The man behind Netflix’s Castlevania and Devil May Cry series has yet another series in the works after buying the rights to Duke Nukem.
Netflix has been fully embracing video game IPs by releasing a slew of animated shows based on them.
The streaming service stunned audiences with Cyberpunk Edgerunners, The Witcher, Arcane, Tomb Raider, and has Splinter Cell: Deathwatch coming later in 2025.
As it turns out, yet another project appears to be in the works. Adi Shankar, the showrunner for Netflix’s Devil May Cry and Castlevania, has revealed he’s acquired the rights to Duke Nukem.
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Duke Nukem adaptation revealed by Devil May Cry showrunner
In an interview with Esquire, Shankar was asked about what he was working on next and explained that he had video games in production with more DMC on the way.
“I’m being approached with different IPs and companies that want to work with me,” he said. “I bought the rights to Duke Nukem.”
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According to Shankar, while he didn’t buy the gaming rights to Duke Nukem from Gearbox, but could be making a movie or TV series instead.
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Gearbox
Shankar already has ideas for Duke Nukem, too. The 90s FPS icon hasn’t had much in the way of media attention lately, especially after the disastrous release of Duke Nukem Forever in 2011.
“It’s a middle finger to everybody,” Shankar said of his vision for his version of Duke Nukem.
“When Duke Nukem blew up, a bunch of people sat around trying to turn it into a brand, when it’s just a middle finger. Duke Nukem can’t be made by a corporation, because the moment a corporation makes Duke Nukem, it’s no longer Duke Nukem. I don’t intend on having anyone tell me what to do on this one.”
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It’s also unclear how this project may impact Legendary Entertainment’s Duke Nukem film after the studio acquired the rights to make a movie back in 2022.
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Netflix
This all said, Duke is still on the backburner as Shankar works on DMC Season 2 and wants to absolutely dominate the competition on Netflix.
“I have goals. I want to body Arcane, surpass it in viewership… Arcane is the Joker lighting cash on fire, and it’s great,” he said. “With season 2 of Devil May Cry, I want to beat that. Show up to a tank fight with a water balloon and destroy the tank. Because that’s cool.”
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