10 Underappreciated DC Characters Who Deserve More Love

The DC Comics line of films throughout the years has had a rollercoaster of a time finding good audience reception. Going from the likes of Superman: The Movie and Batman to ones like The Flash and Justice League is a huge part of what has led to such mixed reception surrounding DC’s greater film landscape. It has led to the company being far more conservative regarding which characters they do and don’t use in their films, resulting in some amazing heroes getting thrown to the side.

While more characters outside the core Justice League have gotten attention recently, there are still plenty of characters who’ve yet to get the love they deserve. Whether it’s because they’re under-featured or not used to the fullest they could be, these underappreciated DC characters deserve more love.

10 Hawkgirl

Last Seen: ‘Harley Quinn’ Season 4, Episode 6, “Metamorphosis”

Despite being featured in a good chunk of DC animated and television projects, Hawkgirl is not really known much by general audiences. The closest the character has gotten to being known worldwide by general audiences is her extended tenure in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. While she is making an appearance in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film and will receive a lot more recognition from that, she’s got a past of low appreciation.

Safe to say, fans are pretty excited to see set photos of Isabela Merced in the Hawkgirl costume and believe that Gunn will bring love to the character she hasn’t necessarily seen before. Because, while she may be coming to film soon,it doesn’t change the fact that, in the past, she’s not been given much to showcase.

9 Spectre

Last Seen: ‘Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths’ (2024)

Most people will, unfortunately, only know of the Spectre character from the Arrowverse iteration of the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” story. However, the Arrowverse version is not the character featured in the comics, asOliver Queen (Stephen Amell) took up the mantle in the crossover. There’s nothing wrong with this choice, as it worked quite well within the Arrowverse’s context, but it’s not the character at his core.

The most accurate version of the Spectre was recently featured in the smaller release of the Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths animated film trilogy. The true version of the character is incredibly interesting and a genuinely vital piece to the grand DC Comics puzzle, a divine entity with formidable abilities in service of The Presence, DC’s version of God. A character like that definitely deserves some more love in the future, and it’s high time he gets it.

8 The Doom Patrol

Last Seen: ‘Doom Patrol’ (2019)

Despite the positive reception that the live-action series Doom Patrol received upon release, they haven’t gotten nearly as much attention as they deserve. The people who did watch Doom Patrolquickly fell in love with the wonderful characters on screen, and if that’s not proof that these guys deserve more screen time in the future, not much can be done to convince people.

The Doom Patrol has the chance to be the Guardians of the Galaxy in James Gunn’s new DCU. With his tendency to bring past actors back to fulfill new roles, it’s also the perfect chance to bring the cast of the hit series back since people loved them so much previously. Beyond the stunt casting, the Doom Patrol is a truly unique group of individuals that represent some of DC’s most interesting and conflicted heroes, and they’d make a worthy addition to any franchise.

7 Ragman

Last Seen: ‘Arrow’ Season 8, Episode 10, “Fadeout”

The only real film/television adaption of Ragman was in The CW’s Arrow, where he was portrayed by Joe Dinicol. Even though Arrow had a tendency to redefine characters and give them more grounded takes, the show’s iteration of Ragman was surprisingly accurate and really well done. The so-called tattered tatterdemalion of justice wears the Suit of Souls, which grants him the collective strength and knowledge of countless corrupt souls seeking redemption.

Whether they bring back Dinicol or not (they totally should), Ragman is a niche character pretty much no one knows anything about that totally deserves some love in animation, live-action, or wherever they can find it. Ragman deserves a spot in the heart of general audiences; he’s compelling, has a unique set of powers, and a really cool costume.

6 Doctor Fate

Last Seen: ‘Black Adam’ (2022)

Despite not really finding a lot of public attention outside his appearance in Black Adam, Doctor Fate is one of the most popular characters in the DC Comics universe. His appearance in Black Adam, played by Pierce Brosnan, was one of the film’s only redeeming qualities and a huge step in the right direction for bringing the mystical character to the same popularity level as the likes of his de-facto Marvel counterpart, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch).

The complexity behind Doctor Fate’s origin and overall stories is super compelling and engaging. If given more love, people would absolutely fall in love with Doctor Fate and become highly invested in his story. He’s also a vital part of the magic side of the DC universe, and if James Gunn would like to introduce magic users like Zatana (who was a direct connection with Doctor Fate), this character is pretty much a must-have.

