The upcoming Sony Pictures Marvel Comics adaptation, “El Muerto,” has found its director. Deadline reports Sony has tapped filmmaker Jonás Cuarón to direct hip-hop artist Bad Bunny in the upcoming film.
The comic book superhero project is currently slated for a January 2024 release.
Bad Bunny’s ‘El Muerto’ Finds Its Director
Cuarón (“Gravity,” “Desierto,” “Year of the Nail”) is also the son of Academy Award-winning filmmaker, Alfonso Cuarón. The comic book superhero movie is still in development. Cuarón will direct from a script by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer.
The character, who first appeared in the pages of “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,” Issue No. 6 in May 2006 is a Mexican wrestler and luchador-themed superhero. El Muerto, aka Marcus Estrada de la García, is the latest in a line of El Muertos in his family.
Marcus is the latest luchador in line to inherit his family’s ancestral power of “El Muerto.” The film will be a spinoff of Sony’s “Spider-Man” film universe. It is the latest in a series of planned “Spider-Man” film spinoffs from Sony, including next year’s “Kraven the Hunter” and “Madame Web.”
Sony Pictures put the film together as a star vehicle for rapper Bad Bunny, aka Benito Martínez Ocasio. It was first announced earlier this year at CinemaCon 2022 in Las Vegas. A wrestling-themed Latino superhero is an appropriate role for Bad Bunny, who is a major wrestling fan himself, having competed in WWE matchups at WrestleMania 37 and the 2022 Royal Rumble.
While Bad Bunny is a Grammy-winning music artist, his acting profile has been growing as of late. He had a recurring role in last year’s “Narcos: Mexico” on Netflix. He also had a featured role in this year’s hit film, “Bullet Train,” as a hitman named Wolf. He co-starred in the film opposite Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Andrew Koji, Michael Shannon, and Sandra Bullock.
Coincidentally, “Bullet Train” co-star Taylor-Johnson is also the eponymous star in next year’s “Kraven the Hunter” movie for Sony. “Madame Web” will star Dakota Johnson in the titular role, along with “Euphoria” star Sydney Sweeney.
Sony has thus far had mixed results with its “Spider-Man” film spinoffs. While “Venom” and its 2021 sequel, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” were not critical darlings, they both did very well at the box office. However, this year’s other “Spider-Man” spinoff “Morbius,” starring Jared Leto and Matt Smith, was a box office disappointment and garnered terrible reviews. Regardless, Sony is pressing forward with its “Spider-Man” film universe plans.
However, Sony is also releasing animated sequels to the very successful 2018 animated feature, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” Its sequel, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” arrives June 2, 2023. The next installment, “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,” arrives on March 29, 2024. “Into the Spider-Verse” also won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Meet The Spot, Miles Morales's most formidable foe yet. 🕳 Voiced by Jason Schwartzman, see him in action in Spider-Man: Across the #SpiderVerse, exclusively in movie theaters June 2, 2023. pic.twitter.com/1aAmMjMcpX
— Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (@SpiderVerse) June 13, 2022
Cuarón co-wrote the script for his father’s 2013 film, “Gravity,” alongside his father. This will be his fourth directorial feature. His upcoming film, “Chupa,” which he also wrote, is currently in post-production. His other directorial feature efforts include “Year of the Nail” and “Desierto.”
“El Muerto,” starring Bad Bunny and directed by Cuarón, arrives in theaters on January 12, 2024.
