Perry White
In the Superman mythos, Perry White plays a pivotal part in the lives of Lois and Clark. He might come across as the tough and demanding editor of the Daily Planet, which he is, but White is also an undercover sweetheart who has become a good friend (and godfather to Jon Kent) to the Kents.
Portrayed by the late Lane Smith in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, White was given a major role in the series and formed a fundamental part of the storylines for all four seasons. Sure, the focus was primarily on Lois and Clark (they were the titular characters, after all), but White – and Jimmy Olsen – brought the color to the world which truly made this a Superman series to remember. You see, not all things from Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman were as bad as the Internet claims them to be.
While Laurence Fishburne’s turn as the character in Man of Steel and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice wasn’t bad, we simply didn’t see enough of him in the DCEU to make our minds up about his performance.
Constantine
Oi, mate, there’s a bloody problem when a British, chain-smoking, wise-cracking, blond man who fights demons is portrayed by a dark-haired American with one permanent facial expression. Jokes aside, 2005’s Constantine wasn’t that terrible of a film – even if it felt nothing like a Hellblazer story.
In one of the best castings in recent history, Welshman Matt Ryan was chosen to portray John Constantine in a TV series about the demon hunter, which unfortunately only ran for one season between 2014 and 2015. Not only did Ryan nail down the look, but he brought the attitude and sarcastic demeanor as well. Hence everyone’s disappointment when it was announced that the series would be canceled.
Fortunately, the brains behind the Arrowverse noted his incredible performance and have brought him back for guest appearances on Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow. Additionally, Ryan will still voice the character in an animated web series, which is due out next year. Like our girl Mariah once sang, “There can be miracles when you believe.”
Tell us, do you agree that these DC TV characters are better than their film versions? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
