DC Comics has been going through a renaissance as of late. Despite the cinematic disasters of Dawn of Justice and Justice League, Warner Bros and DC finally appear to be getting their movies right after the recent successes of Birds of Prey, Shazam, Wonder Woman, and to an extent, Joker.
Hopefully, the critical success that DC has been enjoying of late will help give Warner Bros the confidence to green-light some lesser-known, yet high deserving properties in a similar vein to what Marvel has been doing with its own characters. This article will list 10 DC Comics that deserve their own movie.
Static Shock
Static Shock has already appeared on our screens, both in his self titled Static Shock TV series and in the Justice League TV series of the early 2000s. That being said, it is criminal that the character has yet to be given an appearance on the big screen in a live-action format.
The character not only has interesting powers and unique personality, but he also has a dedicated cult following among DC Comics readers, especially those who grew up with his TV shows.
Zatanna
Zatanna would be DC Comics’ answer to Doctor Strange. The daughter of Zatara, Zatanna is a magical superhero who has similar abilities to her father. For instance, both Zatanna and Zatara speak their incantations backward. Involving the character in the DC Universe would open the world to magic, in a similar manner to the MCU and Doctor Strange.
In addition to magical adventures, Zatanna also has close connections to other DC Comics properties that would make for interesting world-building. For example, Zatanna is a prominent member of the Justice League and is also romantically involved with John Constantine.
Jonah Hex
DC Comics, much like Marvel, have a myriad of different characters that go further than just the superhero genre. Jonah Hex allows filmmakers to make more of a western movie than a superhero movie, perhaps even including some background and lore of the wider DC Universe.
For those who are unaware, Jonah Hex is a bounty hunter operating in the 1800s, while he has a poor reputation he operates by a personal code that requires him to defend the innocent. While this character did star in his own movie in 2010, it was awful and is more than deserving of a remake.
John Stewart - Green Lantern
While we’ve already had a Green Lantern movie, it was incredibly disappointing. This almost makes it a duty of Warner Bros to bring justice to Green Lantern and give the fans of the Lanterns a fantastic movie. One way in which they could do this is to focus the Green Lantern movie around John Stewart, rather than Hal Jordan.
John Stewart is an incredibly popular character, not only due to his characterization in the comics but also due to the fact that the character appeared in the Justice League cartoon of the early 2000s.
The Question
The Question is one of the most underrated characters in DC Comics. The character is, essentially, a homage to the classic crime noir era of Hollywood filmmaking, seen most clearly in the character’s design and function. In addition to being a master detective, the Question, like almost all superheroes, is a master hand to hand combatant and even practices shamanism.
While any movie about the Question would undoubtedly be a gritty, crime noir detective story, a future Question movie could also tie into Birds of Prey. The reason for this is that Renee Montoya becomes the successor to the Question.
Bat-Mite
While Bat-Mite could prove to be a very strange movie, it could also be one of the most visually appealing and creative comic book movies. For those who are unaware, Bat-Mite is a transdimensional being from the Mite-Dimension who possesses reality distorting powers.
The character recently had his own self-titled comic book run and it was a very fun and enjoyable read, so there is clearly a market for the Bat-Mite character.
Teen Titans
While it is true that the Titans have had a TV series and are currently starring in a live-action adaptation of their comics, the group is yet to appear on the big screen in a live-action format. That being said, it should only be a matter of time before we receive a Teen Titans live-action movie due to the popularity of the character.
The Titans are one of the most popular DC Comics superhero groups of all time that, coupled with their own animated TV series past, will certainly make for a popular movie should it be released.
Justice League Dark
There has been talk of a Justice League Dark movie for some time, but the film appears to be perpetually stuck in a pre-production limbo. The team features the aforementioned Zatanna, as well as John Constantine, Shade, and the Changing Man.
Due to their supernatural team members, Justice League Dark deals with different threats to the traditional Justice League, with Dark focussing on supernatural and magical threats.
Batman Beyond
As with Teen Titans, it is surely only a matter of time before we see a live-action version of Batman Beyond on the big screen. Since the character’s appearance in the animated series of the same name in the late 90s/ early 2000s, Batman Beyond has gone on to receive his own comic series and his own place in the DC Comics Universe.
With this immense popularity in mind, DC Comics and Warner Bros will eventually have to give in to fan demand and give us the Batman Beyond movie we’ve wanted for years. Some fans even call for another Burton-Batman movie, with Michael Keaton reprising his role as an aging Bruce Wayne.
Booster Gold
While Booster Gold may not be one of the most well-known characters in the DC Universe, he is certainly one of the most memorable and unique. Booster Gold is a hero from the future who initially used his knowledge of future events for fame and fortune, yet as his character progressed he became more heroic in both action and character.
There have been rumors and whispers of a Booster Gold movie for several years now and, after the success of Guardians of the Galaxy, DC and Warner Bros know that a strange, cosmic superhero story can work for wider audiences.
