They say that there are no more original ideas in Hollywood. This argument becomes particularly apparent when we see cinemas filling out their summer schedules with sequels and reboots of comic book adaptations. This year we have already had a second helping of Captain America as well as another Spiderman film (this sequel based off a reboot of the original trilogy). X-Men: Days of Future Past and the fourth instalment of the Transformers franchise are set to grace the silver screen this summer.
While the film industry has been focusing on its mainstream superheroes Hunger has decided to count down the overlooked comic books. We take a look at the marginalised superheroes and the more complicated narratives that have been shunned by Hollywood or simply stuck in development hell. Today we present the top ten comic books that deserve their own feature film.
Wonder Woman
Why should the guys have all the fun? A feature film with Wonder Woman as the title character is long overdue and even though it has been announced that she will make an appearance in the upcoming Batman vs. Superman film, to be portrayed by Gal Gadot, Wonder Women really deserves her own feature.
Captain Britain and Excalibur
Captain America has two films with a third on the way and two appearances in the superhero ensemble film The Avengers but there hasn’t even been a whisper about Captain Britain. Originally created in 1976 the Excalibur series has been a staple of British comics for generations. A number of prestigious writers have written stories for the Captain Britain character including Watchmen creator Alan Moore.
Young Avengers
Originally created for a special 12-issue run the Young Avengers focuses on a group of teenagers given superpowers that resemble those of the real Avengers. Recipient of dozens of awards including the 2006 GLAAD Media Award and 2006 Harvey Award for Best New Series the Young Avengers has now become one of the most popular titles of the modern Marvel universe.
Captain Marvel
One of the greatest aspects about comic books is that there are several characters who lay claim to a particular superhero title. This is the case for Marvel Comics’ Captain Marvel where seven different characters have taken on the disguise of the Captain from the genetically engineered Genis-Vell to the hyper-sexualised Carol Danvers, who originally went by the name of, Ms. Marvel. Who wouldn’t want to see seven different superheroes battle it out in Hunger Games-fashion to become the ultimate Captain Marvel?
American Vampire
Having been first published in 2010 American Vampire is the most contemporary comic on our list. The narrative begins in 1925 and maps out the bloodline of vampires across history. The first five issues were co-written by Scott Snyder and Stephen King but since then it has been written solely by Snyder.
Black Panther
The Black Panther was the first black superhero in mainstream American comics and would be the first black comic book superhero in mainstream American cinema with his own feature. Constantly crossing over with the Fantastic Four universe there is a chance that the Black Panther could pop-up in the new Fantastic Four. However, a single feature revolving around the Chief of the fictional nation Wakanda is overdue. The film could be dark, gritty and Marvel’s answer to The Dark Knight series.
The Sandman
First published by DC Comics back in 1989 The Sandman focuses on the story of Dream, also known as Morpheus, and the fantasy universe in which he inhabits. It has been known for it’s dark tone and beautiful storytelling. The Sandman is currently in development with David S. Goyer and Joseph Gordon-Levitt adapting the graphic novel. However, the comic has been in development hell in various forms since the early 1990s. Here’s hoping DSG and JGL can get the job done.
Nick Fury
First appearing as a Caucasian World War II Sargent his portrayal by Samuel L. Jackson in the current crop of Marvel films has led the comic book giant to replace him with his African-American son Nick Fury Jr. Either way his grizzly nature and espionage skills could make him the American answer to James Bond.
Marvel: Civil War
This one bends the rules slightly as it’s not a specific superhero but rather a storyline that would make for an interesting narrative to explore on the silver screen. The Marvel Civil War was a huge crossover event that affected the entire Marvel universe when the U.S. Government introduced a bill requiring the registration of all super-powered beings as living weapons of mass destruction and requiring all costumed heroes to unmask themselves. Battle lines were drawn and the war began.
Maus
The 1991 graphic novel from Art Spigelman, the famous cartoonist, that draws clear parallels to World War II. It depicts different races of humans as animals such as Germans as cats, non-Jewish Poles as pigs and Jews as mice. The narrative was inspired by Spigelman’s relationship with his father who was a holocaust survivor. The graphic novel was the first to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1992 and would make for an emotional and moving adult animation.
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