Games

A recognizable blank slate for action set-pieces sounds like a studio's dream. They can do anything and someone will watch it.

I could see a single short mini-episode where Duke shoots shit up and saves the day, and that's the depth it goes. A whole series? Kinda seems a bit too thin for that.

Besides, considering the character: if they keep him as is - some people are gonna raise hell. If they don't - other people gonna raise hell. I don't see there being a winning move here.

But, eh, whatever. If someone really wants to spend money on making it happen, sure, go ahead.

edit:

“It's a middle finger to everybody,” Shankar said when describing his vision for Duke Nukem. “When Duke Nukem blew up, a bunch of people sat around trying to turn it into a brand, when it's just a middle finger. Duke Nukem can't be made by a corporation, because the moment a corporation makes Duke Nukem, it's no longer Duke Nukem. I don't intend on having anyone tell me what to do on this one.”

as the article says. I guess they have a vision, but at the end of the day, a "middle finger to everybody" doesn't seem like a commercial success. Oh well, remains to be seen what comes out of this.

When Gearbox got the rights, I was sure Duke was going to show up in Borderlands, because thats basically the perfect place to put a relic of a character like that.

Have him do the 80s macho-man thing as a side character, and then contrast how much things have changed in the last 30 years for comedy.

There is no story that you could tell with Duke as the main character that wouldn't feel like it was a script written in 1998 just rotting in a warehouse somewhere.

You just gave all the reasons they would make a movie of him.

1. A nasty baddie that the audience can hate? ✅

2. Macho main character? ✅

3. One liners that can be sprinkled throughout the movie to give the audience goose bumps when uttered? ✅

4. Hot chicks in trouble? ✅

This is already a movie that a game would normally be made from.