Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy III, a movie that never came to be, would have been a fitting conclusion to the superhero trilogy. The director's vision for the film was grand and ambitious, with a biblical apocalypse as its central theme. Del Toro's concept for the third installment was a bittersweet twist, where Hellboy, the demon summoned to end the world, would ultimately save it. This idea of a destructive savior is a recurring theme in the comics, where Hellboy's role is to bring about Ragnarok, a mythical apocalypse. Del Toro's interpretation of the character, as seen in the first two movies, added a layer of romance and depth to the story, making Hellboy a more relatable and complex figure.
The lack of momentum and financial prospects were significant roadblocks to the realization of Hellboy III. The first two movies in the franchise did not perform exceptionally well at the box office, and the studio was not willing to invest in a higher budget for the third installment. Del Toro's vision for the film required a substantial budget, which was not feasible given the changing landscape of the film industry with the rise of streaming services. The DVD sales that supported the first two movies were no longer a reliable source of income.
The creative differences between del Toro and Mike Mignola, the creator of Hellboy, also played a role in the cancellation of the third film. Del Toro's maximalist and romantic approach to storytelling clashed with Mignola's minimalist and stoic style. This tension was evident in the second movie, where del Toro's influence was more pronounced, and Mignola's control over the character diminished. Mignola's attempts to reassert his vision in the 2019 reboot and the 2024 film, 'Hellboy: The Crooked Man', were met with mixed results, as fans longed for the del Toro trilogy-ender.
The Hellboy reboots have not erased fans' memories of del Toro's trilogy. The 2019 reboot, in particular, was criticized for its flippant comedy and choppy editing, which contrasted sharply with the eerie and solemn atmosphere of the original comics. While 'The Crooked Man' captured the tone of the comics, its low production values and lack of visual flair made it a pale imitation of del Toro's work. Despite the setbacks, the Hellboy franchise remains a beloved shared setting in comics, and del Toro's vision for the trilogy-ending film continues to captivate fans' imaginations.
