Joker was an unanticipated success, but DC Comics is full of beloved characters craving their own standalone films.
The Joker may be the most popular comic book villain of all time but not even that could have prepared audiences for the way in which 2019’s Joker absolutely dominated the box office. Grossing over $1 billion – and becoming the first R-rated movie to do so – it received acclaim for Joaquin Phoenix’s performance and drew the veteran a ton of accolades (including an Academy Award).
The Joker film’s success was both expected and unanticipated. Joker was never going to underperform because of its comic book ties but its presentation as an indie-ish movie did leave some wondering if it could compete with the super-powered blockbusters that the genre is so used to producing.
Joker didn’t belong to any franchises nor was it building any shared universes. It was a gritty standalone story that felt more like a Scorsese flick than a comic book movie. In the end, it succeeded and the comic book genre gained a new type of film.
An obvious starting point for Warner Bros. considering how popular a character The Clown Prince of Crime is, but if they do plan on making more films of this ilk with DC’s rich collection of characters, there are some who absolutely must star in them.
10. Jason Todd
Jason Todd is the second Robin in the comics and without question the most infamous. Known for his brash attitude and reckless behaviour, he and Batman got into a number of altercations during his original run over how to handle certain crime-fighting situations. While modern audiences tend to like rebellious characters, comic book fans weren’t drawn to the delinquent Boy Wonder in his day and ultimately voted to have him killed off.
He staged a huge resurrection years later when he returned as Red Hood and resurrected his popularity in the process, because the black sheep of the Bat-Family quickly became one of the most beloved characters in DC Comics today.
In spite of his regular comics book appearances, there are depths of story still waiting to be explored for Jason when it comes to live-action. This is clear from how well Curran Walters’ brilliant interpretation of the character on DC’s Titans – which also happens to be Jason’s live-action debut – went down. Could you imagine what a full movie exploring Jason’s background would be like? One that would delve into his past and reveal why he became such a reckless Robin and unforgiving Red Hood?
There is an abundance of Jason Todd stories just waiting to be told and a live-action origin story is at the top of that list.
9. Man-Bat
On one hand, it’s hard to believe that Man-Bat has never featured in a live-action Batman movie. On the other, it’s easy to see why Warner Bros. has yet to greenlight a movie that would revolve around a giant CGI bat. And yet, it still feels that WB could pull it off with the right balance of special effects and story.
The alternative is to simply not make a movie about Man-Bat’s war with Batman and instead focus on the man behind the bat – and no, we’re not talking about Bruce Wayne!
The reason that Man-Bat remains one of the Dark Knight’s most underappreciated characters is because of the depth of the man who brings him to life. Dr. Kirk Langstorm’s transformation into a creature of the night has been the subject of many Batman tales over the years (like many of Batman’s characters, it was done particularly well in Batman: The Animated Series) and it would make a great basis for a standalone origin story in the vein of Joker.
Yes, there’s the struggles with reconciling such a poignant tale with a giant CGI bat, but it could channel Joker if it were to place a specific focus on Langstrom’s experiments with the serum, the blackouts they cause and perhaps even his obsession with his work. It could even stylistically end as he transforms, cutting away just as we hear Man-Bat’s signature screech, maintaining the realism of a supernaturally-charged story.
8. James Gordon
Perhaps the most beloved fictional police officer of all time, James Gordon has held Gotham City together in the pages of DC Comics for decades. His partnership with Batman makes him an honorary member of the Bat-Family and he does fight in the war against crime on the front-lines with them but what makes him one of their most valuable allies is the war he fights in the GCPD itself, rooting out the corruption within so that Gotham is protected from any evildoers on the inside.
This has been highlighted in tales like Batman: Year One and Gotham Central and if those stories are anything to go by, it’s clear that Gordon’s war on crime would make for an incredible origin story. It would have to be more of a police drama than a superhero movie so that it could delve into his early days as a police offer long before The Batman graced Gotham City with his presence as he attempts to remain pure in a machine that is almost as corrupt as the criminals they’re hunting.
