10 DC Heroes Fans Totally Forgot Were In Live-Action, Ranked

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Some of the very best superhero movies and TV shows are DC Comics adaptations. Though their output isn’t as consistent or as critically beloved as much of the Marvel adaptations releasing each year, DC’s stream of live-action interpretations of classic characters and their stories are just as worthwhile as anything in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

DC Comics has been around for decades, and the timeline of adaptations goes back nearly to the company’s inception. This means that, despite fans’ best efforts, there’s no way for viewers to absorb all the live-action DC content out there. Unpopular TV adaptations get cancelled and forgotten, small cameos in larger films are disregarded, and unfaithful reinterpretations get written off by fans — all leading to the general fanbase entirely forgetting the existence of certain characters in live-action.

10

Red Tornado Briefly Battled Supergirl

Seen In: Supergirl (2015-2021)

Acting as a later addition to the incredibly popular lineup of DC Comics adaptations airing on The CW network, Supergirl was a big hit with viewers, and it contained a myriad of appearances from all manner of DC Comics characters. New interpretations of classic heroes like Martian Manhunter, bold reimaginings of villains like Lex Luthor, and brand-new characters who would grow to be fan-favorites like Dreamer all made Supergirl stand out with fans.

In one of the series’ earliest appearances of a recognizable DC figure, the sixth episode of Supergirl‘s first season introduced Red Tornado as an antagonist for the Girl of Steel. Normally a hero and a trusty member of teams like the Justice League, fans might not remember this somewhat unfaithful adaptation of the crimson android hero.

9

Ryan Choi Appeared Before He Became The Atom

Seen In: Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

Zack Snyder is one of the most controversial figures in modern superhero adaptation discussions. Some fans absolutely love his works like Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, while others absolutely despise them. Though a major critique of Snyder’s DC work is the fact that it seems he doesn’t care about being faithful to the comics, there are occasional glimpses of the director homaging the source material in fun ways.

In Zack Snyder’s Justice League, there’s a brief cameo appearance by Ryan Choi, a scientist who would later go on to become the next character to take on the mantle of the Atom. This moment indicated to fans that Snyder did, in fact, care about fans and their connection to the comic books. Ryan Choi’s inclusion is brief, but it still got fans excited to see a familiar face in a brand-new DC Universe.

8

Wildcat Was a Brutish Legacy Hero In a Forgotten Series

Seen In: Stargirl (2020-2022)

A surprising addition to the late-era lineup of DC series on The CW, Stargirl actually ended up becoming one of the most acclaimed and beloved shows on the network. Fantastic characterization, excellent fight choreography, and well-designed characters and costumes made Stargirl an enjoyable hit.

With legacy heroes being such a major thematic aspect of the series, characters like the Justice Society of America became integral to certain plots. One of the most iconic members of the team was Ted Grant, aka Wildcat. Because the young Yolanda Montez becomes Ted’s successor in the role of Wildcat during the series, the classic hero’s appearance is often forgotten by fans.

7

Jonah Hex Starred In a Terrible Solo Movie

Seen In: Jonah Hex (2010)

One of the most bizarre and interesting anti-heroes in the entire DC Universe, Jonah Hex is an Old West cowboy superhero. More often appearing in supporting roles in other characters’ books and stories, fans were taken aback in 2010 when it was revealed that Jonah Hex would be coming to the big screen.

The film, unfortunately, was a terrible interpretation of the beloved character, and it absolutely bombed with critics and audiences alike. It’s a messy, embarrassing display of comic book storytelling, and it is one of the worst DC movies of all time. Jonah has gone on to appear in minor roles in series like Legends of Tomorrow, but it remains a major shame that his own solo movie was so forgettable.

6

Katana Was a Glorified Cameo in a Messy Film

Seen In: Suicide Squad (2016)

Director David Ayer’s 2016 disaster Suicide Squad is one of the most infamous additions to the DC Extended Universe, and for good reason. Though the film boasts a star-studded cast, some engaging production design, and a mildly compelling premise, it is utterly bogged down by mediocre character writing, disastrous editing, and an atrocious soundtrack.

