There’s never going to be a Justice League movie. It’s not going to star Christian Bale or Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Batman. And it’s not going to be directed by Christopher Nolan. Granted, this is probably just my opinion, but I feel confident in declaring that DC Comics are never going to get their act together. They are never going to create any movie to compete with Marvel’s multi-billion dollar Avengers juggernaut. It’s simply not going to happen. Even though DC Comics is owned by Warner Bros., which is already in the movie-making business, they are never going to succeed in creating anything more than the occasional Superman or Batman film.

But wouldn’t it be great if they could? If Marvel can make successful franchises out of Iron Man, Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy, wouldn’t it be great if DC could get some other heroes up on the big screen?

They’re sad ’cause they ain’t never gonna have a movie

Being the huge comic book nerd that I am, I looked over DC’s impressive roster of characters and picked out a few that I think could make for a good movie. Not all of them may be as successful as Iron Man or The Avengers, but if DC can make a popular TV show out of Green Arrow, or waste millions of dollars on a bad Green Lantern movie, I think they should consider some of these options. And please tell me some of your ideas in the comments. What DC movies would you like to see?

6. The Legion of Superheroes

Can you believe they rejected Color Kid?

Who: The Legion of Superheroes is a team of heroes from far in the future in the 31st century. They’re basically a club for teenage superheroes who get together and save the universe from time to time. The Legion is composed of a wide variety of colorful characters with many different powers, from Cosmic Boy to Invisible Kid to Dream Girl to Lightning Lass. The Legion has dozens of members, and their adventures span galaxies.

The Movie: The superhero genre is desperately lacking a strong franchise for the kid demographic. I’m a firm believer in letting kids experience adult movies like the Iron Man series or The Avengers, but Hollywood loves to bundle up kid-friendly feature films with colorful characters and youthful energy. Remember Spy Kids? Or Sky High? What about the Harry Potter films? The Legion of Superheroes has perfect kid appeal, featuring a cast of dozens, so every kid can have their favorite, and of course go out and buy their ready made action figure. I’m picturing High School Musical or Glee, only with superheroes in space.

5. Booster Gold

How you doin’?

Who: Michael Carter was a janitor from the future who stole a bunch of future appliances and traveled back in time to the present day, using the futuristic technology to make it look like he had super-powers. He’s a gloryhound of the highest order, using his knowledge of historical events to put himself in the right places at the right times to look like a big hero. He also made himself rich by accepting endorsements, turning his costume into a walking billboard, like a race car from NASCAR. Not all superheroes have the moral compass of Superman, you know.

The Movie: Booster Gold is the perfect choice for a superhero comedy. He’s a shyster fool with a heart of gold, who has a lot to learn about both heroism and himself. I think Booster Gold could be played pretty straight forward, only with more intentional comedy than your typical superhero movie. I don’t think he would subvert the genre so much as just present a different type of hero. I especially think the costume adorned with company logos is perfect for today’s Hollywood. Booster Gold could be the NASCAR superhero, who in the end has to put aside his selfishness in order to save the day.

4. Doom Patrol

“All us freaks have is each other.”

Who: Behold the weirdos of the DC superhero community: Robotman, a man with his mind trapped in the body of a robot! Negative Man, whose powers might kill him if he uses them for longer than a minute! Elasti-Woman, who can’t stretch, but instead can grow to the size of a skyscraper! Formed by the enigmatic – and possibly deceitful – Dr. Niles Caulder, the Doom Patrol tackle the adventures that regular heroes won’t touch.

The Movie: I don’t think the Doom Patrol should be a traditional movie. I’m thinking more along the lines of some kind of indie throwback, a stylized film adorned with the trappings of 1960s B movie glory, or maybe a wholesome 1950s aesthetic. Think of the Sin City movie and how much that film adhered to the old noir styles of the source material. Doom Patrol would be as stylistic as Sin City, but it would tap into a whole different sort of film. Think the classic Johnny Quest cartoon, with a lot of retro charm. Doom Patrol would probably be a hard sell, but maybe DC will someday be successful enough to afford a few smaller, artistic pictures. They tried to put a Metal Men picture into production, after all.

