Last Updated on August 3, 2021
Now that Warner Bros and DC have unveiled the trailer for JOKER, we know that they truly are not beholden to the Cinematic Universe model any longer. Yes, their main heroes will be connected to one another, like SHAZAM! to AQUAMAN and BATMAN V SUPERMAN, but they are also willing to take risks on standalone properties like in the old days. With that in mind, here are our picks for ten DC characters that deserve the big screen treatment, whether as part of the DCEU or not. If you disagree with our picks or think we missed one, let us know in the comments below.
Nightwing
While DC Universe's Titans had Robin say "fuck Batman", it is not enough to separate the Boy Wonder from his mentor on the big screen. Robin is not strong enough to carry his own movie, especially with the baggage of not having Batman in the same story. But, if you go for the Nightwing character you could tell a killer story and distinguish the boy from the superhero. Nightwing has some cool adventures that could translate to the silver screen and pave the way for a more adult edge to the DCEU. Batman may not kill, but Nightwing will tear shit up.
Plastic Man
James Franco has been attached to this project for a while but it has not made much progress in recent years. Still, the smartass criminal turned good guy character who can stretch everything may seem like it is too silly to warrant a solo film, but maybe they can partner him with Elongated Man or Booster Gold and make it a buddy flick. Either way, this is a character that doesn't take himself as seriously as Mr. Fantastic, but it could be a nice mix of dramatics and comedy.
Martian Manhunter
A fan favorite character, we have only seen him in live action on The CW's Supergirl. While the special effects on that series are decent, they don't do justice to the character of J'onn J'onnz. A cool, extraterrestrial entity, Martian Manhunter would require extensive special effects but would make for one hell of a crazy movie. Hell, if they are able to successfully pull off AQUAMAN, they can pull this off this alien.
Blue Beetle
In a lot of ways, Blue Beetle is DC's answer to Spider-man. A young man who accidentally gets superpowers, this is a character that could continue the style and tone featured in SHAZAM! DC needs a character like this to diversify their characters from being stoic adults and give us something a little more fun. Blue Beetle has had multiple iterations over the years and any of them would make for a cool film, but I am partial to the Ted Kord version which is a nice blend of Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark.
The Question
The inspiration for Watchmen's Rorsharch, The Question is a ruthless crimefighter who uses an artificial skin to cover his features and fight crime. A movie version may seem derivative since Zack Snyder's WATCHMEN is such a cult classic, but since we are unlikely to get a new movie version of THE SHADOW or THE PHANTOM, I would settle for a standalone noir featuring this faceless vigilante.
Booster Gold
Originally a bit of a douchebag, Booster Gold was not a superhero. Instead, he pulled a BACK TO THE FUTURE and travelled back in time to use his knowledge of future events to make himself look like one. After experiencing some heavy tragedy, Booster eventually becomes a hero and even joined the Justice League. A movie with such a distinct origin would definitely set this apart from any other superhero stories out there. I would love to see someone with a smarmy demeanor like James Franco play this role.
The Authority
While teams like The Avengers and Justice League have rules that they adhere to, Warren Ellis' The Authority will fight villains by any means necessary. Like any comics team, the lineup of heroes has shifted through the years, but it has always featured characters from the Wildstorm imprint of comics including Apollo, Jenny Sparks, and Midnighter, all of whom are very similar to iconic heroes like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. This could be a cool way to segue away from the mainstream DC heroes into some lesser known heroes and try something different.
The Spectre
One of the darkest antiheroes in comics needs to be realized on the big screen. Joe Corrigan is a cop who is murdered and buried in cement and thrown in a river. His spirit returns to Earth and seeks vengeance, killing those who wronged him. I know that it kind of sounds like SPAWN, but it is still incredibly badass. The Spectre has had different origins over the years, but this one is just too cool not to adapt into a feature film. It could be a noir, a contemporary update, or virtually anything and it would be a very cool movie.
Lobo
SYFY will give us Lobo on the upcoming season of Krypton, but the hairy bounty hunter and antihero is the perfect DC answer to Deadpool. Foul-mouthed, sexual, and violent, a Lobo movie could give a hard edge to the DC big screen slate without taking away from the mainstream hero material. There are a lot of actors who have mentioned playing Lobo and Michael Bay has toyed with directing it, so why not make this happen?
Batman Beyond
To date, we have had six actors portray Batman in live action on the big screen and all of them have played Bruce Wayne. Aside from animated efforts, we have not seen the great Batman Beyond in the flesh and that could be very cool. Since DC and WB are venturing outside of the shared universe model, why not go way outside and give us a future version of the Caped Crusader. Hell, maybe they could get Michael Keaton to play the aged version of Bruce Wayne?
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