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

The creative lead for these animated projects hinted at his next venture in an interview with Esquire. While priorities like a second season of Devil May Cry are underway, it's clear a new project based on the iconic, satirical first-person shooter franchise is in development.

"I'm constantly approached with different IPs and companies interested in collaboration," Shankar stated. "I acquired the rights to Duke Nukem. Not the gaming rights, but I purchased them from Gearbox."

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Duke Nukem is a quintessentially '90s video game series that launched in 1991, but it truly found its identity in 1996 with the landmark first-person shooter Duke Nukem 3D. Numerous sequels emerged over the next 15 years, but the 2011 release, Duke Nukem Forever, faced harsh criticism from both reviewers and the fanbase. This PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 title significantly tarnished the reputation of the buzz-cut hero, leading to a complete absence of new entries since.

Shankar is already brainstorming ideas for a modern interpretation of Duke Nukem. It remains to be seen whether fans will get an animated series in the style of his other work, a film, or something entirely different, but Shankar is actively assembling a project behind the scenes.

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

Shankar described his vision for Duke Nukem as "a middle finger to everybody." He elaborated, "When Duke Nukem became popular, a group of people tried to turn it into a sanitized brand, but it's fundamentally a rebellious statement. Duke Nukem can't be manufactured by a corporation, because the instant a corporation makes it, it ceases to be Duke Nukem. I don't plan on letting anyone dictate the creative direction here."

We'll have to wait to see what Shankar has planned for this '90s icon. Currently, no casting, plot, or release date information for the Duke Nukem project has been announced. It's also unclear how this recent rights acquisition will affect the Duke Nukem movie from Legendary Entertainment that was reported in 2022.

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For a clearer idea of what to expect, you can explore his other Netflix projects. We awarded Season 1 of Devil May Cry an 8/10 in our review, and Castlevania Season 1 received an 8.1/10 from us when it debuted in 2017. Shankar is also involved in additional Netflix series, including the Castlevania: Nocturne spinoff, an Assassin’s Creed series, and even an animated PUBG show.