I have been a massive fan of the Twisted Metal video game franchise ever since I played a demo of the first game at a KB Toys store back in late 1995. Admittedly, I was way too young to be playing such a violent game at the time, but with my dad talking to the cashier about which games we should get for the Sega Saturn we ultimately returned for a PlayStation, I was able to sneak off and become entranced by the sweet and grim vehicular combat game.
So, just imagine how stoked I was to find out that there will soon be a Twisted Metal TV show based on the video game franchise at the root of so many of my core memories. Not only am I excited to put my Peacock Premium subscription to use, I am hopeful that longtime fans like me will be treated to some incredible references in the upcoming video game adaptation. Here are a few that stick out the most.
The Games' Sick And Twisted Humor
Whether it’s the more outlandish games like Twisted Metal 2 and Twisted Metal: Head-On, or more serious titles like the original game and the 2001 reboot titled Twisted Metal: Black (let’s not talk about the third and fourth entries by 989 Studios), the franchise has long had a unique sense of humor that is both sick and twisted. With those “careful what you wish for” endings where the Twisted Metal champion would get anything they desired (oftentimes with a catch), the various pedestrians like mimes, groupies, and even Santa Claus, and over-the-top and zany characters, there’s a lot to choose from.
Considering writers from Deadpool and Cobra Kai created the Twisted Metal TV show, it’s pretty much a given that it will have a sick sense of humor like the games, which is making me even more hopeful for the upcoming series.
Some Kind Of Reference To The Twisted Metal Tournament
So far, it sounds like the Twisted Metal series will center on Anthony Mackie’s character as he delivers a mysterious package across a devastated United States, but we haven’t heard anything about the tournament at the core of the video games. For those not familiar with the franchise, or maybe haven’t played in more than a quarter-century, the first two games focus on the annual Twisted Metal competition, a contest where various drivers from around the world compete against each other for a chance to make their biggest dreams come true.
I really hope the show either is set during one of the tournaments or at least makes mention of the vehicular combat contest that’s essentially a destruction derby with overpowered weapons of the conventional and fantastical varieties. With the competition such a large part of franchise lore, it has to be mentioned, right?
Appearances From (Or Callbacks To) Iconic Characters And Vehicles
The Twisted Metal cast is shaping up to have some great actors, like Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Will Arnett, Thomas Haden Church, Neve Campbell, and several others, but there’s still room for some of the franchise’s most iconic characters and their vehicles on the new Peacock show. Considering Sweet Tooth (also called Needles Kane), with his flaming head, is going to be a major part of the proceedings, who’s to say we won’t get other other-wordly characters like Mr. Grimm (the grim reaper on a motorcycle), Mr. Ash, Axel, No-Face, and so on.
It will also be interesting to see which version of Agent Stone ends up being portrayed by Thomas Haden Church, as the character was a special agent behind the wheel of Crimson Fury in the first game, and a crazed police officer driving the Outlaw vehicle in Twisted Metal: Black. Or, maybe they just go all crazy and make him the driver of Warthog or Minion.
Calypso Has To Be On The Show, Right?
Pulling the strings throughout most of the Twisted Metal games is Calypso, the mysterious and megalomaniacal creator of the titular vehicular combat competition. This guy, who gave me nightmares back in the day with his skinless face (which was fixed in Twisted Metal 2), is one of the most iconic villains of the PlayStation 1 era, and one that you never face in the original games. He just organizes the events and grants the wishes, only to twist the words of the victor. Oh, and he steals the souls of everyone who dies, which makes him a godlike figure.
Now, will the show take a more grounded approach to the franchise? We’re not entirely sure. Regardless, there’s more than enough room for the character who was supposed to be at the center of the never-realized film adaptation more than a decade ago. Just imagine Calypso, riding around in his blimp, high above the destruction on the planet, laughing as he maps out battlefields in "Paris, Hong Kong, even Antarctica" like in the classic Twisted Metal 2 intro.
The Destruction Of Famous Landmarks
This is more of a callback to Twisted Metal 2 than anything else, but I’d love to see some famous landmarks get destroyed when Twisted Metal premieres this summer. In case you forgot, the second game in the franchise, which was called Twisted Metal: World Tour in Europe, allowed you to destroy the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles; bring down the Eiffel Tower in Paris and use it as a bridge to reach the Louvre, and you guessed it, burn up the Mona LIsa to reveal a cheat code; and shoot the robe off the Statue of Liberty before destroying the statue entirely.
With Las Vegas featured prominently in the Twisted Metal TV show trailer, maybe we’ll see a similar degree of destruction when it comes to landmarks like the Hoover Dam, various casinos, and the whole strip, like it’s Con-Air all over again. Will we see other cities turn into a post-apocalyptic playground full of carnage, death, and destroyed wonders of the modern world? God willing. God willing.
The good news is we won’t have to wait all that long to see if any of this happens on the small screen, when the Twisted Metal series premieres on July 27, but if some of my wishes do come to fruition, it could very well be the most destructive and ridiculous show on the 2023 TV schedule.
