With the news of James Gunn’s casting choices for three important minor characters in theDCuniverse, future DC games should take a page from Gunn’s book in shining the spotlight on characters that aren’t exactly household names. Almost everyone knows of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, but new stories centered around DC’s B-team would be a great way to bring some freshness into DC games. Despite thelukewarm reception toGotham Knights, all hope isn’t yet lost for exploring minor characters in the DC canon.
Gunn’s next major film is set to beSuperman: Legacy, and the recent news that Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mister Terrific will play parts in the film have many comic fans intrigued. However, for those who aren’t well versed in comic books and have learned the lore through movies, these characters may not ring a bell. Green Lantern has had a little mainstream spotlight in the past, but Hawkgirl and Mister Terrific aren’t as well known. This isn’t the first time Gunn has brought lesser known heroes into the spotlight. When Gunn was with Marvel,Guardians of the Galaxywas mainly known to comic book fans before Gunn turned it into a major name. Gunn’s successful track record of bringing side characters to the forefrontgives DC games a perfect opportunityto give smaller characters major roles in future games.
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Why Side Characters Deserve the Spotlight in Future DC Games
There’s no doubt that the biggest names in DC are Batman and Superman. Although there hasn’t been a truly successful Superman game, Rocksteady and Warner Bros. Interactive hit the jackpot with Batman intheBatman: Arkhamtrilogy. TheArkhamgames were the beginning of bringing comic book stories to the next level in gaming. When the trilogy’s first installment,Arkham Asylum, was released back in 2009, the world still hadThe Dark Knightfresh on its mind as the pinnacle of superhero film adaptations. The grittiness of bothArkham AsylumandThe Dark Knightcomplimented each other in a way that tied the game and movie together not through narrative or canon, but through direction and tone.
For Gunn’s venture into DC film adaptations,future games that involve DC charactersmay want to try and match the upcoming Gunn films in energy and themes as well, so the two can feel like their own adaptations while also complimenting one another. Since Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mister Terrific are making their way into Gunn’s DC universe, future games involving these heroes, specifically Green Lantern and Hawkgirl, could be a great start to showcasing DC’s side characters.
The story of Batman has been told extensively, so DC games could benefit from a new story. Exploring the lore behind characters like Green Lantern (hopefully in the form of John Stewart or Hal Jordan) and Hawkgirl could serve as incredible material for a game adaptation. Future titles taking a detour from the Batman story, and Gotham altogether, could give DC games the opportunity for some freshness.
TheDClore surrounding Green Lantern and Hawkgirl is rich with content that would make for unique stories and help flesh out the background of these characters. Seeing the Green Lantern Corps base on Oa or exploring Hawgirl’s home world of Thanagar leaves nearly countless opportunities to give these characters a wider audience. There have been some great games where side characters are the stars, and many of these minor characters have stories just as compelling as the heavy hitters.
Althoughthe upcomingSuicide Squadgamehas experienced some development woes, there is still the possibility of this title launching a new side character era of DC games. WithSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguefocused on fighting the Justice League, there is potential room for these side characters and many others to make an appearance in the game, tying the overall energy of both Gunn’s DC film universe andDCgames together.
