Duke Nukem Rights Go to Devil May Cry Producer

Adi Shankar, the showrunner behind Netflix's Castlevania and Devil May Cry adaptations, has now set his sights on the Duke Nukem franchise after securing the screen rights from Gearbox Software.

The creative lead for the animated project hinted at his next venture during a discussion with Esquire. While upcoming installments like Devil May Cry Season 2 remain a priority, it appears a new adaptation inspired by the iconic, self-aware first-person shooter series is currently in development.

“I'm being approached with different IPs and companies that want to work with me,” Shankar explained. “I purchased the rights to Duke Nukem. Not the gaming rights, but I acquired them from Gearbox.”

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Duke Nukem is a quintessentially ‘90s video game series that launched in 1991, but it wasn't until Duke Nukem 3D in 1996 that it truly defined itself in the FPS genre. A series of follow-ups arrived over the next 15 years, but the 2011 release, Duke Nukem Forever, was widely panned by critics and players. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 title severely tarnished the buzzcut hero’s reputation, leaving the franchise dormant ever since.

Shankar is already brainstorming ideas for a contemporary interpretation of Duke Nukem. It remains uncertain whether the project will be an animated series akin to his previous work, a feature film, or something entirely new. Still, Shankar is actively developing plans behind the scenes.

"I don't intend on having anyone tell me what to do on this one.“

“It's a middle finger to everyone,” Shankar remarked, outlining his vision for Duke Nukem. “When Duke Nukem became successful, many tried to commercialize it, but it's fundamentally irreverent. Duke Nukem can’t be produced by a corporation—the moment it is, it loses its identity. I don't intend on having anyone tell me what to do on this one.”

Fans will have to wait to see what Shankar has planned for the '90s icon. At this stage, no casting, storyline, or release date details for the Duke Nukem adaptation have been shared. It's also uncertain how this rights acquisition will affect the Duke Nukem film from Legendary Entertainment that was reported back in 2022.

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To get a sense of what to anticipate, you can explore details of Shankar's other Netflix ventures. Our assessment gave Devil May Cry Season 1 an 8/10, and Castlevania Season 1 received an 8.1/10 from us when it debuted in 2017. Shankar is also engaged in other Netflix projects, including the Castlevania: Nocturne spinoff, an Assassin’s Creed series, and an animated PUBG show.