What other comic book characters deserve the big screen?

[matrixman]

Don't know if this has been discussed before, but I don't see a specific topic for it.

While everyone is deliriously waiting to see Spidey 3, I'd like to ask: what other comic book characters deserve a movie audience, "other" being any that have not yet been translated to film?

I would love to see Dr. Fate on the big screen. It's a complete long shot, because he's considered a "minor" character in the DC universe, though he did have a title run of his own for a time. The often-cited problem is that Dr. Fate is just so powerful that there isn't much he can't do. However, the writers behind Doc Fate's comic book run managed to put together an interesting story arc for him, so he's quite capable of being a compelling "action" hero, not just a boring dude who stands around issuing god-like powers.

Also during that run, Dr. Fate's costume and powers were at one point assumed by a woman. Yes, a female Doctor Fate! That was very cool, and I think that could be a nice gender twist to use in a movie adaptation, to make Dr. Fate stand apart from the rest of the superhero crowd. So instead of limitations, I see all kinds of possibilities for Dr. Fate on the big screen. He could travel between worlds, we could encounter Darkseid, etc. Yes, I know it's all a pipe dream, but I'm allowed to dream.

Wonder Woman would be another I'd love to see on the big screen. And believe it or not, I think the way she is portrayed in the excellent new Justice League animated series is the right way of handling her character.

Unfortunately, female superhero films have not had a good track record at the box office, and for good reason - they've all been stinkers. I haven't actually seen Catwoman or Aeon Flux, but waaay back in the '80s I saw Supergirl - a supersized fiasco. Why can't super heroines translate well to the movies?

Maybe instead of focusing on the heroes themselves, more filmmakers could focus on adapting a particular comic book story or graphic novel, such as was done with Sin City and V For Vendetta - both great successes.

In that respect, I'd love to see something like Neil Gaiman's original 4-part Books of Magic translated to film. It has the kind of monumental, dazzling imagery that could sell itself to a prospective movie studio.

Enough rambling from me, I'd like to get everyone's thoughts...

[dlbpharmd]

I'd love to see Wonder Woman on the big screen, but it seems to me that casting would be a huge problem.

I've always thought that Green Lantern would make a great movie, but obviously there would be an enormous amount of computer effects so it would be terribly expensive. The cartoons have NEVER gotten Green Lantern right, which is unfortunate.

What about Iron Fist?

[I'm Murrin]

Wasn't Joss Whedon supposed to be trying to get a new Wonder Woman film made? I seem to remember hearing about it.

[Benito Alvarez]

The Knights of the Dinner Table.

[variol son]

I liked Aeon Flux, but Catwoman was kinda lame.

Maybe the lack of good superheroine movies is due to Women in Refrigerators Syndrome?

[matrixman]

Wow, thanks for the link, VS! I had no idea it had been given a name, but I'm not at all surprised by that syndrome. Though I've heard that more women writers are entering the field, they are still more or less looking in from the outside. The mainstream comic book arena remains male-dominated, and that inevitably...colors how stories involving female characters are told. I'm not saying the guys are out to victimize every female character they create, just saying that the male perspective cannot by definition be the same as a female perspective.

Hmm...I did like Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in the first Tomb Raider movie, but Lara wasn't a comic book character, and she wasn't superpowered. Just super-endowed...a creation of guys in the - you guessed it - male-dominated gaming industry. However, I understand that today, more and more games are being made with a female audience in mind as the percentage of gamers who are women have risen.

Oh yeah, just remembered Elektra...another recent comic book-based female superhero (or anti-hero?) movie that apparently sucked. And the source material was a Frank Miller graphic novel, right? So even the Frank Miller name couldn't save a female superhero flick from mediocrity.

[Fist and Faith]

Dr. Fate has had sooooooo many incarnations and series that they could do darned near anything in a movie, and say it was based on a comic. All the changes happen, I guess, because he's just too powerful to let him stay what he should be. He's been a man; as MM says, a woman; both combined into one body; someone else with no idea who Dr. Fate is... He's been nearly as powerful as the Spectre, and he's been little more than a physically indestructible person. (When he was "someone else with no idea..." he was more of a brawler, with odd powers that he didn't quite understand. I think. Heh, it's been a while since that series, and it wasn't my favorite.)

It's odd that you call him a "minor" character, MM. You're right, as far as the ones most people can name. Basically, the Justice League regulars. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman... Fate, otoh, is from the Justice Society of America. And he and the rest of the JSA are cool way beyond the JLA. Fate, Dr. Midnight, Hourman, Hawkman, the first Flash... These guys are giants!! Legends! Man, what an incredible thing it would be to see them in a movie!!!

[matrixman]

It's odd that you call him a "minor" character, MM. You're right, as far as the ones most people can name. Basically, the Justice League regulars. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman... Fate, otoh, is from the Justice Society of America. And he and the rest of the JSA are cool way beyond the JLA. Fate, Dr. Midnight, Hourman, Hawkman, the first Flash... These guys are giants!! Legends! Man, what an incredible thing it would be to see them in a movie!!!

The Justice Society? Wow...shows you what an ignoramus I am about comics - even where it concerns one of my favorites, Dr. Fate.

Though I must say, I regard Dr. Fate as a guardian of the globe (heck, the solar system!), not just of America, as his membership in the Justice Society would seem to imply. Yes, I know I'm being pedantic. It's like how Superman is a member of the Justice League and ostensibly fights for the "American way." Well, I'd say Supes fights for all the Earth...while protecting American values. Right? Okay, I'll shut up now, cuz I think I'm losing grip on what this thread is supposed to be about.

