Tomorrow, Daredevil arrives on Netflix, which means we’re busy all weekend.
Don’t call. Don’t stop by. Don’t text to see if we’re okay. We’re fine. We’re watching Daredevil from start to finish… maybe twice.
In honour of Matt Murdock and everyone from Hell’s Kitchen finally debuting on the digital streaming services, kicking off Netflix’s collection of comic book adaptations and removing Ben Affleck in the red suit from our memories for good, here’s a look at 10 additional comic book titles that deserve to be adapted to film or television in the near future.
One note before we start: there are several spin-offs for characters that are already established or introduced that would work, like a stand-alone Black Widow movie or exploring the stories of various members of the X-Men.
Green Lantern Corps
Yes, there has already been a Green Lantern movie and it wasn’t very good, but there are too many stories and possibilities involving the Green Lantern Corps to not try again. As a television series along the lines of Arrow or The Flash, different Green Lanterns could be introduced at different times, creating avenues for keeping stories fresh and moving forward.
Elektra
Might as well get the other reboot out of the way while we’re here. The Jennifer Garner film that came as a spin-off from her inclusion in the Affleck Daredevil film felt forced and was hammered with horrible reviews, but having a female character that straddles the line between good and bad and comes with a deep history to draw from is never a bad thing. Marvel Entertainment has the rights to Elektra, so there is hope for something better involving this character in the future.
Moon Knight
A caped superhero motivated by vengeance? Sound familiar? Moon Knight often gets compared to Batman, but Marc Spector is no Bruce Wayne. He is, however, a lesser known Marvel character, which means his origin story and adventures would be new to many, making Moon Knight an interesting potential target for adaptation. Why reboot something familiar and failed when you can give audiences something brand new?
Nightwing
The idea of a series based on Robin – yes, that Robin – after he stops being Robin and graduates to being Nightwing has always been fascinating. You could start the series with Dick Grayson at 18 leaving Batman’s side and adopting his new identity and move on from there. It will be interesting to see if the Robin character introduced at the end of The Dark Knight Rises is featured in the upcoming Superman vs. Batman: Dawn of Justice, as that will play a part in determining the feasibility of a Nightwing series or film.
Fable
Think of this as a darker version of ABC’s Once Upon a Time, where familiar characters from folklore and fairy tales are kicked out of their homelands and living in New York City. Given the success ABC has had with its close, but not too close version of this world, it’s tough to predict whether another network would dive into the Fable world, but it is deep and expansive, which would make the process of figuring seasons and storylines a little less challenging. Plus, the Big Bad Wolf is now a chain-smoking sheriff that goes by the name Bigby Wolf.
Runaways
A group of teens whose parents are actually part of a criminal syndicate and have been keeping secrets from them for years? Explain how that doesn’t become a successful television series? As an added bonus, the group is made up of more females than males and diverse in multiple ways, which is to say it’s not a bunch of white dudes that become heroes.
Birds of Prey
Rather than having Black Canary operating in Starling City alongside Oliver Queen on Arrow, why not give her her own show, partnering her with Barbara Gordon as The Oracle and bringing Birds of Prey back to life? The WB tried a version of this show a number of years ago and although it got strong reviews, it was cancelled. With Dinah Laurel Lance/Black Canary established, there is a clear opportunity for a spin-off if The CW wants to take it.
Namor the Sub-Mariner
How has Namor never gotten a TV show or movie of his own? He was one of Timely Comics’, the predecessor to Marvel, first characters and most popular characters when he was first introduced, but he’s been kind of left behind over the years. The underwater thing would be tricky to figure out, but the fact that he’s been linked with The Avengers, The X-Men and the Fantastic Four over the years creates ample opportunities for Namor to be introduced and then given a chance to shine.
100 Bullets
There is no denying that a television shows based on the premise of what would a person do if they were given the opportunity to exact violent revenge against someone that wronged them knowing they had the means and a good chance of success is pretty grim. Still, Showtime nearly made it happen a few years ago and the source material and concept is still one that could be successful.
