The 10 Super-Heroes I’d Like To See Done PROPERLY In The Movies

I just finished a blog about the 10 villains I’d like to see done properly in the movies, so let’s just say that the introduction is the same as that one.  I don’t try to even out DC and Marvel heroes, nor do I list them in the order of preference or importance.  There may even be some that have been in movies already that I’d like to see redone and redone properly.  All that being said, let’s cut to the meat of it.

1.)  The Flash:  Come on, arguably the most powerful of all the heroes in the DC Universe and he’s been absent?  “Most Powerful”?  Come on, what about Superman?  (this is you saying this to me in case it’s unclear).  Yes, the most powerful (this is me again).  He can run super fast, he can travel in time, he can mess with the time stream, he can vibrate through walls, and other things you already know.  I think he is out and out a powerhouse.  Not muscle-wise, but in other ways.  He’s been done on TV (done poorly, but he has been done), now let’s get him into a movie....but done properly.

2.)  Ghost Rider:  But, but, but hasn’t he already been in a couple of movies?  Yes, he has, but not done well.  If you’ve seen the movies you know what I’m talking about.  Voted by many as the worst comic character movies ever made, Ghost Rider was a disaster.  With updated CGI and better actors that Nicholas Cage there should be no reason that one of the coolest characters in comicdom can’t be remade into a huge hit.

3.)  Grendel:  The only one to make it on both of my lists, Grendel is a versatile character.  Books could be written about the arguments you could make with this character.  First, Grendel is not DC or Marvel.  In fact, you may not even know Grendel.  If you don’t, get some of the books you won’t regret it.  Second, for those of you who do know Grendel, which version should be used?  The male?  The female?  The young?  The old?  The Villain who fought Batman and The Shadow?  The “hero” who tried to escort a child safely across dangerous lands?  Who cares....just put Grendel in a movie and make him/her/it look awesome!  Grendel is, perhaps, my favorite comic character of all time.  I have the books, statues, etc.  A big thanks to Matt Wagner who made Grendel possible.

4.)  Doctor Strange:  The one time Sorcerer Supreme is a great candidate for his own film.  I know there one is in the making.  Let’s hope they do it right.  It won’t take much...get a strong actor...put him in a well made costume....add some special effects to show his magical might...add script and shake well and you have a movie!  Have him square off with any of the fan favorite villains and you should have a success!  Is there a doctor in the house?

5.)  Martian Manhunter:  I have mixed emotions about this one.  His character in the comic books is so powerful it is said that he could beat Superman in an all out fight to the death.  Yet, it is rare that they show him as being so formidable.  That could be rectified by showing him as the juggernaut that he is in a movie.  Start with his origin, show why he came to Earth, and then give him a solo project away from the Justice League.  CGI would be needed to give the full breadth of his power, but Guardians of the Galaxy showed that CGI can be made to look as real as real can be.  

6.)  Midnighter:  Hands down one of my top 5 favorite characters Midnight is an incredible hero that deserves a shot at the silver screen.  With his ability to think a fight all the way through before it even begins, put him up agains Jet Li or something creative like that.  Again, just a guy in a costume would  do it along with some well choreographed fight scenes. Sure, he’s been with The Authority and Stormwatch, but let him go solo on this gig.

7.)  Grifter:  With all the shoot-em-up Rambo like movies that have made it big, how could they have not made a film with Grifter in it?  Incredible reflexes, down and dirty, guns-a-blazing, and a hanky covering his face, Grifter is a character worthy of his own flick.  Put him in the next Expendables movie next to Sylvester Stallone or in a Full Metal Jacket II.  He’ll quickly become a fan favorite, I can guarantee it.

8.)  Iron Fist:  Again, with all the successes had by the martial arts films I am stunned that there hasn’t been an Iron Fist movie.  As both DC and Marvel have used up their top characters in films already this would be the perfect time to introduce Iron Fist and his origin.  It’s a cool story and could make for some great special effects.  You would draw the male demographic, the martial arts demographic, and the women who like guys with dragons on their chest demographic.  No matter how you spin it an Iron Fist movie would be awesome!

9.)  Scarlet Spider:  If you don’t know the origin of the Scarlet Spider I’m going to need you to research it yourself.  It’s far too in-depth for me to elaborate on here.  The long and short of it is that the Scarlet Spider is a stronger, cooler, more agile version of Spider-Man minus the ethics.  Scarlet Spider pretty much marches to his own drummer and if that means beating up an old lady, so be it.  It’s everything Spider-Man would never be except for the fact that he’s a clone of Peter Parker.  Wait, I said I wouldn’t get into that.  If you want to really juice up the ratings, put him in a movie with Spider-Man...it would be double the fun!

10.)  Cloak and Dagger:  Yes, I know it’s two super-heroes but it still counts as my tenth choice.  Not only do Cloak and Dagger have a great background that is relevant to this day and age they are also a powerful duo.  With Cloak able to send people to some nether realm Dagger being all beautiful and able to throw daggers of light, this team would translate well to the big screen.  The only drawback?  They aren’t exactly household names like Wolverine or Superman.  All characters started there, however, and the way to bring them out is through advertising and making them into kid’s meal toys.  Bring this pair to the general public and watch people swoon.

Well, there you have it.  The top 10 super-heroes they should bring to the big screen if they agree to do them PROPERLY.  It’s high time to start moving away from Batman 12 and Superman 17.  Give them a rest.  You’re running out of ideas and it shows.  Bring people up from the bench and watch the box office overflow.

Give me your feedback, who would you choose?

The 10 Villains I Want To See Done PROPERLY In The Movies

I’m sure there are a couple of you like me out there.  You know, the type of person who wants to see the villain win once in awhile.  The kind of person who appreciates the super heroes, and wants the good guys to win in real life, but in the movies would like to see them get slapped around a little.  The kind of person who would like to see Thanos or Dr. Doom or Lex Luthor as the last one standing.

