Liam Neeson discusses whether he is interested in returning as Dr. Peyton Westlake / Darkman in a potential legacy sequel to the 1990 superhero film.
Liam Neeson has revealed whether he would be open to revisiting his titular character from Darkman in a theoretical legacy sequel.
In a conversation with ComicBook.com, Neeson was asked whether he would ever return to any of his past roles, specifically Darkman‘s Dr. Peyton Westlake. “That’s a good question,” Neeson responded. “I would be very interested in reading the script. Very.”
Released in 1990, Darkman starred Neeson as a brilliant scientist who is left for dead. After a treatment to cure his burn injuries fails, he develops superhuman abilities and decides to exact revenge on the people who burned him alive. The film was a modest box office success but has become a beloved cult classic in the decades since its release. Darkman is also responsible for helping launch the careers of stars Neeson and Frances McDormand, who played Julie Hastings, an attorney and Peyton’s love interest in the film.
The film spawned two direct-to-video sequels, both without the involvement of Neeson and writer-director Sam Raimi. Darkman II: The Return of Durant was released on home video in 1995 while Darkman III: Die Darkman Die followed in 1996. Bradford May took over as director from Raimi while Arnold Vosloo, best known for his work in The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, replaced Neeson as the titular character.
Darkman was Raimi’s first foray into superhero filmmaking. The director later left his mark on the Spider-Man franchise, helming the Tobey Maguire-led trilogy that was released in theaters between 2002 and 2007. Raimi returned to the Marvel universe in 2020 when he replaced Scott Derrickson as director of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Darkman is not the only ’90s character Neeson has recently expressed interest in reprising. In April 2022, Neeson admitted he would return to Star Wars and step back into Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn’s robes on one condition. “Oh, I think so… if it was a film,” Neeson said. “Yeah, I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to TV, I must admit, I just like the big screen, you know?”
Qui-Gon Jinn has been rumored to make an appearance in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+, but nothing has been confirmed by Disney or Lucasfilm. Neeson last reprised the role in a voice cameo in 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Neeson can be seen next in Memory, which opens in theaters on April 29. Raimi’s Doctor Strange sequel hits theaters on May 6.
Source: ComicBook.com
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