James Gunn’s soft reboot of the DC Extended Universe is happening. Known as the DC Universe, there are already five movies confirmed. Superman: Legacy, The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Swamp Thing are those titles.
Of the five movies, The Authority is particularly intriguing, as it will introduce a team relatively unknown to mainstream audiences. If there’s one thing movies like 2009’s Watchmen, 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and 2020’s Birds of Prey have taught people, it’s that little-known superhero teams can result in brilliant films.
Considering that, the Authority shouldn’t be the only somewhat obscure DC team introduced in James Gunn’s DC Universe. This piece will discuss five others who should get the nod.
The Elite
Before the Authority’s members entered DC’s primary universe (previously limited to the WildStorm imprint), DC introduced its answer to them: the Elite. Like the Authority, the Elite is an antihero team with no qualms about killing. Their members are every bit as interesting as the Authority’s and include the likes of leader Manchester Black – a telepath and telekinetic with the power to bring Superman to his knees – his psionic cyborg sister Vera Black, the electromagnetism-manipulating Coldcast, and the Hat who wears a demonic magic hat. They’re an intriguing team, and a potential live-action rivalry with the Authority would be spectacular.
The Omega Men
The Omega Men are essentially DC’s answer to the Guardians of the Galaxy, and that should tell you everything you need to know about why they should be introduced in James Gunn’s DC Universe, as it’s well-known what a great job Gunn did with the space-based Marvel team. They’re a team of extraterrestrial superheroes with an eclectic mix of characters. Moreover, they have a super-strong and durable member called Broot, a female member called Nebula, and Tigorr, the last of his kind. Doesn’t that all sound familiar? Other members include the telepathic Primus, the sorceress Kalista, and the disembodied Nimbus. It’s an exciting mix and would be incredibly entertaining in live-action, not to mention a visual treat.
Night Force
Night Force is a superhero team assembled by the manipulative Baron Winters to combat supernatural threats. The team’s members change often but generally include Vanessa Van Helsing, the psychic daughter of vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, her husband Jack Gold, a reporter, amputee and professor of parapsychology Donovan Caine, and ancient warrior Zadok Grimm. The supernatural element would make for a fascinating film, but Baron Winters would be the star. His often unethical manipulation of the individuals he chooses to be in Night Force is incredibly entertaining – and he knows how to get the best out of his roster of intriguing characters for his benefit.
The Inferior Five
There aren’t enough movies made about the sillier parody team in comic books, and that’s a real shame because many of them are hugely entertaining. One such team is the Inferior Five, and it would be awesome to see James Gunn get his hands on them in the DC Universe. The members are all offspring of parody superheroes: “98 Pound Weakling” Merryman, the super-strong but clumsy Awkwardman, the slow-flying and obese Blimp, the talented archer White Feather (who can’t shoot straight when people are watching), and the super-strong but intellectually challenged Dumb Bunny. They’d make for a hilarious and refreshing superhero movie and bring genuine variation to the DC Universe, which is rare in superhero franchises.
Every Lantern Corps
Even people with no interest in comic books and superheroes have generally heard of the will-powered Green Lanterns. However, few know there are several other colored Lantern Corps that are powered by other aspects of the emotional spectrum. Yellow Lanterns are powered by fear, Red Lanterns by rage, Orange Lanterns by avarice, Blue Lanterns by hope, Indigo Lanterns by compassion, Violet Lanterns by love, White Lanterns by Life, and Black Lanterns by death. A live-action war between them would be an extraordinary color-filled spectacle. It would introduce some fantastic characters to mainstream cinema audiences. This is something James Gunn should seriously consider doing in his DC Universe.
