While Marvel is being constantly commended for their assembly line of films, DC has yet to gain momentum. DC has two of the most universally known superheroes (Batman and Superman) but they cannot continue to have all of their eggs in one basket. Being an avid comic book reader myself, here are a few DC characters that I would love to see on the big screen.
Swamp Thing
Wes Craven already did a Swamp Thing film but his vision had ties to the horror genre which gave it a more campy feel. What the general public doesn’t know about Swamp Thing is the potential that the character has for a great film. The Swamp Thing story actually revolves about maintaining an environmental balance in the world. Alec Holland, who becomes Swamp Thing, also becomes a part of the living Earth and is tasked with maintaining that balance while still dealing with the conflicts of his own humanity. It is a consistent journey of character development and a question of autonomous Kantian ethics. Will Alec Holland let his humanity dictate his choices or will he let Swamp Thing lead with intentions of “for the greater good?” There is a lot of depth that would pique interests for a variety of audiences.
Animal Man
The name alone sounds a bit humorous but Animal Man is actually directly related to the Swamp Thing story. In the scale of balance that Swamp Thing is sworn to maintain, Animal Man is the other side of that balance. Swamp Thing maintains the green (plants) and Animal Man maintains the red (animals). Rather than being a rival of Swamp Thing, he is more or less a collaborative ally specifically focused on a different area but just like Swamp Thing, broadly focused on the balance of Earth. Together Swamp Thing and Animal Man could follow an aspect of the Marvel Studios formula of having their own standalone films then uniting together for a bigger team up.
Nightwing
Most filmmakers are opposed to Batman’s sidekick Robin due to the lack of real world application and believability. With a more aged Batman coming in “Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice,” it is certainly believable that an apprentice would take Batman’s place. During that transition it is also believable that the apprentice may venture out on his own and that would essentially be Nightwing. Nightwing could maintain the dark persona of the Dark Knight while also bringing a bit of youthful revival to the role. Sprinkle a little Batman side story in the film and there is a guaranteed audience lining up to see the film and could create a new appreciation for the cult classic hero.
The Flash
A television series is already set for the fall, but despite the rising popularity and “Justice League” film announcement, there has been no official word for a big screen Flash. His powers of super speed are unique to the big screen and present a variety of visual opportunities for the CG team. On top of that, he’s probably the most well known DC hero besides Batman and Superman yet his character can’t seem to cross the TV barrier to the big screen.
Green Arrow
“Arrow” is arguably the best superhero television show on the air right now and for the first time has an actor playing the role (Stephen Amell) who could be considered a real life superhero by performing his own parkour style stunts on the show. Green Arrow is similar to Bruce Wayne/Batman but his background isn’t a result of tragedy and is instead a result of the human will of survival. Stranded on an island surrounded with danger, playboy Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) is forced to adapt to survive with the help of skilled survivors who train him to be an unstoppable force. With Batman’s abilities and resources continually evolving to a slightly unattainable state, Green Arrow would be a relatable public superhero being both grounded and vulnerable. Oh and not to mention the guy’s weapon of choice is a friggin bow and arrow!
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I agree with most on this list. I would add characters such as Question, who has become one of my favorites from the Justice League cartoon series. Let us also not forget Booster Gold who is great for comedic purposes.
Nightwing is the saddest omission from the big screen. There is some weird bias against including Batman's once most trusted sidekick but by not including him at all they are losing out on great plot points and key developments of who batman is. Without Robin we don't see Nightwing, Batman's legacy in human form. We don't get the amazing Jason Todd death moment that broke Batman's spirit and made him question his stance on killing like few other moments. We also cannot have the Red Hood who for me has turned into one of batman's most interesting of recent villains.
Hollywood in general is very touchy about a legit Golden Day Batman television series. The closest we have seen to this is Gotham, which is really a prequel series surrounding the development of the city itself. Birds of Prey's short stint on WB was a terrible idea and should have been replaced by a much more interesting Nightwing TV Show.