With Supergirl, the DC Universe will have its second movie, and its first story with a female hero as the lead. The position also gives the Girl of Steel a new place within the pantheon of DC heroes, pushing her to the forefront in a way she hasn’t been before, even when she had her own TV series.

But Supergirl is just one of dozens of great female characters that DC has in its ranks. And while a Wonder Woman movie is in the works, there is still plenty of room for some of these characters to get their chance to shine bright on the big screen. More importantly, these are characters who deserve the spotlight.

And since it seems like it will be a while before some of DC’s better known male heroes will be showing up (no one is running out to see another Flash movie anytime soon), James Gunn and company have a chance to open the gates to female characters who are all too often ignored.

Zatanna

A legacy hero who has been on multiple versions of the Justice League, Zatanna has gained a larger fanbase since her time in Justice League Dark in the comics, and DC Super Hero Girls on TV. Zatanna’s gimmick — casting spells by talking backwards — is unique and just the kind of thing that can make a character pop in a movie.

Zatanna Zatara’s past in the comics would also make her a great character to connect various elements that James Gunn, Peter Safan, and everyone involved are building out. Her father, Giovanni Zatara, appeared in the superhero mural in Superman, and in the comics she knew Bruce Wayne before he became Batman, with the two of them training in slight of hand and the art of escape together.

Zatanna is also a clean way to introduce the magical side of the DCU without having to get too in the weeds with all of it. While DC’s magic users, like Dr. Fate and John Constantine, tend to be on the darker and grumpier side of things, she has always been an optimistic hero, ensuring that a movie with her as the focus won’t get too dour.

Black Canary

One of DC’s most beloved heroes, Black Canary has made it to the big screen in Birds of Prey, and it’s a good time for her to make another appearance. The character also opens the door to something that hasn’t been done with a superhero movie yet: to get real musical with it.

When she isn’t beating up the bad guys, Dinah Drake can be found on stage rocking out with her band, Black Canary. The opportunity to have a superhero film with a totally original rocking soundtrack seems like the kind of thing James Gunn would love to try. And with the love that the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack still gets, it seems like a pretty safe bet (as long as the songs are good!)

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It doesn’t hurt that Black Canary — the hero, not the band — has an iconic look and a great power set to play with on screen. Plus, a movie centered around a band touring America would allow audiences to get a better idea of how the United States of the DCU is different from reality, with cities like Keystone, Star, and Gateway waiting to be explored.

Manhunter

Kate Spencer doesn’t fit the mold of what movie audiences have seen in superhero movies so far. A single mother who works as a federal prosecutor during the day, Spencer decided to become a vigilante when working within the justice system didn’t feel like enough.

The single mother angle alone would make a Manhunter movie stand out from the crowd. Superhero movies have been, for the most part, missing a character that could fall into the Ripley from Aliens mold, and Manhunter is bursting with that energy.

Add in the very cool design of the character, and her more street level style that would give off some of the same vibes Marvel’s Alias had, and the character could really stand out from the crowd.

Vixen

With appearances in live-action TV, animated stories, and video games, Vixen is a DC C-lister who feels like she has been ready to break out for a long time. Whatever the reason may be, that breakaway story just hasn’t happened to her, but a movie could be the very thing that the character needs to reach the next level.

Vixen’s ability to adopt the abilities of animals is also a fun concept that could be very cool to see in live action. And while a version of the character was played by Maisie Richardson-Sellers in Legends of Tomorrow, the Arrowverse show didn’t have the budget to do her powers justice.

Vixen is also connected to the Red, which Red St. Wild may have connected to in Peacemaker Season 2. And while that mystical energy source is better known as part of Animal Man’s story, it can be explored just as well with Vixen, and open the door to Swamp Thing and the Green at the same time.

Stargirl

While the Stargirl TV series lasted just three seasons, it showed that the character had the chops to be a live-action star, and that the costume can easily be brought out of the comics and still work. Stargirl would also bring two elements to the DCU that it really needs: youth and family.

There have been shockingly few superhero movies focused on teen characters. Marvel did a great job with Spider-Man, and Shazam and Blue Beetle were critical hits for the DCEU (not so much for Shazam‘s sequel), but the teen market is still essentially ignored on the big screen.

Stargirl also brings in an interesting dynamic where the sidekick, her step-father, is older than the hero. Add in how Stargirl connects to the history of the DC universe and a movie focused on her opens nearly limitless possibilities. And, of course, the Cosmic Staff is just super cool and offers a style of flying that no other hero can give audiences.

Created by

Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson

Cast

Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Zachary Levi, Dwayne Johnson, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor, Idris Elba, John Cena, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Xolo Mariduena

Movie(s)

Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Shazam! The Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, Superman, The Brave and the Bold

Character(s)

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Shazam, Darkseid, Amanda Waller, Lex Luthor, Doomsday, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Black Canary, Black Adam