Here at Moonbase Alpha, we’re still grinning from ear to ear at the news that Judge Joseph Dredd is making a live-action return in Judge Dredd: Mega-City One, and now it appears that we could well see Karl Urban don the famed helmet again.

Urban, of course, played the iconic Judge in 2012’s Dredd, and fans and even Urban himself have all been clamouring for a sequel to that mesmerising movie for the past five years. Obviously, we’re not getting a sequel any time soon still, but Judge Dredd: Mega-City One could prove an even better option given how the realm of television allows for far more delicate and multi-layered storytelling when done right.

As soon as Mega-City One was announced, many immediately began hoping that Urban could return as Judge Dredd somehow, but all has been quiet on that front… until now.

Speaking on the official 2000 AD podcast, executive producer Jason Kinsgley confirmed that there’s some optimism of getting Urban back in the saddle should scheduling allow it. Kinsgley enthused, “The great thing about Karl is he’s actually a big fan of the comic book and he’s a really nice guy, and I know him well enough to speak to him personally. We have had many conversations prior to this about all sorts of different things. He’s also a very busy full-time professional actor. So, we are going to have some long and complicated conversations, I would imagine, and we’ll see where we go. It’s too early to tell yet, but if we can use him and he is available to us then I think that would be absolutely brilliant.”

What’s that noise? That’s the sound of the geek community crossing their fingers, toes and other crossable body parts in the hope that Karl Urban somehow manages to return as Judge Dredd.

For Mega-City One, early plot details for this new series reveal that it will (obviously!) be set in the future, with the East Coast of the United States having become a hive of criminal activity. As such, the action will focus on a team of Judges tasked with cleaning up the streets in the only way they know how – by serving as judge, jury and executioner.

Expect more on all of this as it develops.