12 DC Comics Movies And TV Shows We Want To See After Superman

Now that nerds around the world have gotten a taste of James Gunn’s outstanding “Superman,” we’re finally seeing our newest superhero cinematic universe take shape. Given everything that went down with the disastrous Snyderverse and even Superman’s many cancelled films prior to that, it felt miraculous to watch a genuine Superman film grace the silver screen. 

However, even more shocking was just how assured Gunn’s vision for the entire DC Universe felt even at first glance. From the establishing opening crawl to the introduction of the Justice Gang to even blink-and-you-miss-it allusions to legendary DC heroes, it really feels like Gunn and his producing partner, Peter Safran, have given a lot of thought into the entire landscape of their DC mythos, including long before and long after this one adventure with the Man of Steel.

We’re sure Gunn and Safran’s plans are airtight by now, but watching “Superman” gave us fans so many ideas for fun future DCU projects, ranging from live-action films to animated TV shows. We can’t help but gush about our favorite characters and pitch some adventures we’d like to see them endure as the DCU expands. Here are 12 DC Comics movies and TV shows we’d like to see in the wake of Superman, in no particular order.

James Gunn recently confirmed he is working on a “Superman” follow-up but was hesitant to confirm whether or not it was a direct sequel. As fans, we need to say it loud and clear: We want to see James Gunn’s “Superman 2.” Not “Batman vs. Superman” (he also confirmed this isn’t happening, phew), not “Justice League,” but a bona fide continuation. We have not gotten a proper “Superman” sequel since the Donner days, and even then, we had to wait 20 years to see Donner’s cut, which he didn’t even edit to avoid reliving its troubled production. We think Gunn’s iteration of Clark Kent deserves to grow as a character and take on new challenges before he becomes the center of lord knows how many crossovers, even if it means we have to wait a little while to see it.

When we do get our sequel, who’s the big bad? Many fans have speculated that Ultraman’s disappearance into a black hole gives Gunn the wiggle room to bring him back, but as another villain like Doomsday or Bizarro. The latter in particular has never gotten the silver screen treatment, but that goes for a number of Supes’ best villains: Brainiac, Parasite, Metallo, and more! We would love to see Gunn put his stamp on any comic fan-favorite that has yet to get its due.

If the climax of “Superman” is any indication, Gunn is invested in introducing mainstream audiences to the ensemble of The Daily Planet. Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) may be front and center, but it’s no accident that Gunn has her flying Mr. Terrific’s ship with a host of other passengers: editor-in-chief Perry White (Wendell Pierce), right hand man Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), gossip columnist Cat Grant (Mikaela Hoover), sports reporter Steve Lombard (Beck Bennett), and even deep cut Ron Troupe (Christopher McDonald, not the one from “Happy Gilmore”). Seeing their interactions made us want more, which is why we want to pitch a Daily Planet television series.

Ideally in live-action but possible in animation, “The Daily Planet” combines the workplace comedy of “Brooklyn 99” with the journo-thriller stakes of “All The President’s Men” as we follow our team of crackpot journalists breaking stories across Metropolis. Though we certainly think some superheroic cutaways could be fun, we want this series to focus on the age of metahumans from the on-the-ground perspective of journalists. Similarly, while a few appearances from Clark Kent would be fun, we want to focus on Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen in the field. After all, it’s their investigation that helps bring Lex Luthor down in “Superman.” More stories like this can help instill ethical journalism as its own superpower, something many folks seem to be forgetting in an era of fake news.

James Gunn christened the DCU with “Creature Commandos,” an animated action comedy that has already borne fruit in live-action with Frank Grillo as Rick Flag, Sr. in both “Superman” and the upcoming second season of “Peacemaker.” The success of the series has us convinced we will see more animated projects in the DCU, in part because they can connect to the live-action films and strengthen the overall DCU brand. With this in mind, we think Gary (Alan Tudyk) and the Superman Robots are prime candidates for an ancillary but entertaining spinoff series of animated shorts.

In the vein of Marvel’s “I Am Groot,” we would love to see a workplace comedy centered on the robots as they guard and maintain the Fortress of Solitude. We can more fully characterize the robots as individuals, much like how Gary bequeaths himself a name at the end of “Superman,” and make them feel like real members of the Superman family. We already know the voice cast would be stacked, considering two of them are voiced by Gunn’s Marvel collaborators Michael Rooker and Pom Klementieff, and we could even get Superman, Supergirl, and Krypto in animation for the first time. There are unlimited scenarios off of which these robots could play, from vignettes in between Superman’s fights (akin to the film’s opening sequence) to running after Krypto for his daily walk, er, flight.

Many aspects of “Superman” feel like a departure from James Gunn’s traditional style, but the Justice Gang is not one of them. Reminiscent of other anti-hero team-ups like the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Suicide Squad, Gunn’s makeshift trio — Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) — inject the film with an odd throuple energy that sees vast different corners of DC Comics collide. Some folks think the film’s inclusion of multiple heroes takes away from Superman’s presence, but we disagree. Instead, they provide further context for 300 years of metahuman history and highlight that not all superheroes are inherently heroic. Funded by tech billionaire Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn), the Gang’s motivations are murky at best.

