For some reason this week I've been thinking about Doc Savage and I realized a sad thing. There will never be another film version of the character made. We've aged out of the period in which there were enough creative people behind the scenes with a love of the character willing to push a new film forward. While there have been sporadic revivals with various comic book series and even a series of generally excellent new books called The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage published starting in 2011, I just don't see anyone willing to bankroll a film based on a character that debuted in 1933. Even the possibility of a 100th anniversary celebration wouldn't be enough to get things off the ground, I fear. Our last chance came and went about ten years ago when Shane Black wanted to cast Dwayne Johnson in the role but he just didn't have the clout. (Maybe if he hadn't cut his Predator film down to the bone he would have had the financial success to get the project off the ground but Black is often his own worst editor.)
So now, for all eternity we are saddled with the incredibly flawed and silly 1975 George Pal film as the only cinematic version of the character available. Doc Savage deserved better, but at least the original pulps are regularly reprinted in cheap versions so he won't completely fade away. But his fanbase shrinks smaller with each passing year and that is a shame.
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