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These memorable DC Comics crossovers mix the publisher’s superheroes with the protagonists – and antagonists – of other classic pop culture franchises, and now more than ever there is a call from the DC fandom for these stories to be adapted so they can find a more widespread audience on the small or big screen.
With such an extensive history, DC Comics is no stranger to crossovers which remain among the most appealing aspects of the comic book medium. As often as DC’s heroes are almost constantly intermingling within their own fictional universe, they don’t always stay within its confines.
On more than one occasion, fans have seen some of DC’s greatest icons partaking in exciting intercompany crossovers with the likes of Marvel Comics, Mike Mignola’s Hellboy, and even Tarzan. And there are plenty of these DC Comics crossovers that are dying to be brought to the silver screen.
10
“Justice League/Power Rangers”
Written By Tom Taylor; Art By Stephen Byrne & Deron Bennett; Released In 2017
When an accidental collision across the dimensional plane leads to the dread Lord Zedd teaming up with Brainiac the Collector of Worlds, it is up to the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers to work alongside DC’s premiere defenders, the Justice League, to save both of their universes. Neither the Justice League nor the Power Rangers have had the best of luck on the big screen as of late, but a crossover between the World’s Greatest Heroes and Angel Grove’s resident Teenagers With Attitude has undeniable potential.
After all, while the Power Rangers have saved the world more times than fans can count, they’re still relatively young compared to the heavy hitters in the League, and a coming-of-age animated film adaptation, or a big, spectacular crossover with another beloved franchise – in the vein of Marvel’s Spider-Verse – could do wonders for both franchises in the public eye.
9
“Marvel and DC Present: The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans”
Written By Chris Claremont; Art By Walt Simonson & Terry Austin; Released In 1982
One of the most acclaimed Marvel/DC crossovers of all time, Marvel and DC Present: The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans is a one-shot that can’t be ignored when discussing potential DC Comics crossover films; when Darkseid and the forces of Apokolips set their sights on resurrecting the Dark Phoenix, it’s up to the Children of the Atom to work with DC’s next generation of heroes to put an end to his schemes.
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With an X-Men film reboot on the horizon via the MCU, and a Teen Titans project reportedly in the works for the new DCU, both the X-Men and the Teen Titans are poised to reclaim some of their ‘80s cache that originally inspired this one-shot. Not only could an adaptation of this crossover bolster both fledgling franchises, it could also remind fans why these teams are so beloved in the first place.
8
“Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War”
Written By Mike Johnson; Art By Angel Hernandez, & Alejandro Sánchez; Released In 2015
After the last Guardian of the Universe escapes a dying DC Universe to evade the demonic Nekron, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise come face to face with the remains of the Green Lantern Corps – and other representatives of the Emotional Spectrum. It’s no secret that the Green Lantern mythos has struggled on the big screen, so pairing it with another well-known science fiction franchise could be just the boost it needs to truly take off.
Likewise, it’s been quite a while since Trekkies got to see their favorite Starfleet crew in theaters, and the fun, high octane tone of the series Kelvin timeline would perfectly fit with the likes of Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, and more. And a cinematic crossover between two of science fiction’s greatest mythologies would genuinely be out of this world.
7
“Superman vs The Terminator: Death To The Future”
Written By Alan Grant; Art By Steve Pugh & Mike Perkins; Released In 2000
As the cybernetic forces of Skynet send their signature Terminators into the Metropolis of the past on the hunt for Sarah and John Connor, the Man of Steel finds himself embroiled in a war for the future against an army of some of cinema’s biggest boogeymen. The executives behind the new DCU films have repeatedly expressed interest in releasing one-shot films under the Elseworlds banner, and a battle between Skynet and Superman would surely warrant an adaptation.
It’s true that the Terminator franchise may not be what it once was, but it’s still an IP with an incredible amount of cultural cache. And it’s not like audiences would pass up on the chance of seeing Superman face off against a returning Arnold Schwarzenegger for the title of Man of Tomorrow.
6
“Planet of the Apes/Green Lantern”
Written By Justin Jordan & Robbie Thompson; Art By Barnaby Bagenda; Released In 2017
Once an ancient power hidden by the Guardians of the Universe is discovered on the Planet of the Apes, the Green Lantern Corps is dispatched to the animalistic alternate future to keep their archfoe, Sinestro, from uncovering its secrets. The most recent string of Apes films has been incredibly well-received with praise heaped upon them for their nuanced characters and more grounded tone.
Meanwhile, production has just begun on HBO’s Lanterns, a supposedly similarly “grounded” and “nuanced” take on DC’s Emerald Guardians. Planet of the Apes may not immediately spring to mind as the most logical franchise to bring in for a DC Comics team-up film but considering the current cinematic state of both the Apes franchise and Green Lantern, their shared tone could be a match made on Oa.