3. Suicide Squad

The zombie fiddle player is probably the sanest one

Who: The Suicide Squad is a government black-ops team made up of super-villains, who will be given time off their prison sentences if they do a few clandestine jobs for the U.S. of A. After all, why let the skills of Deadshot or King Shark go to waste rotting in a prison cell? Membership on the Squad changes a lot (as the name implies, they don’t have a long life span), but usually it’s the most badass and skilled villains DC has to offer – though rarely any big names like the Joker or Lex Luthor.

The Movie: This screams action film. How many action movies out there star a small team of highly trained and highly badass commandos blowing stuff up on some secret mission? How about every Mission: Impossible film, just to name a few? Or what about the recent A-Team movie? The Suicide Squad combines the awesomeness of those action flicks with the coolness of super-villains. Rather than the handsome one, the planner, the brute and the tech guy, you’ll have the sharp-shooter, the one who uses exploding boomerangs, and the giant, mutant shark person. Better still, super-villains don’t have to hold to the noble morals of the good guys, so the Suicide Squad could be especially ruthless…at least until the climax, when they decide to be good guys after all, because that’s how Hollywood works.

2. Flash

Otherwise known as ‘Red Lightning’

Who He’s the fastest man alive! Whether he’s Barry Allen, Wally West or whoever, the Flash is simply the Flash. He wears an awesome red costume and can run at hundreds of miles per hour. Everybody knows the Flash!

The Movie: I can understand why DC decided to make a Green Lantern movie. The character was really popular in the comics at the time and they thought it would translate. But the problem with Green Lantern is that he’s just so damn complicated. Power Rings, space aliens, green energy, willpower, the oath, the Guardians, and on and on and on. There’s just so much crap to cram into the movie, and they mostly messed it up anyway. The Flash couldn’t be simpler. He’s just an average joe who gets the power to run super fast, and he uses it to fight crime. He’s not a tortured soul like Batman and he’s not trying to make up for past mistakes like Peter Parker. He’s just a nice guy with a cool power. Granted, tragedy makes for good drama, but I think the Flash could still be a legitimate screen presence. Just picture Bradley Cooper as a superhero and you’re halfway there. I’m picturing a lighthearted romp  with at least one joke about being ‘too quick’ in the bedroom.

1. Wonder Woman

How is she not more popular?

Who: Wonder Woman is the most popular female superhero in the world. She’s an Amazon warrior straight out of Greek myth, using her incredible strength, honor and nobility to protect the world from evil. She’s considered as important as Superman and Batman in the comics, and yet has never gotten a movie. She had a popular TV show back in the 70s, which catapulted her into the public eye, but DC has never capitalized on her popularity. They hired Joss Whedon once upon a time to make a Wonder Woman movie, but they eventually cut him loose. It’s OK though, Whedon went on to make The Avengers for Marvel. So he’s doing alright.

The Movie: I hate to say this, but I think the reason Wonder Woman has never had a movie is because she’s a woman. With the exception of Angelina Jolie films, how often do you see an action movie with a female lead? I think Hollywood and the American public are still just too sexist to really let a Wonder Woman movie take off. But I think it could be an awesome film. Wonder Woman exists in a similar world to the Thor movies, and perhaps even a little Game of Thrones, so the audience is ready for that kind of sword and sorcery style. She would be a sword-swinging, ass-kicking badass heroine, leading armies of Amazon warriors against the forces of evil. Her story even has a built-in romance with hunky American pilot Steve Trevor. The DC animated division made a Wonder Woman cartoon movie a few years ago, and I still it’s the best animated film they’ve ever produced. The makings of a great film are there, DC and Warner Bros. just have to get their act together.

But fat chance of that ever happening.

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So those are my choices, what about yours? What DC characters do you think could make for a good movie? Do you think DC should even try to compete with the Marvel movie juggernaut these days? What do you think their chances are of even pulling off a Justice League movie? Let me know in the comments!

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