‘Slugfest’ will debut on new streaming service Quibi
The directors of Avengers: Endgame are to executive produce a docuseries focusing on the comic book industry rivalry between the Marvel and DC universe.
Joe and Anthony Russo will helm Slugfest for new streaming service Quibi, adapting the 2017 book by Reed Tucker, Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year battle between the two superhero giants.
Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce, who were behind the recent fact-based feature film, Framing John DeLorean and Imagine Dragons activism documentary Believer will direct the project, reports Den Of The Geek.
A synopsis from Quibi reads: “Slugfest will bring to light little-known stories from the history of this uniquely American art form. The men and women who were behind the creation of some of the best-known and most revered characters in the world will share their stories and reflect on the symbiotic relationship between DC and Marvel, whose rivalry pushed the medium to its greatest heights.
“The series features the stories of the remarkable behind-the-scenes endeavours and achievements that defined these industry titans, from the secret crossover inspired by the Halloween parades of small-town Rutland, Vermont, to the history behind the bone-crushing handshake between Superman and Spider-Man, in the first official crossover. Each story is a gold nugget for fans of both DC and Marvel — helping fans dive deeper into the behind-the-scenes history of their favourite brands.”
The Slugfest docuseries, will focus on the 1960s period, in which Marvel became a pop culture juggernaut with the late Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko introducing more realistically motivated characters such as the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk and the X-Men, forcing the old guard of Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman home of DC Comics to reinvent itself.
Slugfest is one of several projects slated for Quibi’s streaming service, which launches on April 6, 2020. A horror anthology series by Sam Raimi, entitled 50 States of Fright, is also being developed.
Meanwhile, the Russo brothers recently admitted they would be tempted to return to Marvel to develop further X-Men and Fantastic Four stories.