But, yes sir, having all those Justice Leaguers and/or Justice Society heroes in one movie would be mighty awesome. And mighty expensive!

[TIC TAC]

I'd still like to see The Black Widow film. What I don't want to see is what they did with Catwoman. Watching those Essurance commercials isn't quite as fullfilling as watching a full blown, live action movie.

[Fist and Faith]

Though I must say, I regard Dr. Fate as a guardian of the globe (heck, the solar system!), not just of America, as his membership in the Justice Society would seem to imply. Yes, I know I'm being pedantic. It's like how Superman is a member of the Justice League and ostensibly fights for the "American way." Well, I'd say Supes fights for all the Earth...while protecting American values. Right? Okay, I'll shut up now, cuz I think I'm losing grip on what this thread is supposed to be about.

I've mentioned how fantastic J. Michael Straczynski's revamping of the Squadron Supreme is. They are Marvel's imitation of the JLA. Hyperion is Superman, Power Princess is Wonder Woman, etc. I'm not sure how Marvel didn't get sued because of it, but I guess that's another story.

So when Hyperion landed here as an infant, the US government puts him in an incredibly controlled environment. He's raised by people who tell him they are his parents. Everything is designed to make him fight specifically for the US, and not feel like he should be here for the whole world.

BTW, Superman getting shot in the eyeball in Superman Returns is from this series.

[Astavyastataa Kadna]

For some reason ... I like Thanos!!!

Or perhaps Darkseid!!

Or Onslaught!!!!

Or maybe all three in one movie!!

[matrixman]

So when Hyperion landed here as an infant, the US government puts him in an incredibly controlled environment. He's raised by people who tell him they are his parents. Everything is designed to make him fight specifically for the US, and not feel like he should be here for the whole world.

Hmm...kind of an ethical grey zone there, isn't it? Maybe not that much different from Kal-El/Clark's circumstances, but different enough that it's a little disturbing to me. An "incredibly controlled" environment? Not cool.

For some reason ... I like Thanos!!!

Or perhaps Darkseid!!

At the risk of turning this into another Darkseid vs. Thanos debate, I'm not much of a fan of Thanos. Darkseid, on the other hand, is one of the coolest badasses in comics I've come across.

[dANdeLION]

If you want to be a fan of Thanos, throw away the 'Infinity Gauntlet' garbage and pick up the Starlin runs on 'Captain Marvel', 'Strange Tales' and 'Warlock' comics from the early '70's, and Avengers annual 7 & Marvel 2-in-1 annual 2.....that stuff's the shit.

[dlbpharmd]

I remember Thanos from the Captain Marvel series, and he was a kick ass villian back then!

[aTOMiC]

This thread is about comic characters that should be considered for Big Screen treatment and since the subject has meandered to THANOS it seems that it should be said that THANOS would be a terrific villain but only for an equally interesting hero. If handled properly a Warlock or Captain Marvel feature would be both expansive in scope and cosmically fascinating.
THANOS is a terrific villain because he is daunting and disturbing. He’s not just capable of nefarious, sociopathic acts, his fondest wish is to see the end of all life including his own. The only saving grace of the universe is that THANOS won’t settle for anything less than his ultimate goal therefore he is capable of showing perceived mercy (seeming friendship to others) as long as it serves his purposes. He won’t allow his desire/love for death interfere with his love of causing everyone else’s death first. He’s like a real world suicidal serial killer who has gained access to a host of nuclear weapons but needs the people around him to make the machinery work. But in spite of THANOS’ needs he is perfectly willing to kill anyone on impulse. No one in their right mind would dare align themselves with him for fear of being his next victim and yet he manages to acquire henchmen and partners that must simply be attracted to his awesome power.
THANOS frightens me but in a way that makes the character fascinating.

[sgt.null]

the excellent Agents of Atlas series
www.agentsofatlas.com/

[Creator]

BTW, anyone read the THANOS miniseries "The END" ... I thought that was way cool!!

[matrixman]

Those who've read my posts on comics in the past know that I'm more into DC than Marvel. But in terms of superhero movie translations, Marvel would appear to have had the greater success - both commercially and artistically. DC only have Superman and Batman to bank on, it seems - and those films have been hit or miss. Meanwhile, Marvel is blessed with the X-Men and Spiderman blockbusters, it's had (qualified) success with The Hulk and Daredevil, and it has the likes of Silver Surfer and Iron Man coming to the big screen.

Where DC does have the upper hand seems to be with the more "adult" graphic novel adaptations. I guess it's best to be thankful that we as moviegoers and as comics readers have such an array of choices today.

[sgt.null]

a version of the Suicide Squad would make for a good movie. the Ostrander series, maybe against the Jihad?

[Fist and Faith]

a version of the Suicide Squad would make for a good movie. the Ostrander series, maybe against the Jihad?

OOOOO!!! What I wouldn't give!!! Ostrander's SS is one of my favorite series. And the Jihad issues were the best! (BTW, Rick Flagg is alive again. Came back in the current Checkmate. Buncha idiots, couldn't let anybody die well! )

Where DC does have the upper hand seems to be with the more "adult" graphic novel adaptations. I guess it's best to be thankful that we as moviegoers and as comics readers have such an array of choices today.

I guess that's true. Hadn't really thought about it. Although, Marvel's graphic novels are much more frequently actual graphic novels, as opposed to collected reprints of multi-issue stories from the regular comics. The first of them all, The Death of Captain Mar-vell, was very good. And Simonson's Starslammers freakin' ROCKS!!!

Most of the whole Infinity Gauntlet was a waste, imo. However, Thanos Quest is fantastic!. But they should have stopped after The Infinity Gauntlet.