8 Great Comic Book Characters That Haven’t Made Live-Action Appearances

If you're a comic book fan and you aren't happy to be alive right now, you're doing this life thing completely wrong. Why shouldn't you be screaming from the rafters about the latest live-action comic book movies starring a host of your favorite characters? It's like constant euphoria all the time. Even though we're living in the era of comic book everything, not all of the satisfaction boxes have been ticked, because there are still too many great characters that we've yet to see in the live-action universes. Undoubtedly, they'll probably find their way onto TV or film at some point in time, but there are 8 characters in particular that should've made their silver-screen debuts a long, long time ago. I mean, Howard the Duck has appeared in three films already, including a horrendous solo film, so there's simply no excuse for the lack of these individuals. For the purpose of this list, characters that are confirmed to appear in upcoming films or were featured in fan films have been excluded here. So, please keep that in mind before you troll and let me know how stupid I am for not mentioning X who appeared in the YouTube classic The Night of the Living Avengers Versus Black Mask. As always, your opinion is welcome and encouraged here. If you agree or disagree with the names listed, sound off in the comments section down below. Honorable mentions: Forge Static Hobgoblin She-Hulk Midnighter Animal Man Here's hoping that Marvel and DC are reading this list and listen. Lobo Let's start with a biggie off the bat. The Main Man has been noticeably absent from the DC film calendars over the years for inexplicable reasons. It's rather shocking when you consider he's the perfect answer to Deadpool, and he could've been the most popular antihero before the Merc with the Mouth stole the moviegoers' hearts (and wallets). There were talks of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson being in deep discussions to portray Lobo in a film, with Guy Ritchie directing, but those plans rapidly deteriorated into nothingness. But imagine this had happened for one second. That dream team could've given us one of the most unique and stylized comic book movies of all-time. While it's likely that the galactic bounty hunter might appear in the DCEU at some point - I'd bet on an appearance in the Green Lantern Corp project - he's worthy of something much bigger. Do we need a solo Lobo film in our lives? Absolutely. Let's hope the rumblings of Jason Fuchs writing a script for the Main Man end up being true. Nathaniel Essex (Mister Sinister) As brilliant as James Mangold's Logan was, it missed out on the incredible opportunity of casting Richard E. Grant as Nathaniel Essex/Mister Sinister. I mean, why in the world would you cast an actor of Grant's caliber as Zander Rice and not as the gene-splicing mutant? It's mind-boggling. It's also pretty insulting to think of the fact that we've seen two incarnations of Mystique and Toad (who the hell cares about this character anyway?), but not one single version of Mister Sinister in the X-Men film universe. Just imagine the potential of putting Apocalypse and Essex as the two main antagonists in a movie. They would make Magneto look like nothing more than a magnetized tin man in comparison. After all the teases and hints (see the video above) that the sinister one is coming, it's all been false promises to date. But hey, we'll probably see Mystique in X-Men: Dark Phoenix again, so let's all erupt into one giant sarcastic yay. Basil Karlo (Clayface) If the DCEU is looking for a villain with a heart, or someone who'll see the err in his ways and become a good guy, Clayface is the man for the occasion. It's actually quite surprising that he hasn't made an appearance in a Batman film yet, since he would've been a perfect fit for Joel Schumacher's era - don't crucify me, because I'm talking about the tone, not quality, here. He might not be the most popular or imposing of characters, but if you've been reading James Tynion IV's Detective Comics run, you'll definitely see how important he's become to the Batverse in recent months. He's trying to redeem himself after his past sins, and we've seen a gentler, kinder side to the man made from clay. Heck, his chats with Cassandra Cain have melted even the coldest of hearts at times. Fans are tired of seeing the same characters in superhero films, so why not change it up and introduce someone with a unique personality like Clayface? He's widely known by comic book audiences from around the world, and his current incarnation holds the huge possibility of becoming DC's Groot. Yes, I know I've said this before (on multiple occasions), but I believe it wholeheartedly. Marc Spector (Moon Knight) Marvel's version of Batman has been pretty quiet in every other medium except comic books. Considering Marc Spector would be the ideal candidate for Netflix's grittier Marvel universe, it's strange to think that there's been