1) Batwoman
Batwoman was originally introduced in 1956 to stop people from suspecting that the Dark Knight could be gay, but faded into comic book obscurity after a few appearances. Fifty years later, a relative of the first Batwoman called Kate Kane took up the mantle, using her army training to fight crime with the aid of her father. Ironically, the new Batwoman is a lesbian who left the military due to the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.
Batman’s supporting cast is already full to the brim, but this new interpretation of Batwoman has been surprisingly successful, precisely because Kane chooses to distance herself from the Dark Knight. Relationships with the aforementioned Renee Montoya and Superman’s friend Maggie Sawyer have been handled sensitively, appealing universally to readers of all backgrounds, regardless of sexuality.
DC are clearly focusing their energies on Affleck’s upcoming Batman movies right now, but if any of his supporting cast have the potential to headline their own movie, it’s Batwoman. In just a few short years, Kane has become one of the company’s most popular heroes, and lord knows we need more female led comic book movies. A Batwoman movie would be a huge step forward for LGBT representation on the big screen, and Kane’s one of the few characters in this list who could break out of the supporting roles typically given to LGBT heroes.
