With the popularity of the superhero genre growing over the last 10 years, there have been a slew of live-action superhero TV shows based around their exploits. The two most popular of these are easily the CW’s Smallville and Arrow, which also happen to be the only ones based on popular, established characters. With Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. coming this fall, now is the perfect time for Marvel and DC to take a look at their characters and see which ones could star in a hit TV show.
… Which is easier said than done.
While both companies have literally thousands of characters to choose from, very few would actually work in a live-action show. Remember, the success of Smallville and Arrow comes just as much from their realism and drama as their superhero action, something which has elevated the shows from being pure genre fare (COUGH Birds of Prey COUGH). These shows need to create worlds that lend themselves to a sizeable supporting cast and have enough of a mythology to maintain a long-running show.
And then there’s the fact that many of the characters would require too many special effects to be done on a typical television budget. Yeah, so Smallville managed to do a lot of cool stuff, but they had the fact that the main character was Superman to fall back on. There’s no way to make a live-action Spider-Man TV show that still looks as good as the films, and the Fantastic Four would have to stretch budgets further than Mr. Fantastic.
So which characters could make for interesting TV shows? Here are our top choices:
5. Black Panther
A Black Panther film has been in and out of development more times than I can count, with the current rumour being that we might see him in one of the upcoming Avengers movies. I think that the reason the Black Panther film keeps falling flat is that the character isn’t actually all that interesting; there’s not enough of a story to really grab people.
And now you’re thinking, so if that’s true, then what chance does Black Panther have on screen? Well, there was once a prince named T’Challa who was sent to get an American degree before coming back to claim his birthright as chief of Wakanda. So what if the show followed T’Challa as a fish-out-of-water, going to an American university and learning about the world, while resisting the urge to take on his birthright as the Black Panther? Perhaps he was forbidden from using his powers while away from Wakanda, so he constantly has to evade his own security detail, keeping suspicion low so word doesn’t get back to his father.
Like Smallville, this version of the character could also be learning about his people’s past, and how he came into the powers that he desperately wishes he was free to use. In addition, the university setting would offer a range of supporting characters. And if the villain happens to want to mine Wakanda’s precious Vibranium, well, then maybe it will be up to young T’Challa to save his people from afar.
4. Nightwing
This one actually looks like it might happen, albeit as a fan film. In the same way that Birds of Prey was trying to be a Batman show without Batman, I think Nightwing would actually work better than either. You can have all the same Batman villains, but with a much more interesting character that has never been explored in live-action. Okay, so we saw Robin in the Schumacher movies, but Dick Grayson is much, much more than a sidekick and Nightwing would be a great show to demonstrate that.
In addition, there would be plenty to explore in Nightwing’s past, and not just his time under Batman’s wing. We could see his life in the circus and have it come back to him in the present. You could also get a lot of mileage out of having Barbara Gordon as a recurring character, especially if Jim Gordon is still Gotham Police Commissioner. Sounds a bit like Arrow, doesn’t it?
Honestly, though, I think most of what it comes down to is that the minds behind Nightwing: Prodigal Son have the right idea and hopefully their series will show the world the potential of Nightwing.
3. Flash or Impulse
While mostly forgotten these days, there actually was a Flash TV show back in the early 90s. True, it only ran for one season, but it did have nearly twice as many episodes as Birds of Prey (and was also easily twice as cheesy). After Kyle Gallner’s appearance as the character on Smallville, many thought that a Flash spin-off would be in the cards. But when Mercy Reef was scrapped, so too were any plans for a Flash show.
But now, years later, a show about a super-powered forensic scientist actually sounds like such a good idea, I’m actually surprised no one’s jumped on it yet. Imagine, a police procedural set in Central City, where Barry Allen is the lead lab rat. At night, he dons a costume to become the Flash and catches the criminals himself, having to keep his secret from the people he works with. The show would have an obvious appeal to people who enjoy cop shows like CSI or NCIS, as well as fanboys, of course.
Alternatively, instead of Barry Allen’s Flash, the show could skew younger and feature Bart Allen’s Impulse. Like Smallville, it could follow the character through high school, but keep Barry Allen and Wally West around, and whatever other Justice League characters they can get the rights to, and make Impulse’s goal to one day fight alongside them. So instead of Clark’s journey of learning that he should be a superhero one day, we instead get a hero who dreams of being a hero, but keeps being told “not yet.”
2. Gambit
Perhaps the most popular X-Men character whose early life wasn’t at the Xavier Institute, there is huge potential for a show about the formative years in Gambit’s life. Growing up in the Louisiana Bayou, Remy LeBeau was a member of the Thieves’ Guild, trained in the arts of deception. With the popularity of True Blood, it would be easy to sell another show set in New Orleans, although obviously they wouldn’t want to draw too many comparisons.
My idea for a Gambit show would center around how growing up, Remy never quite fit in with the rest of his family or the Guild. While a gifted thief, he’s never really sure whether this is the life for him. His mutant gifts only complicate matters, and his family take advantage of his unique ability in their various heists as well as in their feud with the Assassins’ Guild.
There would also be a lot of potential for cameos from other X-Men characters, especially if they decide to play up whole anti-mutant movement. Senator Kelly would certainly make an interesting background villain, not to mention what it would be like if Xavier or Magneto tried to recruit Gambit onto their side. The charming Remy would, of course, also require plenty of love interests, which would definitely help to keep things interesting.
1. Daredevil
Of all the heroes on this list, I actually think a Daredevil show would actually make the most sense. His powers are fairly simple and don’t require any heavy CGI. In addition, Matt Murdock’s law school years would be a very interesting period to explore, as he comes to see the limitations of the law and ultimately decides to take action. The Ultimate Daredevil and Elektra miniseries could provide a nice backbone for it (minus the heavy focus on rape), but I would actually like to see a bit of Frank Miller’s version of the Daredevil origin as well. In this version, Elektra and her father are held hostage and Matt, wearing a scarf over his head as a disguise, rescues them.
My vision of the show sees Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson, and Elektra Nachios as students at Columbia University (or a facsimile thereof). Matt and Foggy, of course, are in the law program. We follow Matt as he sets out to be a lawyer, but ends up getting justice as Daredevil. The kicker? Set the show in a gritty 1975 where Daredevil belongs.
Imagine the Kingpin as a 70’s crime boss, ruling New York’s underground with an iron fist. You could easily bring Bullseye in as well, even as Kingpin’s main enforcer.
Clearly the producers would want to play with the costume, but I think there’s the potential for a really cool, urban look for Daredevil that would feel realistic. He could have a red leather jacket, which seems to be the look many TV vigilante’s are using these days, but he can have a tighter hood that falls lower over his face, since he doesn’t need to see. Imagine how menacing a smooth red face with a devilish grin at the bottom would be.
What do you think? Would you tune in for the southern-fried adventures of Gambit? Do you think a Nightwing series could manage what Birds of Prey missed? Sound off in the comments section.