Every movie fans has their favorite superhero, supervillain, or offbeat comic book star that they would love to see done justice on the big screen. But as cruel as it might be to be kept waiting years to see it, it hurts just as much when a beloved character’s debut is a disappointement.
Here are Screen Rant’s 10 Comic Book Characters Who Deserve Better Movies.
Kitty Pryde
Thanks to the X-Men film series, people might think that Kitty Pryde - played by Ellen Page - is a permanent sidekick, but the mutant ability to phase through objects (or people) is just the start of what makes her unique. She developed into one of the most experienced X-Men since her introduction, even being chosen by writer Joss Whedon as the star of his “Astonishing X-Men.” Who wouldn’t want a movie about a girl who can kick, grab or tackle people through walls, or if pushed, phase a moon-sized bullet right through planet Earth? That’s what we thought.
The Incredible Hulk
It’s sad to think that fans are still begging for a homerun Hulk movie after the green-skinned hero has already had two solo films. Hopefully Marvel starts to realize that Bruce Banner a.k.a. Hulk’s mythology is as complicated as any comic hero, having split his personality, traveled to faraway planets, and even waged war on all of Earth’s superheroes. How his films keep being dragged down by a cookie-cutter romance is beyond us.
Gambit
The Ragin’ Cajun got his big screen debut as a back-up player in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but the mutant had almost nothing in common with his fan-favorite comic book and cartoon source material. Blessed with a knack for theft and the ability to give objects immeasurable kinetic energy, a solo movie following Gambit a.k.a. Remy Lebeau’s Louisiana hijinks should be as slick a superhero movie as they come. Hopefully, the Channing Tatum film in development will even come close to matching the hero’s coolness.
Cyclops
Thanks to the X-Men movies, the world knows Cyclops best as the joyless, rule-loving rival to the ultra-cool Wolverine… who can also shoot lasers out of his eyes. That’s a tragic definition of one of the most powerful, most courageous, and most dependable mutants in Marvel history. Even without his powers, Scott Summers is a born leader, willing to do, or become, whatever is necessary to get the job done. He SHOULD be on the same level as Captain America in the movie realm, and with every appearance, make one point perfectly clear: as long as Cyclops is alive to fight, mutantkind will never be beaten.
Catwoman
In an age of superheroes who are either squeaky-clean or beyond saving, you would think that a character like Catwoman would thrive. Sure, she’s a thief and master criminal in general, but she knows where to draw the line, helping Batman when he’s in need - as in, save him or he’ll die. The solo movie Catwoman got was an absolute disaster, with most of the problems due to the fact that the movie character had almost nothing in common with the source material. But give us a Catwoman as compelling and confident as the comics, and Ben Affleck’s Batman will have met his match.
Green Lantern
No fan of DC Comics needs to be told that the Green Lantern movie fell short of its hero’s mythology, and can only hope that Warner Bros. makes sure they get the Justice League hero right the second time around. And the hero SHOULD be a hit, since his superpower is quite literally whatever he can imagine, made real by his magical ring. As every other blockbuster tries to find a new way to destroy Earth, there’s no better time for a Green Lantern movie to head to an even bigger scale, uniting an army of Lantern space cops to protect the universe - not just one planet.
Venom
Ask any fan of Spider-Man who the webslinger’s greatest enemy is, and they might disagree. But ask them which is the coolest - and it’s Venom every time. The version of the alien/human hybrid that movie fans got in Spider-Man 3 was a disappointment from the start, more quippy villain than horrifying monster. We can only hope that a writer, director or studio will finally realize that a black-suited beast with Spider-Man’s powers - and none of his do-gooder attitude - isn’t just a villain, but a potential franchise all on his own.
John Constantine
He may not get the headlines or press of his superpowered Justice League comrades, but when the League can’t handle a magical threat, it’s John Constantine they call. He operates on a level that DC’s brightest stars can’t even touch, inhabiting a shadowy world of demons and angels that most never even notice. The Constantine movie actually got much of the attitude and fiction right, but if a movie committed to creating a hero as ruthless, nasty, and downright unlikeable as the real John Constantine, the result would be something refreshing, if nothing else. Heck, we’ll even settle for Justice League Dark.
Black Widow
Sure, Scarlett Johansson has helped make Black Widow a household name alongside The Avengers, but without a superpower, she’s a long way from a starring role in a Marvel movie so far. Fans loved The Winter Soldier’s grounded style, so imagine what they’d do with a dark, sinister spy story following Black Widow doing what she does best: operating in the shadows as S.H.I.E.L.D.’s top covert operative. So far fans have only heard about the death-defying missions she’s survived with Hawkeye at her side - so what’s keeping Marvel from giving us an entire movie devoted to the same badass leading lady?
Robin
He may be forever known as Batman’s sidekick, but comic fans know that Robin, no matter which version, is deserving of a spotlight all to himself. Whether it’s Dick Grayson promoted to Nightwing, one of the most badass characters of DC’s 1990s era, or Tim Drake, the only Robin to apply for the job (and an even better detective than Batman), not to mention the leader of the Teen Titans. Even if a big screen story gave the spotlight to Jason Todd, the former Robin who became the murderous vigilante Red Hood, DC fans would know that a one-of-a-kind story and star was guaranteed).
Conclusion
Those are just a handful of comic book heroes or villains that deserve better live-action adaptations than they’ve gotten so far, but which comic book stars do you think have been given a bad rap by Hollywood blockbusters? Educate us in the comments, and remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos like this one!
