Hawkman
Hawkman is a character that was born for big screen adaptation. Thanks to the advancements in CGI and a visionary director like Zack Snyder, the time for his big screen debut may now be upon us. All it would take is a little courage from the filmmakers to bring this often criticized, yet under-appreciated hero to life in the upcoming Justice League movie.
The character has been through the ringer over the years, falling victim to several retcons that did nothing but muddy his origins, which has become a sort of pick-your-own-adventure story through history.
One of the most popular origins takes us back to ancient Egypt. A prince named Khufu and his wife, Chay-Ara, were killed and cursed by their rival, a priest named Hath-Set. The curse causes Khufu and Chay-Ara to live forever, destined to find each other, fall in love, then get killed and reincarnated, again and again. The two retain the memories of their past lives, and vow to protect the world during each lifetime as Hawkman and Hawkgirl.
Introducing Hawkman (or even Hawkgirl) in a Justice League movie would be a great way to lay the foundation for this origin story, leaving room for further exploration in a future solo film. Hawkman is particularly interesting in a team-up because he doesn’t play well with others, is famous for his short fuse, is violent and unpredictable, and he has a total disdain for Green Arrow. He’s also one of the few League members who isn’t afraid to spill a bit of blood to do get the job done, and is willing to kill if necessary.
Placing him in a team full of more morally-centered heroes like Superman and Batman could add an interesting dynamic to the group. Would Batman be okay with Superman killing Zod? Absolutely not. Hawkman, on the other hand, would have wished that he could have done the job himself.
Plus, there are visual advantages to his character as well that Zack Snyder could definitely take advantage of. What better director is there to bring the mace-wielding, golden helmet wearing hero to life on the big screen, giant wings and all?