Fillion, Merced, and Gunn are confirmed to appear in season 2 of “Peacemaker,” but we want to specifically see on-the-ground adventures with the Gang that force them to examine their status as heroes. We can see them learn to work with Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) and other potential new members while also exploring more about The Justice Society of America, the first ever superhero team, who are inferred to be their predecessors based on a mural in the Hall of Justice. You can even animate the series; it would certainly make it easier to expand the roster and formally introduce new characters on a whim.

Let’s face it: Kendra Saunders, aka Hawkgirl, is largely sidelined in “Superman,” which is surprising given the character’s complex backstory. “Kendra is reincarnated, but she’s reincarnated from an alien,” she explained in an appearance on the DC Studios Showcase. “She carries all of the memories and the traumas and the mistakes of her past lives in her body wherever she goes, so she has a little bit of a grumpy demeanor.” This might explain her aloof presence throughout the film, but it doesn’t quite capture how much there is to Hawkgirl as a character, which would make for a solid live-action film.

Struggling to cope with the murder of her parents, Saunders attempts suicide but is saved by the spirit of Sheira Sanders-Hall, the original Hawkgirl. She is originally depicted as one of the many reincarnations of Egyptian princess Chay-Ara, but Merced’s explanation implies that Gunn is also taking inspiration from the second version of Hawkgirl, Shayera Hol, who was rewritten as a police officer from the militaristic planet Thanagar. This doesn’t even begin to consider Hawkman, the character’s frequent flame and a member of the Justice Society, which already may have ties to the Justice Gang. This is all too juicy to leave on the table, especially for an actress like Merced, whose work in “Alien: Romulus” and “The Last of Us” proves she’s up for any dramatic challenge.

Edi Gathegi stole the show in “Superman,” so it only makes sense for him to get a project of his own. However, rather than a solo adventure, we want to see James Gunn introduce the character’s team, The Terrifics, into the DCU rotation. This would, of course, come after Mr. Terrific has spent some time with the Justice Gang; there is a world in which the Gang expands to include so many members that Mr. Terrific is ready to branch out. It likely isn’t a coincidence that Metamorpho, another member of The Terrifics in the comics, joins the Gang at the end of “Superman.” We’re just putting the pieces together.

A standalone live-action adventure with The Terrifics could introduce several fun characters into the DCU. Other teammates include cult-favorite hero Plastic Man (please, please, please bring Tom Kenny back to play him), who can stretch his body at will, and Phantom Girl, who can phase out and effectively become invisible and impenetrable. There’s even a buddy for Krypto in the mix: Element Dog, the dog equivalent of Metamorpho. Imagine all of these powers and personalities traversing a pocket universe as they attempt to fight Doc Dread, a tongue-firmly-in-cheek reference to Doctor Doom. With the MCU finally introducing their own unique version of The Fantastic Four, maybe it’s time for DC Comics to introduce a superfamily of their own.

Before “Superman” and even before “The Suicide Squad,” James Gunn had plans for Krypto. Speaking to Josh Horowitz on “Happy Sad Confused,” Gunn recalled that, before agreeing to make the Squad’s soft reboot, he had considered multiple ideas for a DC film. “One of them … was a Krypto movie that had Superman sorta chasing after Krypto.” Audiences’ reactions to Krypto have been incredibly positive — it’s a cute dog, how could they not be — so we think it’s time to revive this idea, especially given “Superman”‘s soaring box office success.

Of course, a live-action Krypto film doesn’t seem realistic given that the visual effects budget would balloon pretty quickly. We think the best use of Krypto within the DCU would be something episodic aimed toward younger audiences. This could either be a Saturday morning cartoon, like Cartoon Network’s “Krypto the Superdog” series or the “DC League Of Super Pets” film released in 2022, or maybe there could be an educational series using a hybrid of animation and puppetry, like “Caillou” or “Between The Lions.” 

Whatever form it takes, we want to see Krypto get a solid crew behind him. This could be Streaky the Supercat and other Kryptonian pets like Beppo the monkey and Comet the horse, or it can be the Justice League’s pets: Ace, the Bat-Hound; Jumpa, a Themysciran kangaroo; and B’dg, a rodent in the Green Lantern Corps.

One unique element of James Gunn’s DCU is that, so far, many members of the core Justice League are unaccounted for. The official DCU Batman will debut with “Brave and the Bold,” and “Lanterns” will give us a few of the titular Corps officers but, other than that, things are a mystery. “Paradise Lost” takes place on Themyscira but there’s no confirmation whether Wonder Woman herself will be in it. Gunn even confirmed Flash and Aquaman won’t be introduced for another few years (via Happy Sad Confused). That leaves us with Martian Manhunter, also known as J’onn J’onnz. Gunn hasn’t addressed Double-M in the DCU as of now, but a cryptic tweet about Chocos has fans speculating.

