Marvel and DC have both been in business for a long time -- since the 1930s, in fact -- and the sheer number of superheroes each has to offer makes it tough to decide who should get added to the silver screen. Some seem obvious, like Marvel's "Iron Man" or DC's "Batman," while others are a bit more obscure. Who had heard of the lovable tree Groot before "Guardians of the Galaxy" came out? Not many non-comic book fans, that's the answer.
But both Marvel and DC have faced serious criticism from fans for a lack of diversity. Marvel, for example, still has no female-led movie and the first isn't slated until 2019 with "Captain Marvel," though DC's "Wonder Woman" is due for 2017. Neither studio has plans for an LGBTQ leading character, though both are planning for leading characters of color ("Black Panther" in 2018 for Marvel and "Aquaman" in 2018 for DC).
So who do we think should get some time in the spotlight? These are just 12 of the top picks.
1. Storm a.k.a. Ororo Munroe.
A popular member of the X-Men, a group which has been featured heavily in the past and present for Marvel. In fact, she's been in almost all the X-Men movies, but she's rarely had more than five minutes of screen time.
Storm has the power to control the weather and is from a long line of African priestesses -- in fact, she was worshiped as a goddess in her childhood -- but not before she was ostracized for her strange hair color.
In recent years, Storm has been married to Black Panther, another new addition to the Marvel cinematic universe, ruled her own nation, and been on quests to find missing X-Men. Storm is a powerful character both emotionally and literally; it's hard to find someone with more bang than someone who can blow things up with thunder, flood an entire plain with rain, and destroy buildings with tornadoes.
2. Raven a.k.a. Rachel Roth.
Made rather famous by the kid's cartoon "Teen Titans," Raven is the daughter of an inter-dimensional demon who likes conquering and enslaving populations on a regular basis. Her powers are magical and have almost no limit, but they're based on her demon blood. As a result, she must control her powers or risk the ruin of everyone she loves.
What that means for Raven is that she must hold back her emotions, making her seem standoffish and cold to others at first, but her real personality is much different. She is fiercely loyal to her teammates, something that has been explored multiple times in the comics and cartoons, and fully capable of smiling.
With the still-developing DC movie universe changing every week and the high demand for a Teen Titans feature film, it isn't impossible to imagine that a Raven-centric movie could draw interest for those who live haven't heard of the DC team before. Alternatively, DC could make a Teen Titans film and then a Raven one afterwards.
3. Falcon a.k.a. Sam Wilson.
A high flyer (rather literally), Sam Wilson in the cinematic universe is already much different than the person seen in the comic books, but that's just how we like it. With the recent events of "Captain America: Civil War" (spoilers coming!), Sam is in a rather awkward place. Does he stay by Steve (Captain America) or does he try to do his own thing?
Furthermore, Falcon is a sarcastic, joke-loving guy who seems to get along with almost everyone he's interacted with, though there are a few exceptions (*cough* Black Panther *cough*). He's certainly become a fan favorite after notable one-liners in Civil War.
If Marvel wanted, there'd also be interest for a Falcon origin film. It could be a mix of a war movie and a superhero movie, similar to how Captain America: Winter Soldier was done. Certainly fans would be clambering for the bird-themed hero.
4. Nightcrawler a.k.a. Kurt Wagner.
The blue mutant who has captured hearts with his earnest and playful attitude, Nightcrawler has also been featured in many X-Men movies but, like Storm, has never played a major part. Still, he has a large following and has an intriguing origin story.
Spoilers, it involves one of the X-Men's most infamous enemies, Mystique.
Beyond that, Nightcrawler also has had his own comics for a while (since 1975) and he's had a few major themes, one of which is his struggle with religion. Nightcrawler has been Catholic in many issues but his blue skin and demon heritage (his father is a demon) often results in plenty of internal and external angst.
A movie could focus on that and his struggle to find a place to belong, or it could have a happier tilt and follow one of his many romantic interests. Honestly, Marvel could have a two hour film about Nightcrawler's adventures in an American mall and people would probably go to see it.
5. She-Hulk a.k.a. Jessica Walters.
The cousin of Bruce Banner a.k.a. The Hulk, She-Hulk is still green like her male counterpart but with a few key differences. One, she has had difficulty switching between her green form and her human form, resulting in her being trapped as She-Hulk for some time. Two, she retains her full intelligence and personality as She-Hulk. And three, she's a lawyer for high profile clients like the Avengers or Fantastic Four. Criminal drama movie, anyone?
But in all seriousness, She-Hulk has the potential for any number of plots. At first she was unable to leave her green form, so an origin film could focus on her learning to accept herself and adapt to life as a 6' 7", 650-pound person. Alternatively, a movie could start off with her facing off against criminals in the courts and on the streets. There's numerous directions Marvel could go with a character as interesting as She-Hulk.
6. Miss Marvel a.k.a. Kamala Khan.
Relatively new to the title, Kamala Khan adopted the alias Miss Marvel after her own favorite superhero (who now goes by Captain Marvel and is set to be in her own movie in 2019). Miss Marvel is a Muslim girl living in New Jersey who struggles with grades, her family, and suddenly developing superpowers. All completely normal in Jersey.