5
“Wonder Woman/Conan”
Written By Gail Simone; Art By Aaron Lopresti, & Matt Ryan; Released In 2017
When an amnesiac Amazon princess finds herself within the Hyborian Age, DC’s greatest warrior finds herself allied with the infamous Cimmerian Combatant to foil the schemes of dark gods. For better or worse, Wonder Woman, at least initially, was one of audience’s favorite aspects of the DCEU, but it doesn’t seem like Diana has much going for her in the way of adaptations aside from the upcoming Paradise Lost series.
Conan the Barbarian
With Wonder Woman’s slate largely clear, it’s the perfect time to pair her with one of cinema’s other greatest warriors. And whether a Wonder Woman/Conan adaptation mirrors the duo’s dynamic as contemporaries within the miniseries, or whether it instead leans into a potential mentor/mentee relationship with an older Conan played by a returning Arnold Schwarzenegger – audiences really love Schwarzenegger – there’s real potential in this sword and sorcery slugfest.
4
“Superman And Batman Versus Aliens And Predator”
Written By Mark Schultz; Art By Ariel Olivetti & Todd Klein; Released In 2007
After an ancient Predator ship is discovered in South America, the World’s Finest Heroes are pit against the cosmos’ greatest killers; both Batman and Superman have faced off with the Aliens and Predators in their own individual crossover series, but this joint team-up against these extraterrestrial enemies is ripe for a big screen adaptation.
Superman and Batman are the two biggest superheroes in pop culture, while the Alien and the Predator are two of cinema’s most iconic movie monsters. Pitting these respective duos against one another, especially now that Aliens, Predator, and Superman franchises are all experiencing a contemporary resurgence, could be one of the biggest cinematic blockbusters of all time – especially if the Batman featured takes advantage of his more fantastical roots as seemingly promised by his inevitable inclusion in the DCU.
3
“Batman/Daredevil: King of New York”
Written By Alan Grant; Art By Eduardo Barreto & Matt Hollingsworth
The second crossover between the Dark Knight and the Man Without Fear, Batman/Daredevil: King of New York finds the pair of vigilantes uniting against the Kingpin and the Scarecrow in a street-level story that couldn’t be more opportune for an on-screen adventure. With Daredevil: Born Again (2025) bringing the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen back into the limelight and The Batman Part II (2027) reportedly gearing up for production later this year, a crossover between these two grounded adaptations would benefit both heroes.
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The comparisons between The Batman (2022) and Netflix’s Daredevil (2015) are impossible to ignore, and a major theme of the former was Bruce’s struggling to maintain an identity outside of the cowl – a theme with which the MCU’s Matt Murdock is quite familiar. While the internet may jokingly refer to the X-Men’s Cyclops as Batman’s greatest mentor, there’s a real chance for Daredevil himself to take up that role.
2
“Superman/Fantastic Four: The Infinite Destruction”
Written By Dan Jurgens; Art By Art Thibert, & Gregory Wright; Released In 1999
As a revelation about Krypton’s destruction shakes Superman to his core, the Man of Steel must unite with Marvel Comics’ First Family to take on Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds; in many ways, Superman and The Fantastic Four are the pinnacles of their respective universes – idealized icons that truly represent what both DC and Marvel have to offer.
Unfortunately, that same magic hasn’t always been present for all of these heroes’ adaptations, but a crossover between these two franchises hot off the heels of their respective reboots this July could capitalize on their momentum and leave a lasting impact on the reputations of the Last Son of Krypton and the Future Foundation within the cultural zeitgeist. With so much riding on both Superman (2025) and Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), these titular titans are clearly about to have a real moment, and crossover is the best way to capitalize.
1
“JLA/Avengers”
Written By Kurt Busiek; Art By George Pérez, & Tom Smith; Released In 2003
The mad schemes of a rogue Guardian of the Universe pit Earth’s Mightiest against the World’s Greatest in what’s arguably DC and Marvel’s greatest crossover to date. Perfectly encapsulating what’s best about the premiere superhero teams of the House of Ideas and their Distinguished Competition, JLA/Avengers is the one DC Comics’ inter-company crossover that needs an adaptation more than any other.
With the MCU’s recent entries struggling to land with fans, and an upcoming DCU reboot following the decade plus of critical controversy associated with the DCEU, both franchises need a win. Uniting the greatest heroes of DC and Marvel would be that win, giving audiences what they’ve been seeking for decades at this point. DC Comics has plenty of cross-franchise team ups that are more than worthy of hitting the big screen, but, ultimately, none of them compare to JLA/Avengers.
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