This last decade or so has been great for superhero properties beyond the big ones like Superman and Spider-Man being adapted. Wonder Woman just came out to rave reviews, and Black Panther's first trailer is currently lighting the internet on fire. Both of those are important in their own right, but they're also the latest examples of properties many thought would never be adapted finding their way to the big screen.
Since 08, we've gotten adaptations of Iron Man, Captain America, Green Arrow, The Flash, Guardians of the Galaxy, Suicide Squad, Vixen, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Ant-Man, Rip Hunter (Legends of Tomorrow), Deadpool, Big Hero 6, and a bunch of other stuff I'm forgetting in TV, movies, or animation. And most of it has been pretty good to great! The old logic that says only big well known properties can be successful has been soundly proven wrong, as the general public has shown they're ready to love all your favorite C and D list superheroes.
So with that in mind, if you had your way, what superhero of lesser reknown would you like to see leave the page and get adapted for TV or film (or even video games). Doesn't have to be from DC or Marvel, mind you. Also, feel free to say if you want it to be a film, show, or game, and if you want it to be live action or animation.
To start us off, one of my personal choices:
Animal Man, for those who don't know, is a hero who can copy the ability of any animal. This can be fairly simple like taking flight from a bird, or things like stealing the regenetive abilities from earthworms to regrow limbs. In his civilian life, he's Buddy Baker, an actor and animal-rights activist who is also a husband and father of two.
What's great about Animal Man is that the character has some elasticity in how you can adapt him. He can do super trippy, surreal stuff (like that time he had a conversation with his writer about the direction of his book). He can do dark supernatural stuff. And obviously, his goofy animal-based abilities make him ripe for cartoons.
Personally, I'd want a TV show. The most interesting thing about Animal Man to me is his status as a superhero with a family. We don't get very many of them, and I would love to see the dynamic of someone trying to protect a family while also being an active crime fighter explored in a long form TV show. Granted, it might be hard because many of A-Man's best stories involve things that would be tough on a TV budget - think "everything about The Red" - but those same stories are too big to be a two hour movie.
Since 08, we've gotten adaptations of Iron Man, Captain America, Green Arrow, The Flash, Guardians of the Galaxy, Suicide Squad, Vixen, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Ant-Man, Rip Hunter (Legends of Tomorrow), Deadpool, Big Hero 6, and a bunch of other stuff I'm forgetting in TV, movies, or animation. And most of it has been pretty good to great! The old logic that says only big well known properties can be successful has been soundly proven wrong, as the general public has shown they're ready to love all your favorite C and D list superheroes.
So with that in mind, if you had your way, what superhero of lesser reknown would you like to see leave the page and get adapted for TV or film (or even video games). Doesn't have to be from DC or Marvel, mind you. Also, feel free to say if you want it to be a film, show, or game, and if you want it to be live action or animation.
To start us off, one of my personal choices:
Animal Man, for those who don't know, is a hero who can copy the ability of any animal. This can be fairly simple like taking flight from a bird, or things like stealing the regenetive abilities from earthworms to regrow limbs. In his civilian life, he's Buddy Baker, an actor and animal-rights activist who is also a husband and father of two.
What's great about Animal Man is that the character has some elasticity in how you can adapt him. He can do super trippy, surreal stuff (like that time he had a conversation with his writer about the direction of his book). He can do dark supernatural stuff. And obviously, his goofy animal-based abilities make him ripe for cartoons.
Personally, I'd want a TV show. The most interesting thing about Animal Man to me is his status as a superhero with a family. We don't get very many of them, and I would love to see the dynamic of someone trying to protect a family while also being an active crime fighter explored in a long form TV show. Granted, it might be hard because many of A-Man's best stories involve things that would be tough on a TV budget - think "everything about The Red" - but those same stories are too big to be a two hour movie.