Will E Worm
Conspiracy...
Next 10 Comic Book Villains We NEED to See in Movies
As more comic book heroes hit the big screen, their (often more interesting) villains get taken along for the ride. Just this week, the first trailer for The Wolverine showed us our first glimpses at Viper and Silver Samurai.
There's even a rumor that Batroc the Leaper (seriously) will appear in the next Captain America movie!
As it happens, that made us think about great (and occasionally, not so great) comic book villains that we HAVE NOT yet seen on the big screen. What follows is a list of ten villains that should get to the box office someday. Maybe.
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10. SURTUR
A Thor sequel has to dial up the threat level. Once you've already had the Frost Giants, the Destroyer and Loki, where do you go? BIGGER.
We know the Dark Elves are coming this time around, but who says we can't have a late twist in another realm? Surtur, master of the Twilight Sword, Bane of Odin, presence in video games, etc. would be a swell antagonist. In fact, the climax of the Simonson story involving Surtur features Odin, Thor and Loki in battle, meaning that you have emotional and thematic continuity from the climactic action of the first film. Synergy!
9. BRAINIAC
Come on, why hasn't this happened? Viewers totally accept alien villains for Superman, primarily because Superman is an alien hero.
The Skull ship would certainly be an awesome visual, particularly if it involved bottled cities in the interior. Hell, Geoff Johns is on the Hollywood squad, right? It would take a 12th level intellect to figure out how we're going on six Superman films without the conqueror of Colu.
8. MODOK
Okay, hear us out here. Yes, MODOK has become something of an iconic cult comedy figure among comic fans. His "I am science! I am genius! I am--(sound of Thor's hammer hitting him in the face)" scene in the Avengers animated series is legendary to kids everywhere.
BUT! MODOK would be, in our opinion, right up the alley of the Iron Man franchise. Consider how great Davros looks on Doctor Who, then realize that MODOK could be a similar sinister/insane/yeah, well, funny presence. Sure, he probably couldn't be the main villain, but man, would he be fun to see.
And it does look like Advanced Idea Mechanics are making it into Iron Man 3...
7. LEX LUTHOR
Just kidding, sort of. Did you know that Lex Luthor has actually appeared in more films in the modern era than any other American comic book super-villain?
It's true. Even if we extend it back to Batman in 1966, that only gives the Joker three movies compared to Luthor's four (you'll remember that he wisely avoided Superman III). However, the film vision of Luthor has been fairly uneven. Twice we've seen him perpetrate grandiose schemes for land deals, and not once have we seen him as either his CEO or armored incarnation.
While we're happy that Man of Steel is giving him a pass this time around, there's still room for a more traditional, comic-informed version of Lex on screen.
6. DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR
Granted, they'll never ever ever use the Terminator name, but Deathstroke is a great villain. It was interesting to see him in Smallville, and he's getting some much-needed depth on Arrow, but there are many ways to put Deathstroke on film as a central physical antagonist.
A wide-ranging sequence demonstrating all of his various weapons would set him off as a unique figure, rather than just another hired gun. Watching Deathstroke systematically take down the entire Justice League on the big screen wouldn't just be fun - it would be a nice metaphor for how long it's taken them to get there in the first place, constantly knocked down by those who should be lesser.
5. THE SENTINELS
Believe it or not, X-Men: First Class marked the fifth installment in that franchise. With The Wolverine now ready for Summer 2013, that means that you'd have six X-Men movies without the government-backed robotic hunters that help typify and crystallize paranoid humanity's hatred of mutants. Sure, you had a Danger Room cameo in Last Stand, but a lot of us are still pretending that one never happened.
While you would want a more personality-driven villain as the impetus behind the Sentinels, a full-on brawl between the merry mutants and these guys could be a fan-favorite scene.
Luckily, with X-Men: Days of Future Past on the way, we're all but assured of seeing this particular villain on the big screen in the near future.
4. ATROCITUS
If the Green Lantern franchise manages to try again, they're gonna need more color than green and yellow.
When you consider GL villains, Atrocitus, particularly in Red Lantern form, is pretty cinematic. How can you not love a guy that vomits napalm? They pulled off Atrocitus pretty well in Green Lantern: The Animated Series and it works as a great proof of concept for a big screen adaptation.
3. BLACK MANTA
Because that would mean that there was an Aquaman movie apart from the one starring Vincent Chase in "Entourage".
2. MYSTERIO
We're going to go with the vengeful f/x guy here (though Troy did try to figure out a way to fit in The Brood that wouldn't make the censors cry real tears; it didn't work). Why? Spidey has a lengthy rogues gallery that lies untouched (although they're digging deep for Amazing Spider-Man 2 with both Rhino and Electro in the mix), but there's something simultaneously goofy and great about that iconic helmet.
Not to mention the fact that someone built around special effects and illusions is perfect for a, you know, film.
1. DARKSEID
As it was said about Galactus, so shall it be said about Darkseid: he's not a cloud. Let's see Darkseid in all of his Omega glory, surrounded by his court of sadists and backed by his army of Parademons. Could you do that on film? Did you see Lord of the Rings?
As to which film he'd fit in, you've got your Superman option and your Justice League option... if it can ever get off the ground.
After appearing as the first big bad in the New 52's relaunch of the comic, it's only natural that he would take that honor in the movie, as well.
