The comic book movie landscape has seen many odd projects come to fruition, but none as intriguing as the idea of making whole movies based around a villain (often without their respective heroes present). The Joker, Morbius, Venom, and now Kraven the Hunter have all gotten the solo movie treatment. Heck, even The Penguin got his own TV series. And now we know that Clayface is set to headline his own standalone movie in James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe.
Comin book villains are getting the starring roles nobody knew they needed. With that in mind, let's take this opportunity to look through the comic book and movie archives and discuss which villains would be great candidates for a solo movie.
Sinestro
First appearing in Volume 2 Green Lantern #7 in August 1961 and created by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane, Thaal Sinestro has become a staple villain for the whole Green Lantern Corp., more specifically being the arch nemesis to Hal Jordan. Like most comic book villains, Sinestro was a literal mustache twirling character with a grievance against Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps. from the start, but his reasons for hating them became more nuanced as the decades went on. He admires what the Green Lantern Corps. could stand for, not what it currently is, for he sees the Corps. and its founders, The Guardians, as being weak and not willing to go further to keep peace throughout the universe.
A Sinestro solo movie would be a very compelling tale, because while in the comics and most other adaptions he's seen going to blows with Hal Jordan, Sinestro's reason for his villainy is because of the whole Green Lantern Corps, not with just one character, so Hal Jordan wouldn't be required to be included in a Sinestro movie. I could see a film where Sinestro was forged out of the fires of battle on his homeworld, and once becoming a Green Lantern, he realizes over time that the beings he once thoughts as the most powerful in the universe are anything but, and throughout the film he works on attaining his own justice and to one day usurp The Guardians from their lofty perch. Doesn't that sound really cool?
Darkseid
Appearing in cameo's throughout the title Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, Darkseid didn't make his full appearance until The Forever People #1in February 1971, and he was created by the King of Comics, Jack Kirby. Darkseid is the tyrannical ruler of the planet Apokolips, constantly at war with the New Gods of New Genesis, who tries to take over the universe by seeking out an ancient weapon called the Anit-Life Equation. The Anti-Life Equation is a weapon that if one were to possess it, they could control the hearts and minds of every being in the universe, which Darkseid craves above all else, but the New Gods and the DC Universe always stand in his way.
The entirety of Jack Kirby's Fourth World Saga (which includes Forever People, New Gods, Mister Miracle, and Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen) is ripe for a film adaption that could be separate from the wider DC Universe because of it's vast characters and lore, and a Darkseid centered film would be the most intriguing proposition above them all. But I think if DC Studios were to introduce the entirety of the Fourth World, I think Darkseid should be teased throughout the slew of movies and shows in this universe, leading to a solo Darkseid movie, and finally ending with a bombastic crossover with all the Fourth World characters against Darkseid. I could see DC Studios taking much of their inspiration for a Darkseid solo movie from John Byrne's run on the Fourth World in the 90s, mainly because Darkseid's origins are explored in that series, but also taking inspiration from the original Kirby comics is a must as well.
I think Darkseid is a character that's seen many adaptions throughout various media, and it would be a good idea for DC Studios to leave Darkseid and the Fourth World alone for the time being, because Darkseid himself has been the central villain in many adaptions, and I've heard rumblings that a lot of people are sick seeing him as the big bad, but eventually exploring Darkseid and the Fourth World would be a treat for fans everywhere.
Vandal Savage
Being one of the oldest characters on this list (both in terms of his comic book history and the origins of the character), Vandal Savage was created by writer Alfred Bester and artist Martin Nodell and made his first appearance in Green Lantern Volume 1 No. 10 all the way back in December of 1943. Mostly being associated with characters like Alan Scott's Green Lantern and the Justice Society of America, Savage has become a much bigger threat to the DC Universe over the years, and for good reason.
The character has existed long before humanity was born. Over 50,000 years ago, he was a simple Neanderthal who one day stumbled upon a glowing meteorite that fell from the sky. He laid next to it overnight due to providing warmth, but when he woke the next morning he achieved intelligence, and from that point on sought to rule over the world and all who occupy it's lands. During the course of his many lifetimes, he's adopted many personas, but recently he would like to re-adopt the title of ruler of the Earth. The heroes of Earth are constant thorns in his side that he seeks to utterly obliterate.
While Vandal Savage would benefit from either a movie or a show, I think the latter would serve him the best. It's been said in the comics and certain adaptions that the ancient tyrant was many key historical figures, such as Genghis Khan, Blackbeard, and Caesar (among others), and a TV series following Savage throughout his many lives would be very compelling viewing. One episode could focus on his early years as leader of his tribe, then the next could be how he conquered most of the known world as Caesar, and so on. The possibilities are literally endless with this character, and DC should take that into consideration for an adaptation in the near future.
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a character that has seen so much exposure throughout the Star Wars franchise in various mediums, and yet there hasn't been a show or movie solely dedicated to the character. Sure, there have been solo Darth Vader adventures in comics and novels, but the iconic villain is a character that more than deserves his own time in the spotlight.
A Darth Vader movie would benefit from focusing on his early years, because audiences know what the character was like during his later years (as shown in the original Star Wars trilogy), and his origins were explored in the prequels. A movie could fill in the gaps in between. There are many ways a solo adventure could occur too, either through adapting a story from the comics or novels, or making an original story centered around Vader.
If Disney were to go with the former, I can see many stories they could adapt from the comics. They could use the Marvel run of comics by writer Charles Soule that explored Darth Vader coming into his own as a Sith Lord while dealing with enemies before him (and within). Disney could also go back further and adapt Vader stories from the Dark Horse comics, Granted, there's so much early material from this era that it's impossible to adaptit all, but it would be cool to adapt the Dark Horse stories that dealt with Vader hunting Jedi post Order 66.
