It's time for the Annual Plastic Man Movie Rumor!
On Feb. 11, James Gunn, the director who's been given the reins of the DC Comics movie franchise, addressed on social media rumors involving movies based on DC characters Plastic Man, Teen Titans, Sgt. Rock and Supergirl.
"AT LEAST one of those things is not true," Gunn wrote in response to a discussion on Threads. "Have fun guessing!"
That's about as insightful as predicting resin prices during hurricane season.
Comics website Comic Book Resources did a roundup on the DC rumors, including one that Darren Aronofsky is in talks to direct a Plastic Man movie.
"Aronofsky being a strong contender to direct a Plastic Man film in the DCU (DC Universe) appears to be a left field choice for many," the site wrote. "The Academy Award-nominated director is typically associated with stomach-churning psychological horror films and character study biopics such as Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan and The Wrestler."
"Plastic Man's comic book adventures are known for their quirky, offbeat structure and surreal slapstick humor," CBR added. "Aronofsky's name being attached has led to speculation that the DCU's iteration of Plastic Man could be set in the body horror genre."
Now as a lifelong comics fan, I have to say that seeing the words "Plastic Man" and "body horror genre" in the same sentence don't get my pulse racing. We all like a good fish-out-of-water type story, but that might be a step too far for Plastic Man, who's been described by such fun-loving terms as "the stretchable sleuth" for his crime-fighting abilities.
A quick refresher: Plastic Man was created by legendary comics creator Jack Cole in 1941 and has been in and out of the pop culture spotlight ever since. His biggest exposure likely was in a late 1970s Saturday morning cartoon.
Plastic Man began life as criminal Eel O'Brian, then gained stretching and shape-shifting powers after falling into a vat of chemicals during a robbery attempt. He turned away from his previous life and used these powers to fight crime.
The character has been linked to movie and TV projects for more than a decade, most recently in 2022 when Variety reported that actress Leslie Jones was developing an adult animated series based on the character. That project, along with many others linked to Plastic Man, apparently has faded away.
But DC gamely keeps trying to find a home for the character. This month, they included a Plastic Man story in a special Valentine's Day comic. The story, "Love's a Stretch," written by Dennis Hopeless and drawn by Baldemar Rivas. They really had to have a guy named Hopeless write a Plastic Man story? Ouch.
Allow me again to offer my working title for a movie or series: Plastic Man: Pollywood Nights. Hello, Oscar!