The director originally wanted to base this movie on the comic book The Shadow, but he couldn’t get the rights to the character so he created Darkman, which originated from a short story he wrote that paid homage to the Universal horror films of the 1930s.

There was some behind-the-scenes drama during the production of the film. Apparently the screenwriting process was grueling, there were lengthy post-production battles with the studio, the editor allegedly had a nervous breakdown and left the movie, and Raimi and McDormand clashed because of creative differences. She was apparently a very difficult actress to direct.

The script went through 12 drafts. The reason for this is because Raimi wanted to explore Darkman's arc over the course of the film. He said: "I decided to explore a man's soul. In the beginning, a sympathetic, sincere man. In the middle, a vengeful man committing heinous acts against his enemies. And in the end, a man full of self-hatred for what he's become, who must drift off into the night, into a world apart from everyone he knows and all the things he loves."

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, who are close friends of Raimi, did some uncredited cleaning up on the finished script.

Neeson worked 18 hour days in ten-piece makeup. He liked the idea of "working behind a mask on camera, as well as exploring the possibilities this entailed. Neeson also had input on the costume he wore as Darkman, especially the cloak. The hardest part was speaking with false teeth, because he didn't want them to move at all."

Directors Ivan Raimi and John Landis made cameo appearances in the film as doctors in the burn ward.