Before James Gunn directed the three Guardians of the Galaxy for Marvel, it was difficult to find fans of Marvel who would know names such as Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot. However, whether it be Marvel or DC, Gunn has proven time and time again that his knowledge of comic book characters is quite unmatched.
On Threads, the director opened up a question to his followers, specifically asking which lesser-known DC hero was their favorite. Of course, answers ranged from Timber Wolf to Adam Strange, but there were a select few that Gunn talked about in threads of their own. Among them, was the underrated, but very relevant thanks to his students, Wildcat.
James Gunn’s favorite, Wildcat, trained Batman
Wildcat was a boxer during the Second World War, who took up the mantle of Wildcat to clear his name after he was framed for the murder of an opponent. After clearing his name, the hero went on to have a career as a vigilante, even joining the Justice Society of America alongside Jay Garrick’s Flash and Alan Scott’s Green Lantern.
However, a magic spell was placed on the character in one of his runs, giving him ‘nine lives’. This is used to explain why he is so extremely long-lived. While he does not stay young, his old self is just as tough and agile as he was in his prime. Modern depictions of the hero often show him as a trainer of the next generation, and he has trained some big names indeed.
The second Black Canary, and the wife of Green Arrow Lauren Lance was trained by Wildcat. Also among his students are Batman, both iterations of Catwoman and Starman. All these characters have been fascinated by the the vigilante’s old age, despite which he can knock the like of Batman on his back, without even breaking a sweat.
Wildcat and Power Girl often clash over their differing politics
Modern depictions of Wildcat tend not to stray from his original characterization in back in the early days of DC comics. This, given the change in times, causes the character to clash with more liberal members of the JSA, particularly Power Girl, who is significantly more left-leaning on the political spectrum.
The character is usually depicted as a male chauvinist, but still trains and even encourages characters like Catwoman and Balck Canary in their vigilante careers. So far, the character has made a couple of live-action appearances, always in TV series, and never in films. He was part of the Arrow-verse, appearing in a few episodes of Arrow.
Post by @jamesgunnView on Threads
The character has also appeared in Smallville and the Arrow-verse adjacent to Star-Girl, where his mantle was picked up by Yolanda Montez, as Wildcat II, as she did in the comics. James Gunn also talked about other characters that are not part of the cultural zeitgeist and haven’t been for a while, Like Warlord and Ragman.
James Gunn has managed to cement himself as a director who can make the wackiest characters palatable, whether it be the Guardians of the Galaxy with Marvel or The Suicide Squad with DC. Characters like King Shark, Ratcatcher, Peacemaker, Rocket Racoon, and Groot are quirky and deep cuts from comics to begin with, but it takes special kind of talent to work them into a narrative that is not only palatable, but also attractive to a non comic reading audience, which has been done by the director time and time again.
