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Superhero Movies: Who Next?


Photo by Serge Kutuzov on Unsplash


From Batman to Superman to everyone in between, there is something truly fantastic about the world of superheros. Coming in all shapes and sizes, superheroes can be mutants, billionaires, and sometimes, just ordinary people living extraordinary lives. The superhero genre itself has been around since the early 1900s, with a short-lived newspaper comic “Hugo Hercules”, following the adventures of a man with superhuman strength who uses his power to help his fellow townspeople. Though this first superhero story was met with relatively little success, the fantastical world of superhero stories would only continue to grow from there. Throughout the following decades, superhero stories continued to spawn throughout new and emerging forms of media, from magazines, to radio shows, to even a stage-production! However, it was not until the introduction of beloved hero Superman in 1938 that the genre itself truly began to soar in popularity, eventually skyrocketing to the massive commercial success that it still holds today.


Nowadays, the Superhero genre remains popular as ever- however, superhero stories are presently more often consumed through movies and TV shows than they are through comic form. With countless new superhero movies coming out every year, it doesn’t look like the genre is going anywhere anytime soon! And yet, despite all of the superhero movies thus far, Hollywood has still only scratched the surface in the world of comic-to-movie adaptations. Though some of the more popular heroes have certainly gotten their fair share of movies already, many deserving heroes have yet to grace the silver screen; and so, without further ado, here are 7 lesser-known Superheroes who have yet to be adapted from comic book to feature film!



The Clock


Art by Gill Fox: Cover for Crack Comics #19, Quality


Secretly a wealthy aristocrat named Brian O’Brien, the Clock’s costume consists of a three piece suit, a fedora, and a black curtain mask. A master of disguise, the Clock uses his suave and sophisticated gadgets (such as a cane that fires projectiles, and a diamond stud that fires tear gas) to take down his enemies. This 1938 superhero may not have the flashiest of costumes, but he nevertheless made history by being one of the very first masked heroes in American Comic Books. Considered by many “the missing link” connecting pulp comics with superhero comics, such a feat deserves it’s own movie, no?



Tigra


Art by Mike Deodato

Originally university student Greer Grant Nelson, Greer's life is changed forever when she volunteers to undergo a human experiment conducted by her former physics professor. Though the experiment doesn’t leave her with superpowers, it does lead her to develop superhuman physical abilities. For a while, she fights crime under the alias “The Cat” until finally mutating into superpowered tiger-woman, Tigra. With fangs, stripes, and claws, Tigra has a flashy, cool character design that would make for an awesome movie hero. Besides- who doesn’t love female superheroes? Who doesn’t love cats? A cat-hero defending a magical race of Cat-People? Count me in!



Power Man


Art by Gil Kane: Cover for Power Man (1974) #17, Marvel


Power Man AKA Luke Cage, is a superhero with super strength and nigh-invulnerability, making him quite a formidable foe. Luke Cage runs his crime-fighting like a business. By offering his superhero services to anyone who can pay him a fair price, Luke Cage was the first to explore the concept of a “hero for hire”. Luke was also the first black American superhero to get his own comic series, another feat which certainly deserves its own movie! Power Man has of course been given some screen time with TV Show Jessica Jones, as well as with his own TV series Luke Cage, but he has yet to cross the silver screen in his own feature film.



Manifold


Art by Jonathan Hickman and Stefano Caselli


Manifold- real name Eden Fesi- is an Indigenous Australian King selected by Nick Fury to join the ranks of his Secret Warriors. With few Aborigional superheros up on the silver screen, Manifold seems to be a prime candidate for a superhero movie. Plus, with some awesome powers such as molding reality, altering space, and teleporting anywhere in the universe, a Manifold movie would no doubt be an epic ride.



The Question


Art by Denys Cowan: Cover for The Question (1986-2010) #34, DC


Real name “Vic Sage”, The Question is a detective superhero, an investigative journalist, a super sleuth and a conspiracy theorist. The Question is darker and grittier than most conventional superheroes: exceptionally ruthless towards his enemies, judging them with philosophy and often leaving them to die. He is also greatly distrustful of authority, and wears an ominous, faceless mask. A movie starring The Question has great potential to break out of the mold of most superhero movies, diving into the philosophy of Superheroes themselves in a chilling psychological tale. If a less conventional superhero movie is what you want, The Question could be right up your alley!



Spider-Woman


Art by Greg Land: Cover for Spider-Woman (2014) #1, Marvel


With the ever-expanding Spider Man cinematic universe, it seems only fitting that Spider-Woman get her own feature film soon. Spider Gwen certainly stole the show in Into the Spiderverse, and it’s clear that audiences would love to see more of this female superhero.

The recent announcement that Olivia Wilde is set to direct a female-centred Marvel movie has caused much speculation among fans, with many believing the secret project to be a Spider-Woman movie. While it is yet to be confirmed, Spider-Woman fans no doubt have their fingers crossed!


Of course, with so many superheroes out there, it would be impossible to include them all on this list! With plenty of new superhero movies in production from She-Hulk to Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), the future of superheroes is as exciting as ever! Which superheroes will get movies next? Only time will tell!


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Kroll, J. (2020) Olivia Wilde Tapped To Direct Untitled Female-Centered Marvel Movie At Sony. [online] Justin Kroll. Available at:


 
 
 

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