One of the worst victims of the film’s inability to properly write or flesh out characters was Katana, a character who, in the comic books, is one of the most emotionally complex and compelling heroes out there. Katana was completely underutilized in the Suicide Squad film, and the only moment fans somewhat remember of her has been completely ruined by meme culture surrounding the film. It’s a disappointment for fans of the beloved Katana and her stories.

5

Tim Drake Took On the Mantle of Robin After Jason Todd

Seen In: Titans (2018-2023)

One of the more mature, edgy takes on the DC Universe, Titans had a strange relationship to its source material, as well as its fanbase. On the one hand, the series did adapt certain ideas and characters from the comics that fans had been wanting to see for years, but on the other hand, it did so in a mostly mediocre and uninspired way.

Focused mostly on Dick Grayson, the original Robin and current Nightwing, as well as his team of Titans, the series did eventually include the second Robin, Jason Todd, and his eventual death, resurrection, and turn to evil. In the wake of all this, the third Robin, Tim Drake, appeared on the scene. A character that has had difficulty finding his place in the comic landscape of the DC Universe, Titans‘ iteration of Tim was interesting but unremarkable, and it left fans forgetting he was even involved.

4

Steel Was Butchered By An NBA Legend

Seen In: Steel (1997)

In the wake of the iconic and shocking Death of Superman storyline, multiple new characters sprang up in the pages of DC comic books. One of those was John Henry Irons, aka Steel. Steel has remained one of the best and most engaging supporting characters in Superman’s stories, and, unfortunately, he himself had a bizarre and embarrassing live-action movie.

Played by NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal, Steel was practically unrecognizable in a cheap-looking, ill-fitting superhero costume. A terrible design was just the tip of the iceberg with the frightfully generic Steel film, a movie that is so forgettable that many DC fans don’t even realize that it is supposed to be adapting the iconic hero.

3

Cassandra Cain Didn’t Suit Up in Her Live-Action Appearance

Seen In: Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)

An unfortunately forgotten entry in the DCEU was 2020’s Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), a film that further utilized Margot Robbie in the role of Harley Quinn, a casting choice that remains one of the few good things to come out of Suicide Squad. In the film, Harley and her allies end up watching over a young girl, the film’s iteration of iconic Batgirl, Cassandra Cain.

Though she never suits up as a member of the Bat-family, Cassandra, who is played by Ella Jay Basco, is a major player in the film. Because of the completely different characterization and story surrounding the character, many viewers immediately forgot that she was supposed to be the master crimefighter from the comics.

Seen In: Smallville (2001-2011)

One of the most underrated superhero teams of all time, the Legion of Superheroes has never received the love and attention that many of their fellow comic book super-groups have. Though many might find the team and their roster silly, the stories and characterization over the years have been nothing short of excellent.

Appearing in a number of episodes of the beloved Smallville TV series, core members of the Legion like Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Brainiac 5 all came into contact with the series’ version of Clark Kent. Though Smallville was beloved at the time, it has since been outdone by many subsequent DC series, meaning the appearance of the Legion has been all but forgotten.

1

Guy Gardner Led a Justice League Team Long Before the DCU

Seen In: Justice League of America (1997)

Featured in a live-action DC project that not even most die-hard fans know about, Guy Gardner Green Lantern led a team of major (and minor) DC heroes on a mission against the nefarious…Weather Man. The 1997 TV movie, Justice League of America, was actually the first live-action iteration of the Justice League, and it didn’t exactly hold up to fans’ scrutiny.

Featuring characters like Martian Manhunter, Flash, and Atom among the ranks of the JLA, the TV movie’s budget is what mostly let it down. Cheap, ugly, and silly, Justice League of America has been completely disregarded and forgotten by fans, and even though it features an appearance by Guy Gardner long before he’s set to appear in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film, it has left no cultural footprint.

“}]] DC Comics has had plenty of live-action adaptations of its characters over the years, and with so many iterations, fans have naturally forgotten a few  Read More