What makes Miss Marvel truly unique is the fact that she's a teenager fighting with a teenager perspective. She doesn't want to hurt people and she doesn't do it for fame or glory, though a selfie with Wolverine is still pretty cool (fun fact: Miss Marvel did, indeed, take a selfie with Wolverine).
Her first comic book arc pit her against an evil mechanical mastermind who (spoilers) used people to power machines. Miss Marvel delivered a rather beautiful speech about how all people are worth something, can contribute to society in some way, a message that more people should hear. We just really want a Miss Marvel movie, OK?
7. Katana a.k.a. Tatsu Yamashiro.
Seen in DC's latest film, "Suicide Squad," Katana was hyped up in the advertising but failed to have more than five minutes of screen time in the movie itself. Though her backstory (husband killed by a gang boss, loyal wife goes to get revenge) was touched upon, the full extent of her character was largely ignored.
Katana still has a lot of potential for a prequel movie or her own spin-off. After all, samurai/ninja movies are a popular genre that hasn't been tapped into recently and Katana could hit that market as well as her superhero fan base. She's not quite a household name like some of the others on the list, but that didn't stop Marvel and it shouldn't stop DC.
8. Harley Quinn a.k.a. Harleen Quinzel.
A fan favorite for years, Harley was a major focus of "Suicide Squad" with a new look that retained her key characteristics. Her backstory was also touched upon and her personality shone among a cast of criminals. Though reviews were mixed on the movie itself, most people agreed that Harley was a plus.
For those who don't know, Harley was once a psychiatrist for the king of crime himself, the Joker. She eventually was manipulated into falling in love with him and became Harley Quinn as fans know, a twisted woman who swings a hammer (or a bat) and plays often deadly pranks.
Harley in recent comics has developed a past and now is in a (popular) relationship with fellow fan favorite, Poison Ivy. There's been some talk about a DC movie with all the female fatales of the DC cinematic universe, featuring Harley as a major character, but we wouldn't say no to a film just about this bat-swinging anti-hero.
9. Hawkeye a.k.a. Kate Bishop.
A founding member of the Young Avengers, a group of heroes formed after the Avengers disbanded, Hawkeye is a sexual assault survivor and became a hero in order to stop others from having to go through what she did. Hawkeye took up the mantle after the original, Clint Barton, died. He later came back to life and gave her his blessing; now they're good friends even if Clint is a bit of a human mess.
Unlike Clint Barton, Kate Bishop is proficient in more than just bows and arrows. She's used swords, throwing knives and even shurikens before. She's also one of the leaders of the Young Avengers though in recent issues she's struck out on her own.
What Kate brings to the Marvel universe may not be unique -- after all she literally shares the same name as another -- but she is growing in popularity and including her in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) would provide for opportunities to include the Young Avengers at some point.
10. Miss America a.k.a. America Chavez.
Another member of the Young Avengers, Miss America is a butt-kicking, dimension crossing hero who is incredibly strong, can fly, and can kick portals between dimensions. She's been on teams with Captain America and various X-Men before but in recent years her appearances have been with the Young Avengers.
Miss America has tons of room to grow. She could easily be a solo hero -- she has the power for it -- but she's also worked in team dynamics before. And, with fans crying out for more representation, Miss America could bring serious kudos to Marvel.
Interestingly, Miss America isn't from Earth or even this dimension and her backstory hasn't been explained in depth, leaving Marvel with plenty of room to develop her in a future comic or movie. She also has a wide range of options in terms of what kind of movie hers would be. An action-packed adventure or a more dramatic story about finding herself? Either is completely possible.
11. Spider-Man a.k.a. Miles Morales.
This web-slinging hero took up the mantle of Spider-Man after the original, Peter Parker, died. Miles is a young (black) boy from Brooklyn who has a similar origin story: he got bit by a genetically modified spider. Like Peter, Miles has made it his mission to use his powers to help others. With great power comes great responsibility, after all.
Unlike the original, this Spider-Man has a few different abilities. Miles can camouflage himself, for one, and he can stun his enemies. Of course he has his webs to help him move along the city faster than normal.
This is one hero who could definitely use an origin movie. Miles struggled at first to use his powers and to really achieve anything, putting him in harm's way to the point where other heroes (such as Spider-Woman) stepped in and demanded to know who he was. Mile's story of achieving his goals despite adversity is something that Marvel has done before, but we still feel that Miles' tale deserves to be told.
12. Silk a.k.a. Cindy Moon.
Rounding out this list is another spider-themed hero, Silk. Bitten by the same radioactive spider that caused Peter Parker to develop his powers, Silk went down a much different path when her family went missing. Her goal is to find them no matter the cost, putting her at odds with the traditional superhero narrative and ideals.
This hero also has a rather dark origin. After all, not many people willingly stay in an underground bunker in order to hide from someone hunting them. Silk's past makes her view of the world much different than her fellow spider-people, which means she could provide a fresh spin on the spider-narrative that Marvel fans have heard so much about. Silk has worked with others before but she also has her own solo comic book series, which means that an adaptation would not be too difficult. In addition, she could provide some support for the ever-expanding Marvel universe, especially if Marvel wanted to go more in-depth with Peter Parker and his little corner of the world.
What do you think? Is there someone who should have been on this list but didn't make it? Anyone here that you disagree with? Comment and let us know.