We’ve seen this dramatized well in the early seasons of Fox’s Gotham as Ben McKenzie excellently delivered the first live-action adaptation of Gordon’s beginnings in the GCPD and we could see a different period of the commissioner’s career if he battles that corruption in the highly-anticipated The Batman prequel series (in which Jeffrey Wright would portray him). But a dark film in the vein of Joker would be the icing on that cake.
7. Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy is one of Batman and DC’s most underappreciated villains. This is something we’ve again learned from her prominent role on DC Universe and HBO Max animated series Harley Quinn where she is the most important character on the show other than Harley herself. And it’s something people should continue to learn from a live-action film.
Pamela Isley may develop into a vengeful – and at times murderous – menace to mankind, but her villainous quest, like many, actually started out with noble intentions. A botanist with an affinity for plants, she sees her metamorphosis as a blessing as it allows her to help plants reclaim the earth and stop humanity from destroying the Green.
It’s that journey that would make a heck of an interesting character study. In today’s world, we’re quickly learning about the increasing importance of protecting nature so a backstory like that would undoubtedly be very timely, but what is it that influences her love of the environment and why is she capable of such deadly deeds in order to make her mission a reality?
A hard-hitting drama about Pamela’s unfortunate life, her attempts to come out on top, and ensure that nature does as well, before she ultimately becomes Mother Nature would provide one of the comics’ most engaging characters with the spotlight she deserves.
6. The Riddler
Of all the characters on this list, it is perhaps The Riddler who is best suited to recreating the success of Joker with a similar style of film. Gotham City’s resident puzzler has been compared to the Clown Prince of Crime on many occasions over the years, but the emerald enigma is such a rich character in his own right that it often feels like he never gets the focus that someone with his formidable presence should get.
That could all be changed with a Joker-esque tale that documents why the outcast Edward Nygma ultimately finds himself drawn into the world of crime and takes great pleasure in outwitting those he targets by backing them into a corner with riddles he knows they can’t answer.
Like Joker, this wouldn’t need to make any direct references to Batman – just tell the story of how the corrupt city broke the unfortunate young man seeking to impress those around him, birthing a criminal mastermind in the process. A criminal mastermind too smart for anyone who isn’t The Dark Knight.
Nygma has a ring to it, doesn’t it? If not that, then Riddle Me This would be good. Or it could just go full-blown Joker and use Riddler. Either way, the story would undoubtedly rival that of the Clown Prince of Crime.
5. Royal Flush Gang
DC’s standalone label that exists outside of the DCEU is very much Elseworlds on the screen, meaning that every movie produced under that banner could be completely different. So while we’ve had our thriller in Joker and could see a political drama centered on one or two of the characters on this list, it could also offer up a gripping crime drama.
The center of that crime film would be none other than the Royal Flush Gang, who made their debut in DC Comics back in 1966. A gang of criminals known for their poker gimmick and codenames, they’ve featured in animated shows like Batman Beyond and Batman: The Brave and the Bold while also making their live-action debut in Arrow.
A film centering on one or more of their heists could make for quite the thrilling watch, highlighting how they got into the life of crime in the first place and why they’re so good at what they do in the process. Moreover, it would also set the stage for some real conflict as each member disputes the best tactics – and, more importantly, the reasoning behind them.
It could even go down the Arrow route and portray the gang as a turbulent family, with the parents desperate on getting out of the crime business while the kid(s) want to keep going.
One of DC’s most underrated group of villains, it would be great to see Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten get the attention they deserved a long time ago.
4. Catwoman
One of the reasons that the Batman and Catwoman dynamic is so strong and beloved is down to the fact that the characters are two sides of the same coin. Selina Kyle fills a void in Bruce Wayne’s life that nobody else ever could, partially because she’s every bit as formidable as he is and isn’t afraid of fighting her own battles.
