BUCK ROGERS Reboot Takes Off with DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Writer

The long-dormant Buck Rogers franchise is finally gearing up for a comeback. Legendary Entertainment, the studio behind Dune and the MonsterVerse films, is officially moving forward with its long-planned reboot of the classic sci-fi hero. And this time, they’ve brought in a major Marvel talent to give it new life.

According to The Wrap, Zeb Wells, one of the writers behind Deadpool & Wolverine, has been tapped to write the latest draft of Legendary’s Buck Rogers reboot. Wells’ recent work also includes Thor: Love and Thunder, The Marvels, and serving as head writer for the animated Marvel Zombies miniseries.

For fans of classic sci-fi, Buck Rogers is one of the genre’s original space-faring heroes. Created by Philip Francis Nowlan, the character debuted in the 1928 novella Armageddon 2419 A.D., which followed a coal mine inspector who wakes up 500 years in the future to find himself caught in an interplanetary war.

The story’s massive success spawned the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century A.D. newspaper comic strip, which ran until 1967 and helped shape the visual style of retro-futurism. The series’ imaginative take on technology and space adventure even influenced Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, while also inspiring other sci-fi legends like Flash Gordon.

The character first appeared in a 1939 Universal serial starring Buster Crabbe, followed by a short-lived 1950s TV series. But the most well-known version remains the 1979 film Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, starring Gil Gerard.

Originally conceived as a TV pilot, the film was released in theaters six months before the show’s NBC premiere and became a surprise box office hit, earning $21.7 million on a $3.5 million budget. The TV series ran for two seasons and 37 episodes, becoming a cult favorite among sci-fi fans.

Now, nearly 45 years later, Buck Rogers is set to blast off once again, this time through the creative lens of a writer who helped bring Deadpool and Wolverine together on screen. With Wells attached and Legendary backing the project, the reboot could finally give the pioneering space hero the modern, cinematic adventure he deserves.

It’s been a long time coming, but it sounds like Buck Rogers is ready to return to the 25th century.