zero talk of his appearance in either TV or film. When you receive an Inhumans adaptation before Moon Knight, you know there are some messed-up priorities out there - especially after that yuck trailer. In a series of Tweets earlier this year, James Gunn mentioned that he'd pitched a Moon Knight film to Marvel, which sadly went nowhere beyond chinwagging. While I don't think Gunn would perhaps be the best choice to direct a film adaptation of this hero, it would've been the first step to seeing the character in a live-action affair. As an intriguing crime-fighting figure, Moon Knight could be the superpower-less vigilante (apart from the Punisher) that Marvel needs in its on-screen properties. For now, it doesn't seem like he's on their radar, but these things change all the time, so who knows? Terry McGinnis (Batman Beyond) We've seen nearly every version of Batman over the decades, but we're yet to see Terry McGinnis don the futuristic Bat-suit in a live-action outing. This doesn't make sense when you consider how insanely popular the Batman Beyond franchise was, and still is to this day. One would think this would naturally be at the top of any production list. Maybe the DCEU is planning a sci-fi Bat flick, and we just don't know about it. With Barry Allen running around, it's always possible that he'll screw up some timeline or another, and we could end up in the future at some point. If that's the case, sign me up right now and let me pre-order five tickets. Logan paved the way for passing-the-torch narratives, where fan-favorite darlings hand the mantle over to their apprentices or successors, so it's only natural we'll see the Dark Knight do the same at some point in cinematic history. It would be a brave move for Warner Bros. to do since Bruce Wayne is the undisputed cash cow, but a smart one, nonetheless. Namor The Sub-Mariner Ah, Marvel's aqua lad. This one is slightly more complicated since the rights to Namor are tied up and no one really knows where they lie – and, as we all know, corporate moves at the speed of a tortoise with no feet, so don't expect quick resolution. It's a shame, really, because this character could've been a perfect addition to the Fantastic Four world. His unwavering love for Sue Storm makes him an instant foe for Reed Richards, and sets up all sorts of love-triangle possibilities. Well, it certainly couldn't be any worse than the awkward one between Doctor Doom, Reed, and Sue in Tim Story's Fantastic Four. Additionally, the Sub-Mariner could be the merman to make the Speedo popular again. He flaunted it like a champ, and maybe he's the role model that all young swimmers, with a desire to wear the tiniest of swimwear, should have. Jason Blood (Etrigan The Demon) If we're about to get nuts, let's get nuts here! Enchantress and her "brother," Incubus, have already popped (or pooped) up in 2016's Suicide Squad, so let's go the full mystical route and introduce Jason Blood/Etrigan the Demon in the DCEU as well. The rhyming demon, who finds himself fighting for the forces of good even though he's from Hell, would be an interesting hero to bring to a cinematic property. With insane, almost limitless, powers and a distinct hellish appearance, he'd certainly leave a mark wherever he appears. That, or he'd frighten all the kids out of the cinemas, which isn't such a bad thing. While I don't think the character is strong enough to merit his own solo film, there's no reason he can't appear in something like, say, the live-action Justice League Dark. It's happened in the animated universe, so let's get the team-up starring Swamp Thing, John Constantine, Zatanna, Deadman, and Etrigan on the big screen as fast as possible, too. DC just needs to lock down a director for it. Quentin Beck (Mysterio) Considering we're about to receive the sixth Spider-Man film in 15 years, it's puzzling why the world's greatest special-effects villain, Quentin Beck, AKA Mysterio, hasn't appeared in at least one of them. We've seen the Green Goblin (in his different guises) in four of the films, but what about one of Spidey's greatest villains? Nowhere to be found. Rumor has it that Bruce Campbell, who'd made cameo appearances in Sam Raimi's web-slinging series, was set to portray the infamous Quentin Beck in the canceled fourth outing, which never materialized. Now, that would've been an inspired casting, and something to wash away the bad taste of Spider-Man 3. It appears as if Tom Holland's Peter Parker will do battle against other villains not named Osborn in his new film series, and one can only hope that Mysterio is on that list, too. Speaking of which, please could Sony not do a Sinister Six film and let Marvel do it instead? That way, we could have a Spider-Man-related movie with, you know, Spider-Man. I don't know about you, but that makes a lot of (spider) sense to me. That's it for our list, ladies and gentlemen, but tell us: which comic book characters would you like to see make live-action appearances? Let us know in the usual place!