DCEU: 10 Teams Who Should Get Their Own Movie or HBO Max Show

It was just announced that both Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom have been delayed yet again following the tumultuous restructuring happening at Warner-Discovery that also led to the cancelation of Batgirl. While the DCEU tries to find stable footing on this shaky foundation, there are still some exciting things on the horizon, with Black Adam releasing in theaters in October.

The film will introduce the JSA, the latest in the major groups from the comics – joining the Justice League, Suicide Squad, and the Birds of Prey. Nevertheless, there are still many more teams waiting for their shot in the DCEU. Some would certainly be worthy of their own film, while others would be an interesting addition to the franchise like Peacemaker on an HBO Max series.

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Justice Society of America

While the Justice League gets most of the attention, they never would’ve become so popular if not for the Justice Society of America, and they’re getting their DCEU debut in Black Adam. While Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been touting his saying – “the hierarchy of Power in the DC Universe is about to change – he’s also been vocal about making the JSA a premier part of the franchise going forward.

The roster currently includes Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Cyclone, and Atom Smasher, but they could be joined by other powerful and popular members such as Hawkgirl, Power Girl, and Red Tornado. It would not be surprising if, following Black Adam’s release on October 21st, a new film or HBO Max series centered on the JSA would be announced.

Green Lantern Corps

Perhaps the most important organization in the DC Comics Universe besides the Justice League is the Green Lantern Corps, operating as interstellar law enforcement. Unfortunately, people have been wary of doing a Green Lantern movie since the poorly-received mess that was Ryan Reynold’s Green Lantern. Nevertheless, they have been acknowledged in the DCEU already in Zack Snyder’s Justice League when one fought against Darkseid in the prologue.

In fact, a Green Lanterns Corps film was proposed years ago, but it was shelved. This is a shame given the Green Lantern’s plethora of stories in the comics worthy of being adapted into a movie. Hopefully, the restructuring happening within Warner-Discovery and the recent hiring of Dan Lin to helm the franchise could end up being the way the fans see characters like John Stewart, Hal Jordan, Kilowog, and more in the DCEU.

Gotham City Sirens

Another project that was in development but lost steam was for the Gotham City Sirens. This is a team composed of Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman. It was swapped out for Birds of Prey instead to give Harley her own movie. While that was the case, many are still hopeful to see these three powerhouses and incredibly popular characters team up in live-action.

It would really make sense for the DCEU to do a Gotham City Sirens film sometime soon since Margot Robbie has surprisingly become one of the leading faces of the franchise. The complication here might be Matt Reeves’ The Batman and Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman spin-off – in that case, it could also make sense to do a Gotham City Sirens film or show down the line in that universe alternatively.

Justice League Dark

An important element missing from the DCEU is magic and the supernatural. There’s a perfect way to bring that in, Justice League Dark. In fact, J.J. Abrams is apparently still developing a series on HBO Max for this team with Bad Robot – following the format Netflix used with The Defenders, by giving each of the members their own show before having them team up.

The team typically consists of John Constantine, Zatanna, Madam Xanadu, and Deadman, but others could feature too. Hopefully, these projects don’t end up on the cutting room floor like Batgirl, because many fans would love to see these characters shine both on their own and as part of a connected universe.

Stormwatch

If they’d want to take an unexpected approach and pick a team many casual fans probably aren’t familiar with, then there’s no better choice than Stormwatch. They are actually a creation of WildStorm Comics – the same publication that launched the first volume of The Boys – but they became part of DC’s main continuity during the 2011 relaunch. The team acts as a secret organization active since the Dark Ages aimed at protecting Earth from alien threats.

The premise alone would make for a fantastic HBO Max series and would allow unfamiliar audiences to fall in love with these unique heroes. They could be comprised of Merlin, the ancient sorcerer of Arthurian legend, Jenny Quantum, Engineer, Apollo, and Midnighter – the latter two are popular gay heroes, representation deeply lacking in the DCEU.

Crime Syndicate

Many villains wouldn’t make for compelling protagonists, however, one team that could work would be the Crime Syndicate. They are the equivalent of the Justice League just from a universe where the heroes’ moralities are reversed.

While they are the counterparts of the Justice League, it wouldn’t require that the same actors play their comparable roles, and it could build up to them crossing into the main universe to fight the Justice League. Something like that wouldn’t be coming anytime soon, but it could be exciting to see on the horizon sometime.

Injustice League

Another villainous team that might have some better luck than the Crime Syndicate is the Injustice League. If Justice League ever actually leads anywhere, there’s already a foundation for their introduction – when Lex Luthor invites Deathstroke to a new team he is forming. At this point, they could also be joined by Black Adam, Black Manta, Ocean Master, Cheetah, and if there’s a prominent villain in The Flash like Reverse-Flash as many expect, then them too.

Given that scene in Justice League, some fans have theorized they were intended to be the main antagonists for a sequel, though the team’s name also varies between Legion of Doom and Secret Society of Super-Villains. Since that is seemingly on the back burner, they might as well give this team their shot at a solo project.

Legion of Super-Heroes

The DCEU has stuck solely to the past and present, but there’s great potential in the future – namely, the Legion of Super-Heroes. Essentially, they are the Justice League of the thirty-first century, composed of dozens of young heroes including Superboy. He doesn’t seem likely to feature anytime soon, but that shouldn’t limit their involvement in the franchise.

Even if it’s not actually part of the DCEU, the Legion of Super-Heroes would still make for a great solo HBO Max series like Titans and Doom Patrol. They have been seen elsewhere in live-action such as in Smallville and the Arrowverse, but never in their own series.

Forever People

If the DCEU is ever to return to the threat of Darkseid as Zack Snyder envisioned, then they’ll need to introduce the New Gods. There were plans to do so in a film directed by Ava DuVernay, but that was shelved. However, if the franchise does have a ten-year plan as they advertise, they’ll need to eventually venture back to these characters and stories. When that happens, there could be a place for an HBO Max series for the Forever People.

They are a group of young New Gods who can strangely merge to become the Infinity Man. The show could follow them as they try to thwart Darkseid and his lieutenant’s plans. While this might be a deep cut for many, if they’re introduced when the rest of the New Gods are, it could be possible.

Metal Men

The DC Universe has been exceptionally successful on the animation front with the DCAU and shows like Harley Quinn and Young Justice. If the DCEU wanted to follow in the MCU’s footsteps, then eventually they could incorporate animation into the franchise. That would open up the possibility of introducing some strange characters, including the Metal Men.

They are a team of robotic superheroes, consisting of Gold, Iron, Lead, Mercury, Platinum, Tin, and Copper, who, like the Forever People, can combine to become a powerful singular being known as Alloy. Many fans would find them strange, but still quite compelling, and they could do well with an approach similar to Peacemaker.

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