As for the novels, there are two novels that would be great for a movie adaption, the first being Star Wars Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, which was written by James Luceno (a name you'll see again in this list). This novel takes place mere weeks after the events of Revenge of the Sith, and it deals with similar story beats to the Charles Soule comics; albeit with various differences, one of them being that the story, while mainly about Vader, also focuses on the perspectives of the Jedi that Vader's assigned to hunt down. This novel is simply very cool and shows a badass Vader not seen very much in live action media.
The second novel is titled Lords of the Sith, written by Paul S. Kemp, and it deals with Vader and The Emperor teaming up on a mission to eradicate rebellion on a distant planet, but winding up stranded and having to rely on each other to survive. That premise alone is worth the price of admission for me. However, if Disney were to adapt this novel into live action, there are some elements that would need to be changed. The one glaring problem that many have with this novel is that it doesn't spend nearly enough time with Vader and The Emperor and instead on the rebels. While showing the perspective of the rebels is important, it shouldn't overshadow the literal main characters and the ones who are referenced in the title of the novel.
There are probably more comics and novels that would make a great live action adaption, but these are the ones that stick out to me. Plus, Disney and Lucasfilm could always make their own original Vader story, which I would be more than happy with as well. The more Darth Vader on the big screen, the better.
The Emperor (Darth Sidious)
While Darth Vader has remained the face of Star Wars since it's inception, another character within the Star Wars canon who is just as integral - and a lot more sinister - is that of The Emperor. Emperor Palpatine made a cameo appearance in the Empire Strikes Back (designed differently and played by a different actor), but was the main antagonist in the final film in the original trilogy in Return of the Jedi, played by the incomparable Ian McDiarmid. Even though The Emperor met his demise at the end of that film, his character has appeared across numerous mediums, including McDiarmid returning to the role during the much maligned prequel trilogy. His character was more fleshed out during the prequels, but there was still so much left to explore about the character that would make engrossing viewing.
A solo movie based around The Emperor should focus on his rise to power and there are two potential avenues that Disney could take to get there; adapt the novel Star Wars: Darth Plagueis, or have their own original story. The latter is something that can go in many different directions, such as a film which follows his day to day duties as the Emperor of the Empire and taking someone under his wing (for his own ulterior motives). It could also be an anthology where his various apprentices throughout the years viewed him, and characters like Darth Maul and Count Dooku would perhaps even return in a film capacity after many years, etc.
However, the idea that excites me the most is Disney perhaps adapting the Darth Plagueis novel, where it not only shows the Emperor's master rise to power, but Palpatine's rise as well. The Darth Plagueis novel is not only one of my favorite Star Wars books, it's one of my favorite books period, because it shows just how devious Palpatine was even as a young man and how his quest for dominance over others was a trait he had all his life. But it wasn't until he met Plagueis that this trait was honed over many decades of gruelling training and sadistic torture, resulting in the character most audiences know today being born.
Disney could and probably will of course change some aspects of the novel if they were to adapt this story, but the core ideas and presentation shouldn't be tampered with. At least one can hope.
Magneto
The desire for a solo Magneto film has gone down over the years, mainly because the character's past was explored so well in the various X-Men films, especially in X-Men: First Class, but a film dedicated to Magneto should never be off the table, and since X-Men-related characters have been creeping their way into the MCU, it won't be long before we see the Master of Magnetism himself. But what would a solo Magneto film look like? What would the story be about?
Again, there are many different paths this film could take, but since we all know Magneto's origins due to the X-Men movies, let's jump a little further in time to, say, the Johnathan Hickman run. Hickman's run on various X-Men titles might've been short-lived, but it's impact is still being felt to this day in X-Men comics. During that run, we see the villainous Magneto join sides with the X-Men and become a powerful ally in their fight for mutant equality, and that could be a jumping off point for a solo film.
As you've no doubt guessed by now, I prefer to have a solo villain movie be a origin story, and that's no exception to Magneto. A solo Magneto movie could have him recount his life from it's beginnings to where he stands now, fighting alongside his once most persistent enemies. I can even see a scene where in the '90s X-Men: The Animated Series Magneto was rescued by Captain America from Nazi's as a boy, which could see the return of Chris Evans as Captain America in a cameo capacity, but there's so much story throughout Magneto's life, including his time during Hickman's acclaimed run, that would please casual and hardcore fans alike (if done well that is.)
Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom has been on everyone's minds recently, mostly thanks to the announcement that Robert Downey Jr. would return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to play the villain (or at least a version of him) in the next set of Avengers films (Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars), so a Doctor Doom solo film may be the film on this list most likely to actually happen in the next few years (I hope!)
Right off the bat, I think Disney and Marvel Studios should adapt portions from the graphic novel Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment. This storyline delves into the tragic early years of Victor Von Doom's life, as well as establishing that Doom is a very adept hand at the mystic arts, rivaling the abilities of Doctor Strange himself.
When I first read this graphic novel, it showed me just how awesome, badass, and tragic Doctor Doom as a character was because, before that point, my only exposure to the character was in the various live action Fantastic Four movies, which weren't the most flattering representation of any of the characters, including Doom. But with Victor von Doom now in the hands of Marvel Studios, I think we're going to see one of Marvel's most iconic villains finally done right!
What do you think? Do you think we'll ever get to see any of these solo films in our lifetime? What other villains would make a great solo movie?