5 DC Characters Deserving of Their Own Film.

In recent years, Marvel comics have been kicking total ass in the film world. Most of the X-Men and Spider-Man movies have been pretty good, but they've all been under different studios, so the quality of most Marvel properties have been highly variable. The recent creation of Marvel Studios has allowed for less popular characters like Iron Man and Hulk to theaters in a more quality-assured structure, being overseen more directly by the publisher. Since these characters are under one studio, crossover is possible, just like in the comics. We've seen Tony Stark in the Hulk movie, Nick Fury in the Iron Man film, and soon Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Hulk will be appearing together in an Avengers movie. It's a great time to be a Marvel fan, so long as you aren't actually reading the comics, which are pretty poor right now.

But what about DC? They've got just as massive a roster of heroes worthy of cinema, plus the ownership of media powerhouse Warner Brothers to help realize a rich intertwining film universe. It seems obvious, yet we've seen nothing but two Batmen and a half-assed Superman film in the last decade, plus a couple of out-of-universe projects like Watchmen.

The future's looking brighter for DC heroes, but not by much. Green Lantern begins filming very shortly, another Superman has been announced, a Flash movie is rumored, Wonder Woman has been on and off for the last 10 years, and another Batman movie is inevitable. Still, there are a lot of smaller names in the family that won't see recognition for a long time. Let's get to the part where I list them, shall we?

5 DC Characters in Need of a Movie

5. Green Arrow and Black Canary

Who are they? Oliver Queen is a billionaire playboy who dons a themed costume to fight crime in his city. Yes, he's a Batman ripoff. He differentiates himself with his weaponry, bows and sometimes-themed arrows, and his lighthearted macho liberal attitude. Dinah Lance is the daughter of the first Black Canary, a costumed crimefighter. She follows in her mother's lifestyle and uses the same identity. Queen and Lance have had a flirtatious relationship throughout most of their existence, but only very recently got married.

How do you film it? Their origin stories are nothing special, and to focus too much on their relationship would be a huge romcom-y mistake. Some banter is great, too much would ruin two great characters. The two can't know each other at the beginning, but they can know of each other, eventually meeting and teaming up to handle some crime boss or other threat by the end. At least one of them should be an established crimefighter at the start of the movie, preferably Dinah.

Crossover potential? The two could easily appear in just about any DC property. They're lighthearted enough to meet Superman but realistic enough to run into any of DC's many, many powerless detective characters. I'd even say they could see mention in one of Nolan's Batman films. "Hey Batman, look, you're inspiring copycat crusaders in the neighboring Star City." "Oh, that's great." Just that much would establish a greater universe without compromising too much of the realism established in the current movies.

Possibility? Medium. A script for a film called "Super Max," featuring Green Arrow wrongly placed in a super prison for villains and rogue heroes has been floating around for the last few years, and as interesting as it sounds, I can't help but think DC would want something more traditional for their adaptations.

4. Deadman

Who is he? Boston Brand worked as a trapeze artist until his untimely murder. Hindu goddess Rama Kushna grants him in death the ability to possess any living body in order to solve his own murder.

How do you film it? Unlike most superheroes, Deadman's origin lends itself very well to film. Start him off in the circus, shoot him, send him through some awesome trippy afterlifey realms, plop him back in a city full of dark alleys and warehouses, all "Crow"-like.

Crossover potential? Perhaps. He could conceivably fit in any larger universe, so long as supernatural abilities have been established as the norm. Deadman would actually play off of Batman really well if the current DC Batman wasn't too serious. Oh well, that's what "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" is for.

Possibility? Improbable. Guillermo Del Toro has expressed interest in the character, but he's expressed interest in about 72 other projects at the time of this post, so I wouldn't hold my breath. For the record, he's absolutely perfect for the project.

3. Plastic Man

Who is he? Eels O'Brein was once a small-time criminal, until a nighttime heist of a chemical plant ended in horrific tragedy. A vat of special acid turns Eels into Plastic Man, with the ability to stretch any part of his body into any shape. He turns his life around and begins fighting for justice, in the wackiest ways possible.

How do you film it? Lots and lots of CG. I don't typically advocate it, since it looks bad and dated by the time the film makes it to home video, if not sooner, but there's no other way to handle this character. Storywise, you can skip the origin and go straight to Plastic Man turning into the getaway vehicle for would-be criminals, the lamp in the enemy's hideout, and anything and everything else. It needs to be ridiculous.

Crossover potential? Perhaps if the Justice League gets large enough, but Plas is a pretty big personality and talent, and frankly pretty silly. He'd likely work best alone.

Possibility? Fairly low. The Wachowskis are currently interested in giving Plastic Man the same treatment they've given Speed Racer and the Matrix sequels. Still, if they could find someone else to write it for them, I can't think of too many better directors, visually speaking. The absolute disregard for realism in Speed Racer is kind of a necessity for an effects-heavy project like plastic man.

2. Booster Gold

Who is he? Michael John Carter is a night security guard at the Metropolis Space Museum in the 25th century. With the help of his robot assistant he steals some superhero gadgets from the displays and travels back to the 20th century. There, he uses his knowledge of past events to save the president and stop other crimes, all in the name of fame and glory. Also noteworthy is his awesome bromance with Blue Beetle Ted Kord, a beetle-themed detective with gadgets.

How do you film it? Booster Gold can be a funny guy, but by no means should the comedy element be overplayed. This should be a straight superhero film with the hero being a glory-hungry dick, a better Hancock with cooler effects and villains. If there's room for it, the Blue Beetle friendship is ripe with movie potential. Perhaps the sequel could be a superhero buddy cop movie. I'd watch that.

Crossover potential? Like most of the rest of my list, Gold would work with anyone but Batman. He'd play off great with a boy scout like Superman scolding or a looser hero like Green Arrow sharing drinks and stories. Overall, Gold would steal a lot of scenes in a Justice League movie.

Possibility? Real low. Despite his recent popularity in the comics, nobody knows who this guys is. Aquaman, Hawkman and the Wonder Twins will all get movies before Booster does.

1. Killer Moth

Who is he? Have you ever seen the Venture Bros? This is the Monarch, but with fewer things going for him. Cameron Van Cleer is a millionaire philanthropist, who was later revealed to be an identity created by milquetoast weakling Drury Walker, who donned a moth-themed (but not moth-colored) costume to work as an anti-Batman, assisting criminals in need. Later stories have depicted him as an increasingly pathetic failed supervillain, desperate to make a name in Gotham, a city full of supercriminals.


How do you film it? Make it low-key and mundane. Maybe ditch the millionaire aspect. Walker is a pathetic bachelor in a small, sort of dirty apartment who sees the stories about Batman on television and sees an opportunity to make a name for himself. He puts together a costume from tacky Goodwill finds and picks a theme reminiscent of Batman's It's played comedically, but in the driest way possible. It's a less goofy Napoleon Dynamite, a better Wes Anderson film.


Crossover potential? Nolan's Batman could make an appearance in this, but KM could never appear in Nolan's Batman, if that makes sense.


Possibility? No.

So that's my wishlist for DC movies that will never happen. DC's got a pretty good hero roster, but with Batman and Superman as huge as they are, nobody pays them much mind. Marvel has the benefit of not really having a giant name, so Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America and the X-Men all get to be household names.