary dates back to 2020 and also includes producer Don Murphy, Scottish filmmaker Susan Montford, and Flint Dille. Plot details for Wells’ script remain a closely guarded secret, so it’s unknown at this point which direction the new movie will take. Rogers first appeared in the novella Armageddon 2419 A.D., which was published in the August 1928 issue of Amazing Stories. Since then, he’s appeared in newspaper strips, comic books, radio serials, movies, and TV shows.
Wells is not only hot off the success of Deadpool & Wolverine, which he served as co-writer on, but he’s also one of the men behind Marvel Zombies. The series quickly became Disney+’s top performing animated show following its debut on September 24. Wells is also an accomplished comic book scribe, penning scripts for the likes of The Amazing Spider-Man, X-Men, and Daredevil for Marvel, and Snake Woman for Virgin Comics.
Who Should Play Buck Rogers?
In addition to the feature film that appears to be moving forward at Legendary, the company also announced in 2020 that a new TV series was in the works with comic book writer Brian K. Vaughan attached to pen the scripts. There’s no word yet on if that’s still happening, but in 2021 it was said that Smokehouse Pictures was on board to co-produce. Reports were that co-founder George Clooney was interested in starring in the small screen adaptation of the popular character, but again, there’s been no confirmation if that is still even happening.
For now, we turn our attention to the big screen with some fantasy casting. The most obvious choice to play Rogers at this time would be Glen Powell, who seems to be everywhere these days. Nathan Fillion would be another good choice given his sharp wit and Firefly background, as would Chris Pratt. Timothée Chalamet could also be in the running, and this is a long shot, but we could also see someone like Zac Efron doing wonders with the role. Seriously.
Of course, things are still in the very early stages of development, so all we can do is guess who will take on the role. Whomever it is will have a tall task ahead of them, as Rogers is one of the most beloved science fiction heroes of all time. There will no doubt be a lot of people scrutinizing every little detail.
For the younger generation who didn’t grow up on a steady diet of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, this will be a great way to introduce them to one of the most fun characters in sci-fi history. We’ll have more news on the project as it develops.
- Release Date
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March 2, 1979
- Runtime
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89
- Director
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Daniel Haller