With that in mind, a Catwoman origin story could be every bit as compelling as a Batman one. While Bruce’s struggles on his journey to heroism have entertained audiences time and again, Selina would be more than capable of doing the same in a film that documented how she came from a world that continually pushed her towards crime.
Michelle Pfieffer’s incredible iteration of Catwoman in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns is undoubtedly the film’s richest character and she almost headlined her own standalone spinoff but years in development hell eventually resulted in the reviled Catwoman starring Halle Berry as an original interpretation of the character. Selina Kyle was robbed of her chance to shine in a standalone epic, and this could be Warner Bros.’ chance to make up for that. And if it’s done in the style of Joker, it could also make for quite the gripping crime drama.
3. Scarecrow
Jonathan Crane is one of Batman’s most thrilling baddies. The Scarecrow has been terrifying his foes with fear toxin for decades and he regularly finds himself in The Dark Knight’s crosshairs as a result of that. And in spite of the fact that he isn’t often portrayed as the sole mastermind in many tales, he has proven that he’s someone the Caped Crusader should take very seriously.
With that in mind, it isn’t hard to see why a movie centering on Crane’s life pre-Scarecrow could make for a compelling tale. What makes the villain-in-the-making tick and ultimately drives him down that dark fear-induced path? How does he become obsessed with fear itself and how does that lead to a job as a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum?
Dr. Jonathan Crane has long been one of Batman’s most compelling villains but also one of his most underrated. We saw how fantastic Cillian Murphy was when he portrayed him in Batman Begins (and later cameoed in both The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises), but could you imagine what he would’ve been able to do if Crane had more of a substantial role. Crane would get that role in an origin movie.
Scarecrow has a ring to it, doesn’t it?
2. Lex Luthor
When it comes to legendary DC Comics villains, the only man who could probably rival The Joker in terms of notoriety is, without question, Lex Luthor. The billionaire mastermind of LexCorp has spent much of his time as a comic book villain consumed with the thought of ending the Man of Steel once for all. It’s never going to happen, but it doesn’t stop the nefarious Lex from trying.
An origin story centred on Lex would undoubtedly be a compelling tale. Not only would it delve into his backstory, focusing on why he lets his fear of aliens – and the adoration that Superman receives – drive him to do unspeakable things, it could also showcase how he uses his cleverness and charms to climb the ladder of success.
But we’re not just talking about LexCorp here. No, a Lex Luthor solo movie could do a deep dive into the world of politics and show us all how a man desperate to destroy Superman suddenly finds himself on a journey to the oval office. And if it’s done real cleverly, this gripping political drama wouldn’t even have to address the Man of Steel’s existence because, when portrayed correctly, Lex Luthor is a very compelling protagonist.
1. Mr. Freeze
If this writer is being completely honest, Mr. Freeze might just have the best origin story out of all the villains in comic book history. He might even have the best out of all characters ever. That’s a testament to the writers of Batman: The Animated Series – who turned a once-corny baddie into an incredibly tragic Shakespearean character and single-handedly gave us one of the richest backstories to ever grace a TV screen.
If that can be accomplished in one 20-minute Emmy-winning episode, can you imagine what those writers (or anyone who truly understands the character) would be capable of with a 90-minute film?
Victor Fries, an esteemed doctor doing everything he can to save his ailing wife is forced to cryogenically freeze her until he can find a cure. However, when his plans go awry because of outside interference, a horrible accident turns him into a cold-hearted man out for revenge.
The story is already there and is just waiting on someone to write it. It’s already a perfect narrative but in a realistic, hard-hitting and emotionally-challenging movie without all the ties to the wider comic book world, a standalone Mr. Freeze movie (Freeze, anyone?) could be a cinematic masterpiece.
Mr. Freeze is also one of Batman’s most underrated villains (and it certainly doesn’t help that his Emmy-winning origins were previously adapted for the big screen in the corny Batman & Robin!) but a Joker-like retelling of his origins could shine a long overdue light on one of DC Comics’ richest characters.
Which DC characters would you like to see star in their own Joker movie? Let us know in the comments below!