Markiplier Drops the Bloody First Trailer for His ‘Iron Lung’ Adaptation

Mark Edward Fischbach, better known by the online handle Markiplier, is delving deeper into the entertainment industry. Markiplier is best known for his YouTube career, boasting over 34.7 million followers on the platform. He launched his channel in 2012 and gained prominence for gaming videos, especially his Five Nights at Freddy‘s series. By 2015, Markiplier had reached the 10 million subscriber milestone and became more ambitious with his projects.

In 2019, Markiplier released an interactive comedy special, A Heist with Markiplier. The interactive film follows Markiplier and his assistant as they partake in a heist, allowing the audience to choose from many different endings. A Heist with Markiplier was very well-received by audiences and even took home a Streamy Award for its creativity and script. As a result, Markiplier released a sequel last year, In Space With Markiplier. However, his latest project is even more ambitious: a video game adaptation.

Video game adaptations have been rising in popularity with the releases of The Last of Us and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Now, Markiplier is getting in on the trend with a film adaptation of the 2022 horror video game Iron Lung. Markiplier first confirmed he was making a film earlier this year but refused to drop hints about what it might be. As a result, fans were shocked and delighted when he announced his upcoming Iron Lung film alongside a teaser. Here’s everything we know about Iron Lung so far.

Iron Lung release window

So far, Iron Lung does not have a confirmed release date. However, Markiplier did confirm that filming wrapped in April, so a release date may not be that far off. After all, Markiplier is self-financing the film, and it’s not expected to be a huge production, though he’s reportedly planning a theatrical release. Still, with a fairly modest production, a 2024 or even late 2023 release date is possible. The film also secured an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA, permitting post-production activities to continue during the strike.

Iron Lung trailer

Markiplier released the official trailer for Iron Lung on October 14, 2023.

It’s a very bloody trailer, which isn’t surprising considering the story is set in an ocean of blood. The trailer sees a man rising from a pool of blood while an eery voiceover warns about the expedition at hand. While the protagonist in the video game is silent, the film may change this. The narrator reveals that he has been sent on this expedition but knows that it is really an execution. Those who sent him to the bottom of this blood ocean don’t want him to return, so he’s set on finding his own form of freedom within this unusual location.

Before the official trailer, Markiplier released a teaser to announce the film. The teaser was very much in keeping with the unnerving aspects of the horror video game: It features the swaying interior of the submarine—the Iron Lung—as a voiceover narrates its descent into the unknown. The audio is a bit difficult to catch, but the voice explains that the submarine is heading toward maximum depth and offers a few warnings about the need to remain alert. There’s a sense of eeriness and foreboding as the voice becomes concerned about irregularities and loss of signal before the small light source and speaker in the submarine interior go out.

Iron Lung cast

Markiplier has confirmed that he is both directing and starring in Iron Lung. His role has not yet been disclosed, but he could be the Convict from the video game. In the game, the Convict is the sole playable character tasked with guiding a submarine to safety. The character doesn’t speak, and no details are known about them, making them a pretty flexible character to adapt.

In addition to Markiplier, The Plot Against America star Caroline Rose Kaplan will also appear in the film in an undisclosed role. Rounding out the cast is David Szymanski, the creator of the Iron Lung game. After the trailer’s release, Szymanski confirmed that he is very involved in the film, including assisting in the script and production. He also revealed that he will have a small cameo in the film.

Iron Lung plot

Iron Lung‘s plot details have not been confirmed. While it will be an adaptation of the video game, it is unclear how closely it will follow the game, which has a fairly unusual plot. As stated above, the main character is an unnamed, mute Convict. Meanwhile, the game takes place in a futuristic world where very few humans are left after most of the universe’s planets and stars disappear. Those deep in space survived and discovered a desolate moon with an ocean of blood on its surface. Believing that the moon may hold the key to humanity’s survival, a Convict is tasked with exploring the ocean in a small submarine called the Iron Lung. However, the submarine isn’t equipped for the trip, losing signal with the outside world and providing no exit or viewpoints outside the submarine.

As a result, the player has to navigate a blood ocean in a tiny submarine without the ability to even see where it’s heading—aside from a map, coordinates, and some photos. Iron Lung is very claustrophobic and also includes a few jump scares. While it’s a unique and intriguing concept for a game, the sparsity of the characters, details, and setting raise questions about a film adaptation.

However, Szymanski promised the adaptation would be “very wild,” which suggests it might be spruced up a bit from the game. Ultimately, only time will tell how successful Iron Lung is in its adaptation of Szymanski’s video game.

(featured image: Markiplier)