The Justice League Members We Want to See in the DCU

Believe it or not, the DCU is still in its infancy. At the time of this writing, the new universe consists only of one feature film (Superman) and two TV shows (Creature Commandos and Peacemaker). Yet, the universe is coming together quickly, which means that DC’s flagship team will arrive soon. Thus, now is the perfect time to start speculating about who will be in the new DCU’s version of the Justice League.

For the most part, we’re going to assume that the big seven will be involved. That is canonical founding members Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Flash, and Green Lantern (although the specific Flash or Lantern can alternate), as well as mainstays Superman and Batman. And we’ll also assume that major characters already in the DCU have a good shot of joining, such as Justice Gang members Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, and Metamorpho.

Instead, we’re going to use this place to make a wishlist for the deep-cuts and fan-favorites who James Gunn should bring into the new Justice League.

Black Canary

When the Justice League debuted in 1960’s Brave and the Bold #28, written by Gardner Fox and penciled by Mike Sekowsky, it consisted of the aforementioned five founders, with Barry Allen and Hal Jordan as Flash and Green Lantern, respectively. However, that story began with the team already in place, leaving room for retcons. One of the most enduring reimaginings places Dinah Lance a.k.a. Black Canary at the team’s beginnings, even before Superman and Batman joined on.

It’s easy to see why Black Canary would be such an important early Leaguer. The character has roots that go back to the Golden Age of comics, with the current incarnation generally depicted as the daughter of the World War II original (with some time-travel and multiverse stuff involved). Since then, she’s led the Justice Society, the Birds of Prey, and even the Justice League. Her combination of legacy connections and street-smart toughness makes her an ideal teammate, and that’s even before we get to her romance with Green Arrow.

Green Arrow

Speaking of which, Green Arrow has to be in the Justice League. Like his Marvel counterpart, Green Arrow is just a guy with a bow and arrow, fighting alongside Superman and Wonder Woman. However, unlike Hawkeye, Green Arrow is a loud-mouthed liberal who, yes, can be insufferable. But he also keeps his fellow heroes grounded, preventing them from letting the power go to their heads.

Green Arrow has, of course, been portrayed in live action, in the enormously popular series Smallville and Arrow. However, those interpretations shared only the barest similarities to the guy from the comics, particularly when part of the Justice League. A proper DCU version would require a proper Oliver Queen, obnoxious, left-leaning, and utterly charming.

Vixen

After just two appearances, Vixen joined the big team in Justice League of America #233 (1984). Unfortunately, she happened to make the jump just in time for one of the worst eras of the JLA, serving alongside stinkers like Vibe and Steel (Hank Heywood, not John Henry Irons) for the Detroit-based incarnation of the team. Fortunately, she managed to escape that trainwreck largely unscathed, and has become a fan favorite.

When not traveling the world as supermodel Mari McCabe, Vixen fights evil using the Tantu Totem, a magical item passed through her family that allows her to replicate the abilities of any animal. Vixen’s powers make for varied and exciting action scenes, which would play perfectly with Gunn’s sensibilities. Furthermore, Gina Torres’ take on the Justice League Unlimited animated series, as fun, playful, and smitten with the Green Lantern John Stewart, a dynamic that would be fun to replicate with the character Aaron Pierre is playing on Lanterns.

Blue Beetle and Booster Gold

Even more so than Green Arrow and Black Canary, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold need to come as a pair. They didn’t start out that way, as the Ted Kord Blue Beetle got his start after the death of his mentor Dan Garrett, using gadgets to fight crime instead of a magical/alien scarab. A washed-up college football star from the 25th century, Michael Jon Carter stole tech from a superhero museum and went back to our time to establish himself as superhero Booster Gold.

The two carried their own comics for a while, but they didn’t really click until writers Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis paired them in the Justice League International series from the 1980s. Since then, the two have been the superheroic equivalent to JD and Turk—which made the casting of Donald Faison as Booster, in a cameo at the end of the Legends of Tomorrow finale perfect and frustrating. Even if the Scrubs stars don’t get to play the duo in live action, Beetle and Booster bring the necessary goofball energy to blockbuster superhero action.

Silver Sorceress

DC and Marvel have long not only borrowed from each other, but also parodied each other’s characters. Thus far, no member of the Squadron Supreme, Marvel’s take on the Justice League, have made it to the MCU, but that’s all the more reason for DC to beat them to the punch by bringing in Silver Sorceress, the Scarlet Witch analogue in the Champions of Angor, the DC version of the Avengers.