5 Blue Beetle

Last Seen: ‘Blue Beetle’ (2023)

While he’s gotten a solo film that did moderately well at the box office and on streaming, Blue Beetle expands much further beyond what was featured in the 2023 film. There’s massive hope that he’ll be getting more love in the DCU, with James Gunn confirming that Xolo Maridueña will return to play the DCU’s version of the character. But outside of Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle, there are a few others that really deserve some time in the limelight.

Ted Kord and Dan Garrett’s iterations of the scarab-powered hero are just as spectacular. As mentioned by George Lopez‘s character in Blue Beetle, Kord and Garrett are some of the most fun DC characters. Ted Kord had a sense of humor and brought Batman-like gadgets but had fun with them. Kord can even exist alongside Jaime, as well, given the fact that he never wore the Scarab and his suit was instead made through science and innovation.

4 Cyborg

Last Seen: Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen (2023)

What on Earth happened to Cyborg? Many basically attribute the disappearance of the character to the drama between DC and ex-Cyborg actor Ray Fisher. Regardless of the reasoning, the character, who was once one of the most beloved in DC media, largely thanks to the 2003 animated show Teen Titans, has fallen to the wayside. He was even going to get a solo film at one point, but it was canceled amidst the drama and eventual collapse of the DC Extended Universe.

With the right writers and creative team overall, though, Cyborg has the opportunity to be one of the best DC characters on film. With James Gunn confirming that writer Ana Nogueira will be helming the screenplay for an upcoming Teen Titans film set in the DCU, it’s the perfect opportunity to bring Cyborg back to the forefront of the DC universe. He could even graduate to the Justice League, much like he did in the comics, although his place is arguably with the Titans.

Last Seen: ‘Young Justice’ Season 4, Episode 26, “Death and Rebirth”

Over the years, while given many small appearances in other DC characters’ projects, Static has been basically given as bare minimum attention as possible. He’s had a live-action film “in the works” since 2020 and an animated film confirmed to be in the works in 2021, but there’s been little news about either since those times. Many believe that they’re stuck in what many call “production hell,” making it unlikely we’ll actually see them anytime soon.

Static is a character that means a lot to a plethora of people. The themes and messages he represents are impactful and could make a real difference if given the space to be put under the spotlight. It would be so simple to introduce him in the DCU’s Teen Titans, for example, or to give him a solo show on Max, either live-action or animated. Regardless of how he’s introduced, Static needs a spot in the DCU.

2 Booster Gold

Last Seen: ‘Teen Titans Go! To the Movies’ (2018)

If Blue Beetle is going to be in the new DCU, it’s only fair that his trusty partner in crime fighting and dear friend, Booster Gold, joins him. The blond time-traversing hero is widely beloved among the DC Comics fans, but he’s never gotten a film project. Fans have been asking for an appearance from him and Blue Beetle for quite some time, and it’s for very good reason.

It was said that there’s a series for the character in production, but little has been heard about it. Still, the consistent team-up of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold is one of the most loved in DC Comics, with their friendship rivaling that of Peter Parker and Johnny Storm. With how much James Gunn loves lighthearted but meaningful stories, Booster Gold would make the perfect addition to the new DCU.

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1 Green Lantern

Last Seen: ‘Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths’ (2024)

Green Lantern is widely known by the general audiences, but not necessarily for the best reasons. After the absolute failure of 2011’s Green Lantern, widely considered among the worst superhero movies of the 2010s, the character caught a lot of flak, and his reputation tumbled. The Hal Jordan version of Green Lantern is quite prominent in the animated DC universe, but when it comes to major blockbuster content, he has (seemingly deliberately) had the studio’s back turned on him. And it’s not just Hal Jordan who suffered; all iterations of Green Lantern have been largely ignored.

Thankfully, Guy Gardner will be appearing in James Gunn’s Superman next year. But before this, it felt like Warner Bros. and DC purposely avoided the Lanterns. For example, Zack Snyder intended to have him appear at the end of his version of the Justice League film, but Warner Bros. refused, and he instead went with Martian Manhunter. At last, though, more love seems to be coming for Green Lantern, with a show that’s been in the works for quite a while. Fans can only hope that Gunn and the others at DC Studios will give the Lanterns the limelight they deserve.

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