Toxic materials take decades or even centuries to decay. So of course The Toxic Avenger is getting a new franchise. You can’t get rid of him that easily. The world will turn to dust, and good ol’ Toxie will still be wandering around New Jersey.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that the rights to the Toxic Avenger, the flagship character of the schlockmeisters at Troma Entertainment, have been acquired by Legendary Entertainment with the ultimate goal of “relaunching the property as a full-throated franchise.” From 1994 to 2000, Toxie starred in four Troma films; in between he also headlined his own musical, comic books, and even a cartoon series for children, Toxic Crusaders, maybe the most awkward use of a violent movie for kiddie cartoon fodder this side of Rambo and the Forces of Freedom.

The original Toxic Avenger, directed by Troma’s Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman...

told the story of a mild-mannered young man named Melvin who becomes a disfigured radioactive hulking mess after falling into a vat of toxic waste. He uses his newfound form to brutally fight bad guys. The movie went on to become Troma's biggest success ... The character is also Troma's mascot.

I worked as an intern at Troma during the post-production on the fourth Toxic AvengerCitizen Toxie. I could tell you some stories. (Some of which are contained in the excellent making-of documentary Apocalypse Soon, which Troma has graciously posted for free in its entirety on YouTube.) It would be very strange seeing a big-budget Toxie — Legendary are the guys who make films like Pacific Rim and the new Godzilla series — but there is surely more (half)-life left in the character.

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