Silver Sorceress is a magic user who comes to our reality alongside teammates Blue Jay and Wandjina (think Ant-Man and Thor) after the destruction of their world. Like the original Scarlet Witch, Silver Sorceress’ powers are based on luck, which creates an interesting dynamic in fights. Given that Wanda Maximoff of the MCU basically shot red magic bolts, Silver Sorceress would be an opportunity to do old-school Scarlet Witch stuff, albeit with the Distinguished Competition.

Steel

Every Justice League needs a Superman. And while David Corenswet’s Man of Tomorrow will certainly be on the roster, his brief replacement John Henry Irons a.k.a. Steel is just as valuable. Irons is a tech genius who designed his own supersuit to stand in the gap when the main Superman died fighting Doomsday. Since then, Steel has been one of the premier super-scientists in the DC Universe, particularly when someone needs a new suit upgrade or some different gadgets.

That last point distinguishes Steel from Mister Terrific, another scientific genius certain to be on the DCU JLA. Where Edi Gathegi plays Terrific as someone precise, but disinterested in personal interactions, Steel tends to be warmer and more hands-on. He’s a craftsman first, making him a unique and valuable addition to any incarnation of the League.

Blue Devil

According to comic book lore, the Justice League was so popular in 1960 that publisher Martin Goodman told his nephew-in-law Stan Lee to pitch some new superheroes, leading to the creation of the Fantastic Four and the beginning of Marvel Comics. Since the birth of the Fantastic Four, it seems like every superhero teen needs at least one blue-collar lug, a hard worker with a heart of gold, who serves as the soul of the team. Metamorpho often occupies that spot for the JLA, but with Anthony Carrigan playing a softer, weirdo take on Rex Mason, the DCU should choose instead Blue Devil.

Created by Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn, and Paris Cullins for 1984’s Fury of Firestorm #24, Blue Devil is Dan Cassidy, a Hollywood stuntman and special effects whiz who gets magically bonded to a costume he made for a movie. The suit makes Dan a magnet for otherworldly phenomena, which he handles with the no-nonsense gruff of a working man.

Plastic Man

When Grant Morrison revived the League for JLA #1 (1997), they approached the big seven as representations of the Olympic gods: Superman was Zeus, Batman was Hades, Wonder Woman was Hera, etc. Yet, Morrison found the Seven made for an incomplete pantheon without a Dionysus, a shape-shifting trickster. To fill this gap, Morrison added the ever-adaptable Plastic Man to be the uncontrollable agent of chaos.

Created by the incomparable Jack Cole for 1941’s Police Comics #1, Plastic Man was once Eel O’Brian, a small-time hood who falls into a vat of chemicals after getting shot. The chemicals changed the make-up of his body, allowing him to take any shape he desires. In those original comics and in Morrison’s run, Plastic Man was the ultimate oddity, a guy so incredibly powerful that it boggles the mind and whose mind is so thoroughly boggled.

Aztek

Plastic Man may have been a favorite of Morrison’s, but was not a Morrison creation. Aztek, however, does come directly from the famed writer, who created the Mexican hero alongside Mark Millar and N. Steven Harris in 1996. The result of both scientific engineering and occult magic, Aztek is the champion of the Q Foundation, a secret society devoted to serving their god Quetzalcoatl’s battle against his twin, Tezcatlipoca. Aztek wears a battle suit designed by the Q Foundation, and enters the world with both the slanted view of someone raised by extremists and the heart of someone who wants to do good in the world.

Aztek’s presence puts an interesting spin on superheroing, especially since the original incarnation had a finite life. Aztek remained simultaneously cheerful and fatalistic, right up until he sacrificed himself to save the League. But if that’s too heavy, the DCU could use his recently-introduced successor, Nayeli Constant, a software engineer from Texas recruited into the Q Foundation’s mission.

The Question

Originally created as a way for legendary artist Steve Ditko to espouse his Objectivist philosophy, the blank-faced sleuth known as the Question has gone through many incarnations, most famously inspiring the Watchmen anti-hero Rorsach. Whether as a Zen detective, a conspiracy theorist, an urban shaman, or, most recently, a hard-boiled gumshoe, the Question does not seem like a team player.

And yet, the Question has joined the League in some memorable stories. Fans of Justice League Unlimited love Jeffery Combs’ take on the Question as weirdo whose unconventional approach uncovers a secret plot. More recently, the second Question—former Gotham City detective Renee Montoya—has been installed as the League’s sheriff, where she protects the heroes who protect the universe. These two examples prove that the Question makes for an interesting outlier in the world’s greatest superhero team.