Hollywood is in the midst of a golden age of comic book films. DC Comics needs to strike while that iron is still hot. Marvel Comics has created a film-making arm and DC would be wise to follow suit. There are enough characters in the DC Universe to create a tapestry of interwoven films, much as Marvel is doing with its Avengers property.
In no particular order, the best characters and teams that DC Comics should look seriously at bringing to the big screen are:
Wonder Woman
There is an animated, direct to video, version of the Amazon Princess due for release in early 2009, but the character is counted among DC's "Big Three" along with Superman and Batman. It is time for a live action version to introduce a new generation to Diana.
Green Lantern
There are rumblings that this character is next on the list for DC, but nothing official has been said yet. Given that CGI has reached the point where GL's hard light creations could be brought realistically to life, it is well past time to see a Green Lantern movie in theaters.
The Flash
Recent episodes of NBC's Heroes showcase a smart mouthed female character called The Speedster. The various effects used to show her powers in action gave fans everywhere hope that a movie version of DC's Flash would do the character justice.
Teen Titans
About a year ago a rumour surfaced that a movie version of the Teen Titans was in the works. That rumour died when news of a Justice League film emerged. Since a Justice League project has been shelved indefinitely, DC could use the Teen Titans as its first move into a more interconnected world of heroes. With the sidekicks of Batman, Green Arrow, The Flash and Wonder Woman on the team, there is an opportunity to lead into or build out of other franchises.
Justice League
If DC can somehow manage to get this team together on film it will be a new beginning for superhero films. How they would approach a team anchored by Batman and Superman, two characters with recent stand alone movies to their credit, is the big question. With the recent announcement from DC that they intend to reboot the Superman franchise after the disappointing reaction to Brian Singer's Superman Returns, there is an opportunity to weave the Man of Steel into a wider DC Universe which would include the JLA.
It is unlikely that Batman would appear in a Justice League film, given the success of Chris Nolan's Batman Begins and The Dark Knight and Nolan's resistance to including Batman in any sort of crossover. Regardless of Batman's status in the League, any creative team that lands the job of putting together a Justice League project would be wise to look to the works of Alex Ross, such as Kingdom Come and Justice for their inspiration.
With the obvious exception of The Dark Knight and the highly anticipated release of The Watchmen, DC is rapidly falling behind Marvel Comics on the big screen. Marvel has firm release dates for at least six projects, while most of DC's characters are literally only on paper.
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