The characters in the DC universe are incredibly vast and diverse. Some characters’ titles become mantles and see later generations take over those roles. There are alternate universes with unique takes on some of our favorite heroes and villains. With a body of work so large, some characters will not receive their shine as much as the most iconic figures will.

Today, we will take a trip across the vast gallery of characters that make up the DC universe. We will attempt to shine a light on characters that deserve the attention the core group of DC characters receives. These characters could have depth to their character, and story that needs to be shared with a wider audience, or they could have connected with the limited audiences they were exposed to. I hope you enjoy our list of the top 5 DC characters that deserve more love!

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5 DC Characters That Deserve More Love

5. The Question (I And II)

The Question’s appearances in the Justice League television series are equal parts hilarious and fascinating. Sometimes the character is outlandish and seemingly lost, but other times his investigative prowess is no less than brilliant. Most people will remember the character for having no facial features but being limited to episodic arcs, his background is not fully delved into, and it seemingly deserves that opportunity.

An orphan born Charles Victor Szasz turned into a reporter (who goes by Vic Sage) who wanted to dive deeper into stories than his profession allowed. Working with a friend he was able to mask his facial features with a compound, keeping his identity safe as he delved for the truth in dangerous spaces. I think he could be an awesome focal point of a film or series that illustrates the character’s brilliance and humor. The DC Comics Encyclopedia notes that his legacy is survived by Renee Montoya who serves as the new Question in the DC universe.

4. Gorilla Grodd

Special effects are at an amazing place at the moment. The Marvel Cinematic Universe combined gorgeous CGI, brilliant voice work, and grounding camera techniques to bring the larger-than-life Thanos to cinemas with great success. The most recent Planet of the Apes trilogy illustrated to us how profoundly these animals can be portrayed. A film focusing on Gorilla Grodd or at least, featuring him as an antagonist would be awesome!

Grodd can manipulate minds and weighs in at over 600 lbs. I think the physicality and brilliance of Gorilla Grodd could be equally parts thrilling and fascinating in a film with Superman. Embracing more “out there” characters I think could be a great change of pace for DC films. I think this would be a great step with an incredible, formidable character.

3. Professor Hugo Strange

One of the most singularly brilliant and obsessed villains in Batman’s rogue’s gallery, Hugo Strange has not seen a live-action film rendition to date. The character has been portrayed very well in video games; however, the character has incredible potential for his own story that clashes with Batman. Strange is part of a unique class of villains that has discovered Batman’s identity. In the comic books, this has had massive implications and consequences for Batman.

Strange is noted in the DC Comics Encyclopedia as frequently tormenting Batman (Batman went as far as undergoing hypnosis to forget that he was even Batman in an attempt to confuse and mislead Strange) and also conjuring “mind-altering drugs” that led the many of Gotham’s common street thugs to take on vicious, homicidal, behavior. There are several great cinematic stories one could pull from Strange’s canon, and a lot of nuances for the right actor to really relish the character.

2. Vandal Savage

Originally Vandor Adg was a chieftain. After gaining immortality from radiation his story becomes vast. Taking on the moniker Vandal Savage, his search for power extends over hundreds of years involving him in some of the most important conflicts and wars in world history. He fought opposite the Justice League of America in World War II, took on several identities including Ghenghis Khan and Jack the Ripper, and on numerous occasions organized plots to destroy various teams of superheroes.

Where I think the power of Savage’s story lies is in the higher questions. The Justice League television series sees Vandal way off in the future. In the episode “Hereafter Pt. II” we see Superman and Vandal Savage interact. 30,000 years in the future Savage has succeeded in destroying the Justice League and the rest of the human race. He discovers loneliness and how his conquest and search left him barren. Savage has great story potential for a film or series that analyzes bigger questions over time.

1. Static

If I could pick a single character who would be given a live-action feature film, it would easily be Static. Created by Milestone Comics to somewhat channel a “Spider-Man” character, Static was eventually incorporated into the greater DC Universe connecting with several of their teams including the Teen Titans and Justice League. He is also frequently referred to as Static Shock (possibly due to Lil’ Romeo’s theme song mentioning “Superhero, Static Shock” or the comic book line called Static Shock).

Static was a cultural milestone for many minority teens in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He rides on a Static Saucer, emulating a skateboard or hoverboard. This spoke to several movements that were occurring at the time, but most predominantly were the birthing of subcultures within African American communities who were taking influence from musicians like Lupe Fiasco and Kid Cudi who branched Hip-Hop culture with skate culture.

Thank you for coming on this journey across the DC universe’s most incredible, underrated characters! Do you think we missed any that would have been on your “Top 5” list? I hope you had fun and see you next time!

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