Castlevania and Devil May Cry anime creator Adi Shankar has acquired the rights to Duke Nukem

Adi Shankar may just be the most successful video game adapter in Hollywood right now. He has worked with Netflix to deliver the beloved and popular Castlevania, recently followed up with Devil May Cry, helped create the odd but great Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Adventure, and clearly he already has his eyes on what comes next.

Speaking in an interview with Esquire, Shankar has revealed that he has secured the adaptation rights for Duke Nukem from Gearbox and that he intends to use them to create a project that will be authentic to the character, serving as a "middle finger to everybody."

When asked about his pipeline, Shankar explained: "I got video games in production. Obviously more Devil May Cry. I'm being approached with different IPs and companies that want to work with me. I bought the rights to Duke Nukem. Not the gaming rights, but I bought it from Gearbox."

He then touched on his vision for Duke Nukem, adding: "It's a middle finger to everybody. 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."

He also briefly noted his plans for the second season of DMC, explaining that the "storytelling is going to pivot" and that it will be "different, stylistically and tonally," ultimately becoming "essentially a new show."