EJ Moreno with six obscure DC characters who need their own film…
Blue Beetle and Black Adam are some of the latest DC movies, which is wild for longtime fans to see the studio dig deeper into the catalog for new stories to tell. For years, the DC brand has been dominated by similar Batman and Superman stories, with a random Wonder Woman thrown in there, and it’s obvious the fans want fresh blood.
Recently, there was some conversation about some of Batman’s most infamous villains getting their spin-off films, which could be more refreshing than more takes on Batman himself. But which characters could fit in their solo outings, similar to what Sony has tried to do with their catalogue of Spider-Man-related characters?
Join us while we look at six characters in the DC universe that could shine in a solo film, making their own name for themselves and leaving the depths of the DC Wiki page…
Clayface
As previously mentioned, Clayface sparked this entire conversation. When two very different filmmakers want to include this role in their film, you know there’s something there. Digging deeper into the multiple origins of the character and the classic Universal Horror appeal, there’s undoubtedly a solid horror-inspired film here.
Primarily known as a Batman villain, he could easily fit into the role of a second-tier villain for The Batman Part II. However, there’s more depth, especially if you return to the original story. Horror director Mike Flanagan reportedly had plans for something more focused on the tragic nature of Clayface in a planned film that could’ve felt like Cronenberg’s The Fly.
Original Clayface Basil Karlo had his hand in classic B-horror films, while the second and third iterations lent themselves to something more sci-fi. There’s a perfect home in the middle of both, giving fans an homage to a fan-favorite horror era and finally making way for new DC stories.
Deadman
DC has a horror side to their comics; they are often thrown into the Justice League Dark team for that reason. Deadman is one of the characters, but he’s more than just a spooky ghost that hangs around Constantine and Swamp Thing. The ghostly figure has a wonderful powerset that could easily translate to a cinematic level.
In 2006, we almost got some forward movement with a Deadman movie, as iconic horror filmmaker Guillermo del Toro tapped Nikolaj Arcel to direct a Gary Dauberman-penned script. Like many of del Toro’s Justice League Dark-focused plans, the Deadman movie never happened, and it left a void in the DC space that was desperate for something new at the time.
Seeing this ghoul hop from person to person, hopefully solving some noir-like mystery, is a great streaming or B-horror film that would quickly become a cult classic. Much like Keanu Reeves’ Constantine, there’s room for supernatural mysteries.
Silver Banshee
I’ll give DC credit for giving their obscure female hero and villains time to shine. But there’s almost no excuse for how much Silver Banshee gets overlooked. The CW’s Smallville and Supergirl tried versions of the character, but the low-budget qualities of both shows didn’t lend themselves to Silver Banshee’s full potential.
With ties to an old Gaelic clan, this metahuman villain could see her story easily revamped in a Venom-style anti-hero role. The Siobhan McDougal version fought against Superman, hoping to find a book that would free her soul; some simple twists could still set in her in Metropolis but put a villainous foe in her way.
Siobhan Smythe, introduced during the New 52, has ties to Supergirl, which we know is in work at James Gunn’s DC Studios. Another re-tooling could make her an essential supporting role there, which could expand to a solo outing, much like the MCU has done with its side characters.
Detective Chimp
In DC Studios, run by James Gunn, an ape who solves crimes is perfect for the studio rebranding. You instantly conjure up images of his work with the Guardians of the Galaxy, seeing as they have a wise-cracking animal. Yet Detective Chimp could easily set itself aside from any of those comparisons with hilarious cinematic tweaks.
As these new DC movies will require diverse content in terms of tone, we can’t have everything be Matt Reeves The Batman or goofy James Gunn style. A quick pitch makes a Detective Chimp movie feel like a homage or parody of DC’s crime dramas or a fun DC-style Sherlock Holmes.
You can even set it in Gorilla City so that we can meet others like Gorilla Grodd and Giganta. The possibility for a chimpanzee in a deerstalker hat appears endless for hijinks. Gunn has allowed viewers to love talking animals in superhero movies; it’s time to test that love.
Animal Man
Animal Man is a long-running character, introduced in 1965 and revamped during The New 52, that is overdue for some spotlight. Often ignored, the character could add a fresh new take on animal-based hero movies. With James Mangold’s Swamp Thing movie in the works, the protector of The Green needs his counterpart, the protector of The Red.
Animal Man can gain the powers of any animal. In a film, there’s a lot of room to play with that and make it feel larger-than-life. Even slowly introducing him in the Swamp Thing film as Bernhard “Buddy” Baker without the powers could make viewers care when he comes to a significant figure in the odd side of DC.
Out of all these characters, we’ve seen the least from Animal Man. A rare Justice League Unlimited and Teen Titans Go! cameo isn’t enough, and we believe the Animal Man character is the ideal character to help DC feel fresh in this new period.
The Question
The fact we’ve never seen The Question in live-action is quite remarkable. While the character is a bit of a C-tier Justice League member, it’s strange the crime drama-obsessed DC wouldn’t include The Question in anything. Fans hoped we’d get a tease in 2020’s Birds of Prey with Renee Montoya, but nothing there either.
Given the current political and social climate, the conspiratorial mindset of the character could speak to audiences. It would also be intriguing to see the character later, once we’ve established more, as someone to question the Justice League, much like The Question did in the animated series.
While the story could quickly become another neo-noir detective story, there’s more potential with a character who questions everything pretended to them. The questioning of authority is a brewing theme in superhero entertainment, and The Question could give that movement an interesting face.
Which obscure DC characters would you like to see given a solo movie? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
EJ Moreno
Originally published May 28, 2023. Updated March 31, 2024.
