“Spawn” creator Todd McFarlane blamed legal issues for his popular hero’s delay in returning to animation, but those unspecified hurdles may be out of the way now as the Image Comics co-founder and toy company chief looks forward to next year.

Even as he eyes production duties for a darker “Wizard of Oz” film starring Dakota Fanning and concentrates on his live-action “Spawn” screenplay, McFarlane still wants to see his caped hero back in cartoons.

“For those that’ve asked, the SPAWN ANIMATED show will be back in Hollywood’s face in 2010,” McFarlane posted on Twitter. “Legal issues delayed it past few years.”

“Spawn” already saw a three-season run on HBO in animated form, where the title anti-hero was voiced by actor Keith David, but has been on hiatus from the ‘toon world since 1999. A decade later McFarlane is eyeing a return, but precisely what form that takes will remain to be seen.

Previously, McFarlane named Leonardo DiCaprio as his first choice as a lead actor in his R-rating-worthy screenplay, but he hasn’t yet tweeted if he’d like to see a continuation of the HBO series or a complete reboot.

[Source] MTV