The Crow Remake: Resurrecting This Cut Character Could Change Everything
With Lionsgate's "The Crow" remake finally revealing Bill Skarsgard's new look, many fans may be speculating what else the upcoming film has in store. James O'Barr's famed comic book series has become a sweeping media franchise over the last 30 years, in large part thanks to the beloved 1994 film starring the late Brandon Lee. Subsequent sequels and adaptations have failed to capture the same mystique and appeal as the original film, but there's hope that the upcoming remake could change all that.
Directed by "Snow White and the Huntsman" helmer Rupert Sanders and written by Will Schneider and "Creed III" scribe Zach Baylin, the Lionsgate film is going back to the same well of inspiration that drove the first movie. With that in mind, there's a chance that we could be seeing more obscure material from the comics not featured in the 1994 film. Details about "The Crow" remake are few and far between, but it could include a cut character from the original movie: the Skull Cowboy.
First introduced in the comics as a supernatural guide of sorts for Eric Draven, the Skull Cowboy was planned to be included in the 1994 adaptation. However, after Brandon Lee tragically died on set, finishing "The Crow" became challenging, and ultimately the scenes that had been shot with the Skull Cowboy (played by Michael Berryman) were cut. This changed a decent portion of the film's supernatural lore, which could be reinstated if the Skull Cowboy appeared in the upcoming remake of "The Crow."
How the Skull Cowboy could change things in the Crow remake
In the original comics, the Skull Cowboy is arguably more of an aesthetic addition than a narrative one. His nature and backstory are kept secret, and he appears to Eric in strange moments, usually bringing bizarre portents or cryptic commentary. As someone forever locked between the realms of the living and the dead, he offers guidance of a sort to those trapped in Limbo. The Skull Cowboy also appears in the 1998 TV adaptation "The Crow: Stairway to Heaven," played by Kadeem Hardison. In this incarnation, he's also portrayed as a kind of guide for wayward souls like Eric.
The cut scenes from the 1994 film feature the Skull Cowboy warning Eric against getting involved in the affairs of the living. He implies that his own dark fate is the result of similar meddling, and he orders Eric not to help save Sarah for the risk of losing his immortality. Reintroducing that content in some form now can add a bit more tension to the reboot.
The Skull Cowboy has remained a popular character in "The Crow" fandom. There's even a 2023 ebook exploring his backstory entitled "Skull Cowboy: Oath of Vengeance." Bringing him back in the remake would put a different spin on the limits of Eric's powers, and it would expand the supernatural lore in ways that fans have already shown a lot of love for.