But, I want to see them done properly.

I don’t want something sloppily done like villains in the Ghost Rider movie (or even Ghost Rider for that matter).  That was a mockery.  I’m talking super special effects, holy cow that guy looks real, I’m not going to sleep very well tonight, type of villain.  A villain that is a strong representation of the comic book character.

Let me say, however, that there will be some characters that have been done in movies who I do not mention.  Characters like the Joker (who has been changed and rehashed ad-nauseum) who I feel was incredibly done by Heath Ledger.  So, I may not mention some obvious, and devious, villains.

I make no attempt to even out DC and Marvel villains (and the one other choice mentioned) nor are they mentioned in order of preference or importance.  It is just a list of villains and I love them all.

Without further delay, here’s the list:

1.)  Dr. Doom:  I know, I know, you’re going to say that he was in the most recent Fantastic Four movie.  But, again, I said that I want a “strong” representation of the comic book character.  It kills me that with all the special effects we have, and the multitude of years he’s been represented in comic books, that he is STILL not done well in movies.  Is this really him?  Ummmm, no.  He wears a metal outfit, people, not some Freddy Krueger type of get-up. 

2.)  Galactus:  Come on, tell me that you wouldn’t want to see a full size Galactus in the movies devouring a planet.  Oh yes you would.  How awesome would that be to see that on a huge screen with surround sound.  I get goose bumps just thinking about it.

3.)  Darkseid:  I don’t think anyone would argue that Darkseid is just a different version of Thanos (which I’ll discuss shortly).  Properly done those omega rays would be incredible as they exploded on Superman’s chest (or went through it, depending on the writers).  I have seen some incredible cosplay of Darkseid over the years and in the movies he could be just plain fantastic.

4.)  Thanos:  Let’s get it out of the way now, you can easily argue that he has been seen briefly in movies and that he looks good.  I would then give you a hearty slap.  The Thanos we have seen, every so briefly, in the movies looks like a muppet.  Granted, this may not be the Thanos that we see in upcoming films, I’ll give you that.  I would add that THAT BETTER NOT BE THE THANOS WE SEE IN UPCOMING FILMS!  With all the CGI potential out there there is no reason to make him look like a muppet.  Anyway, he has destroyed the universe, commanded the infinity gems, asked Death to be his girlfriend, and defeated anyone who came near him.  What hasn’t he done?

5.)  Deathstroke the Terminator:  If you watch the show “Arrow” that has been running for a couple of years now, you have seen their version of Deathstroke.  It’s terrible.  Why doesn’t the comic book industry have a lobbying group that protests misrepresentations like this?  Deathstroke is and incredible villain, that could be played by someone in a costume, that has yet to be in a movie.  I haven’t checked upcoming films to see if he’s in any of them, but I doubt he is.  His obvious counterpart, Deadpool, is in a movie (played by the former Green Lantern, Ryan Reynolds, which I hold a particular loathing for).  You’ve had to put it together, right?  Slade Wilson and Wade Wilson?    The same person with a different look and, well, facial scarring.  Anyway, put Deathstoke in a movie and we’ll call it even.  And DON’T let them pull the crap they did in “Arrow”.

6.)  Brainiac:  How is it that they made so many Superman movies and never had Brainiac in any of them?  But let me clarify, I’m talking the huge skull-like spaceship Brainiac, not the human with a couple of electrodes on his head and green skin Brainiac.  Again, this would be a CGI thing, not some model strung up with fishing line, and it has potential.  Let’s bring him on!

7.)  Venom:  Please, tell me you haven’t thought of this one yourself during all of those Spider-Man makes and remakes.  You could even start where Spider-Man got the symbiotic outfit and then, as the movie builds, have it evolve into Venom.  Get rid of this “Electro” nonsense and the Green Goblin.  Let’s face it, Norman Osborn has become a bigger villain than the Green Goblin at this point and it’s gotten old and tired.  So, let’s make a change for the better and go with MY choice...Venom!

8.)  The Anti-Monitor:  Oh, yeah, the big guy.  The one who killed Supergirl and gave the entire DC Universe a run for it’s money.  Any comic fan worth his salt has read Crisis on Infinite Earths and can tell the story.  Bring on the Anti-Monitor!  ‘Nuff Said.

9.)  Grendel:  Books could be written about the arguments you could make with this character.  First, Grendel is not DC or Marvel.  In fact, you may not even know Grendel.  If you don’t, get some of the books you won’t regret it.  Second, for those of you who do know Grendel, which version should be used?  The male?  The female?  The young?  The old?  The Villain who fought Batman and The Shadow?  The “hero” who tried to escort a child safely across dangerous lands?  Who cares....just put Grendel in a movie and make him/her/it look awesome!  Grendel is, perhaps, my favorite comic character of all time.  I have the books, statues, etc.  A big thanks to Matt Wagner who made Grendel possible.

10.)  Reverse Flash/Professor Zoom:  No matter what you call him the Reverse Flash has caused a multitude of problems for the Flash over the years.  Killing people, screwing up the time stream, etc., etc.  He is a character that has been, unsurprisingly, absent from any DC movies.  This, of course, is for the obvious reason that the Flash has been absent as well.  Frankly, if the movie would be anything like the TV show, don’t bother.  I would prefer to see it done right.  Professor Zoom, or whatever you call yourself, you have my vote!

I’m sure you have your own list and I would welcome you to share it.  You may even disagree with my votes and I would welcome you to share it.  You may even think I’m dead wrong about some characters who have been represented in movies and I would welcome you to share it.  No matter what your vote I think you’ll agree that there needs to be more villains and less rehashing of the same old thing.