Perhaps his gateway is through Superman? In the characters’ early days, the two were often seen as counterparts and frequently stood in for each other in issues of “Justice League.” Considering cosmic characters already have a presence in the DCU, it wouldn’t be a huge stretch to suggest Martian Manhunter could become an ally sooner rather than later. Of course, J’onnz also has a fascinating origin story, one that most mainstream audiences are unfamiliar with. Though it is spiritually similar to Superman, it would make for a fascinating one-off sci-fi drama wholly separated from the formation of the League. Think “E.T.” meets “Cast Away.”

Ever since the first trailer dropped, Easter egg speculation on “Superman” has run rampant. One of the most substantial deep dives came from a sprawling mural inside the Hall of Justice, where we see several portraits of unnamed metahumans. When asked about this on “Happy Sad Confused,” James Gunn did confirm one key character in the mural: Doctor Fate, a mystical DC superhero and founding member of the Justice Society of America, a likely precursor to the Justice Gang.

Originally an archeologist and academic named Kent Nelson before being possessed by the god Nabu, Doctor Fate serves as an Earth agent for the Lords of Order, gods who maintain control of the universe against the Lords of Chaos. Doctor Fate often clashes with Nabu’s orders over the fate of the universe, making for a complicated look at humanity’s subjectivity as well as the eternal debate of omniscience versus free will. It’s a heady subject matter but one we would love to see explored in a compelling character study a la the MCU’s “Moon Knight.” It could even serve as an origin for the 300-year history of metahumans Gunn establishes at the beginning of “Superman.” Hell, we’d even like to see Pierce Brosnan return to the role despite the failure of “Black Adam.” Brosnan was perfect casting, and Gunn has the power to reprise any previous performances, so why not?

The beauty of James Gunn’s “Superman” is that it introduces not just Clark Kent but the entire backdrop of Metropolis. The city is already filled with numerous different heroes and villains, so why not litter the streets with other characters for the Man of Steel to work with? Case in point: Vixen is best known as an ancillary member of the Justice League, but she got her start as a “Superman” anti-hero in 1981. Native to Africa, Mari Jiwe McCabe was imbued with powers from across the animal kingdom thanks to the Tantu Totem, an ancient African artifact. By night, she’s Vixen, but by day, Mari McCabe is an affluent fashion model traveling the world.

We couldn’t possibly think of a cleaner set-up for a solo film, one that takes the ancestral backstory of “Black Panther” and fuses it with a female-led crime series. We’d follow McCabe as she stuns on the runway by day — even crossing paths with The Daily Planet for the occasional interview — and defends animal rights by night (in her debut comic, Superman found her fighting a group of poachers). She’d begin as a radical, uninterested in the woes of Metropolis. However, as the plot thickens, her reputation skyrockets and, eventually, she must team up with Superman and maybe even the Justice Gang. For such an underrated character, this series sure does write itself.

James Gunn has thus far been selective about which DCEU characters will rollover into the new DCU. Some of them include Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), Peacemaker (John Cena), and even Weasel (Sean Gunn). However, there are several great DCEU-ers that have yet to be confirmed, including a potential “Superman” anti-hero.

Remember Robert DuBois ,or Bloodsport, as played by Idris Elba in “The Suicide Squad” from 2021? The character debuted in a “Superman” comic in 1987 and appeared in multiple Supes runs before ever joining the Squad. If we’re looking to tell another great Metropolis-set Superman story, bringing Elba back as Bloodsport could be our way in. In “The Suicide Squad,” DuBois is brought to Waller after attempting to kill Superman, so Gunn has already laid the groundwork, and Elba himself has said that he wants to see Bloodsport fight Superman in a future DC movie. 

On the other hand, we also wouldn’t mind a solo Bloodsport movie, especially considering Gunn portrays him as more of an anti-hero. Imagine Elba and Storm Reid, who portrayed DuBois’ daughter in “The Suicide Squad,” returning to further develop their family drama while also teaming up for a “John Wick”-styled action heist? It could be a fun time, not to mention a good excuse for a fresh director outside the superhero rolodex to shake things up with a one-off genre movie.

Yeah, we know David Goyer gave us that weird Syfy series a few years back — it even gave us our first live-action Brainiac — but it wasn’t exactly what fans were itching for. The series was set 200 years prior to Superman’s birth, so a majority of the characters were deep cuts that didn’t feel closely tied to the mythos we know and love. If the DCU were to do its own version, we would suggest centering it around Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) and Lara (Angela Sarafyan), Superman’s birth parents, and the political turmoil that led to the planet’s destruction.

James Gunn’s reimagining of Clark’s Kryptonian past in “Superman” is a bold departure from the traditional mythos. In most iterations, Jor-El and Lara send Clark to Earth so that he can guide humans as an all-knowing moral compass. In Gunn’s version, it was so that he could conquer the planet, take many wives, and “rule without mercy.” Though a necessary catalyst for Clark’s character arc, it is a shocking development and raises countless questions about Gunn’s version of Krypton. Jor-El is typically a more benevolent figure, but if this was his motivation, perhaps his entire planet was more militaristic than we thought. This paradigm shift in Krypton’s ideology would make for a fascinating “House of Cards”-esque political drama charting Jor-El’s rise through Kryptonian society and, eventually, his and the entire planet’s downfall.