We still don’t have Dredd 2. Unfortunately, Karl Urban, who played the anti-hero Judge Dredd in the 2012 action movie, isn’t sure if there’ll ever be one. Even if it doesn’t happen, he’d still be happy to see more Dredd out in the world, regardless of who’s in the helmet.
Speaking to GQ about it all, he said he just wants someone to realise the potential of that world, and tap into it. “I certainly would be interested to revisit the character,” he says. “There’s just such a great depth of material there that was written by John Wagner and other writers over the years. Particular stories revolving around Judge Death.”
That’s one of Dredd’s main antagonists, an ethereal judge from an apocalyptic timeline who’s decided that since all crime is performed by the living, life itself should be illegal. While Urban’s obviously keen, someone else tacking the Dark Judges would be fine by him. “It doesn’t bother me if I were to get the opportunity to play Dredd again, or it’s someone else,” he adds. “I would just love to see those stories. I’d be excited for anybody who gets their hands on the rights to do that, that’d be incredible.”
Right now, more Dredd is murky waters. A sci-fi series set in the universe, called Judge Dredd: Mega-City One, was announced back in 2017, and Urban said he was in discussions, but it appears to have quietly stalled.
The flagship character of 2000AD, Judge Dredd is about the titular lawman, who doles out the law in an unjust world. It’s set in a sprawling metropolis full of crime, whose neo-fascist police force have the power to sentence people on sight.
The character and premise were created as a satire of modern policing and politics. Over the years, some plotlines have made hefty commentary on war and society, while others, like when Judge Death appear, just make for some good old-fashioned sci-fi.
For now, you can catch Urban in The Boys season 4. Peruse our best superhero movies list for more wild heroics.