In the Marvel comics ‘El Muerto’, wrestler Juan Carlos Estrada Sanchez gains superpowers through a mysterious mask. But to survive and retain his powers, he must defeat and unmask a superhero. He decides to battle Spider-Man, and both later become allies…
In 2022, Sony announced at the cinema trade fair CinemaCon that it would produce films featuring ‘Spider-Man’ characters such as ‘Venom’, ‘Morbius’ or the upcoming ‘Kraven The Hunter’ and ‘Madame Web’ as part of its I Am series planning to adapt “El Muerto”. At the time, the lead actor, Bad Bunny, was presented on stage and promised that filming would begin soon. The musician, also known for films such as ‘Bullet Train’ and ‘Fast & Furious 9’, explained at the time why he was so enthusiastic about the role. But now the project appears to be history again.
Bad Bunny will no longer be El Muerto
A few months ago, “El Muerto,” which was actually announced for a January 2024 theatrical release, quietly disappeared from Sony’s release calendar. While it was speculated at the time that the link between the Hollywood writers’ strike and the star’s busy schedule was the reason, it is now becoming increasingly clear that the project may not happen at all. At least it doesn’t come with Bad Bunny.
As part of a detailed portrait of he was asked about the status of his Marvel project. As interviewer Michelle Ruiz notes in her article, there was an “awkward silence” before Bad Bunny’s PR agent asked for the next question. Before the journalist could ask, Bad Bunny said something else, “I don’t know what to say.” The situation was ‘delicate’. His PR agent then noticed that the movie is “obviously out” – so the project is probably dead. No reasons were given for this.
Jonás Cuarón (“Desierto”), the son of Alfonso Cuarón, was actually supposed to direct the Marvel film. It’s of course possible that Sony will revive ‘El Muerto’ with a new lead actor at a later date. Nothing seems planned at the moment.