New HENCHMAN Story Details Reveal Twisted DC Gotham City Tale From Zack Cregger
Barbarian and Weapons director Zach Cregger, has quietly written a DC Comics-based script for DC Studios that takes a gritty, street-level dive into Gotham City. The project is reportedly titled Henchman, and while it hasn't officially been pitched to DC Studios yet, more information about it has been shared.
According to a previously report we learned that Henchman follows "a low-level henchman in the Gotham crime world who gains notoriety after managing to incapacitate Batman through a stroke of luck."
The story won't center around the Caped Crusader, but he may appear briefly. Instead, expect more focus on Harley Quinn and The Joker, who are both said to play major roles.
New details shared by insider Daniel Richtman shed more light on the film's lead character and twisted plot. Here are the story details shared:
"In Gotham City, Robert Redguard, a mild-mannered pharmacist, is struggling to care for his sick son. After a wrongful arrest and a harrowing prison bus escape, Robert becomes inadvertently entangled with The Joker and Harley Quinn and becomes part of their gang.
“As he commits progressively darker crimes, Robert begins to lose his former identity, transforming from reluctant participant to full-blown criminal."
Fans of Batman: The Animated Series might see echoes of the episode "The Man Who Killed Batman," where a low-level thug accidentally takes down the Dark Knight. But Henchman promises to dive deeper into the psychology and moral decay of a desperate man caught in Gotham's chaos.
In an earlier interview, Cregger spoke about his connection to the script. "The thing I'd love to do next... I've actually written a movie that takes place in the DC Universe.
“Which is so not normally my thing; I'm not a superhero guy - I just couldn't stop thinking about this one story that kind of takes place in a Batman-adjacent thing. And so I wrote it, and I'm utterly obsessed with it."
He later said: "If I got the call, I would drop everything and go make that movie in a heartbeat. It’s my favorite thing I’ve ever written. I love it, and I’m dying to make it. I have not talked to James Gunn in my whole life. I don’t know him but I would certainly love to meet him and have the conversation. Who knows man?"
While Henchman isn't officially part of James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DCU slate, they're reportedly aware of Cregger's script. Whether it ever gets greenlit remains up in the air.
Cregger is currently attached to direct the new Resident Evil reboot and has a mysterious sci-fi film in development. So even if DC gives the green light, it might be a while before this dark Gotham tale hits the screen.
I like this concept for a DC movie! A desperate father turned criminal, a Joker-fueled descent, and a chance run-in with Batman? Henchman sounds like the kind of raw, character-driven DC story fans would like to see!