If you’re a fan of DC and were born after Infinite Crisis reshaped the comic book landscape, odds are you grew up watching and loving one of DC’s classic animated shows. From the ones that redefined the genre like Batman: The Animated Series to hits that were canceled way too soon like Green Lantern: The Animated Series, DC is known for knocking it out of the park with cartoons based on their beloved heroes. James Gunn has announced a whole slew of new shows that will be filling the ranks of his DCU, but that only makes me more hungry to imagine which characters in DC deserve to headline their own animated show.
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Before we get into which characters I think deserve to lead a show the most though, we need to establish the framework for who can and can’t qualify. Obviously, any character who has already starred in a cartoon I will not be including. I also will only be counting single characters, not teams or groups. As much as I’d do unspeakable things for a Bat Family television show, that’s not important right now. With all that said, here are the five DC superheroes I think deserve an animated series the most.
1) Blue Beetle
Jaime Reyes, specifically, as much as I love Ted Kord. Blue Beetle has the potential to fill the exact niche that Marvel is constantly trying to restrain Spider-Man to; be the perfect teen superhero. He offers the perfect chance to explore teen drama as Jaime is forced to learn to live with the Scarab and adjust to its powers, and his actual powers are perfectly suited for animation. Artists could have a field day depicting the huge array of weapons his suit can morph into. Personally, I’m imagining it in a Generator Rex style, which just screams awesome. I can easily see Blue Beetle joining the ranks of Batman Beyond and Static Shock as the animated teen heroes that inspire generations.
2) Martian Manhunter
If Blue Beetle offers the perfect opportunity for a cartoon aimed at teens and lower, Martian Manhunter is the perfect lead for a more mature audience focused story. Martian Manhunter has made plenty of appearances in plenty of DC’s other animated shows, but he’s never been the main star. He’s always existed as a sort of side character, which is a feeling that even exists in the comics when he’s in a group a lot of the time. He tends to become this outsider that offers advice and protection, but the stories rarely focus on him as the central protagonist. Despite that, I know he has the potential to be a phenomenal main character. He’s an incredible detective and is nearly as strong as Superman, alongside his own shapeshifting and telekinesis, which means he has a bag of skills that let him fit into any situation. He would be just as comfortable in a noir style story as he would a typical Saturday morning cartoon, and I think DC is wasting his incredible star potential. He’s always just at the cusp of really breaking out of the side character role and stealing the show, so I say it’s about time we give it to him.
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3) The Captain/Shazam
If we’re talking about Saturday morning cartoons, then by far and away the best choice ever would be the Captain of Thunder himself. Billy Batson and the entire Shazamily feel like they were designed specifically with an episodic cartoon series in mind. Not only do we get the inherent comedy of a kid being in an adult’s body, but all of his main enemies are a beautiful mix of intimidating and zany enough to both be intimidating and cartoonishly wacky. Then there’s the picture perfect set of themes that come attached to Billy. There’s the usual challenges of being a kid, the standard superheroic themes, and the very strong theme of family and finding people to love after being alone. It’s kind of crazy we don’t have a cartoon starring Billy Batson, but we should definitely change that soon.
4) Batgirl, Cassandra Cain
This one is definitely a biased choice given that Cass is one of my favorite characters of all time, but I really do think she deserves to star in her own animated series. One of the biggest reasons why she’d kill in an animated series is because of how visually expressive she would have to be, and how amazing that would look. She doesn’t talk much, and while that’s circumventable in comic books with thought bubbles, in a cartoon most of Cass’s thoughts and feelings would need to be expressed in movement, which she is already styled for. Her natural way of fighting is very fluid and dance-like, and she loves to stick to the shadows in her all black, faceless costume. That’s the perfect setup for absolutely dazzling, stylized animation. Beyond that, a story focusing on Cass’s attempt to fit into a normal life, with Barbara Gordan acting as a mentor and surrogate mother figure, is something I would give anything to see made real.
5) Wonder Woman
It is actually criminal that we do not have a Wonder Woman animated series yet. We’ve had multiple cartoons that star the other two members of DC’s Trinity, and while they were well deserved, Wonder Woman needs her own show. Yes, Wonder Woman once starred in her own live action show, so I am breaking my own rules a little, but that was all the way back in 1976, and hardly reflects who the character has become and what she stands for today. She is the archetypal superheroine and deserves to star in her own show more than any other DC hero, period. The themes of sisterhood, peace, and endless compassion will always be relevant, and Wonder Woman exemplifies those in spades. And there are so many interesting ways to tackle her character in an adaptation, too. The show could star Diana juggling her secret identity as an ambassador alongside her superhero work, or see her stand as Wonder Woman all the time as she fights for peace around the globe. We need a Wonder Woman cartoon, and I will not take no for an answer.
So there are the five DC heroes who I think deserve their own animated series the most, but definitely not the only five who do. There are countless amazing heroes in DC, and I could list off the ones who could star in spectacular shows all day. From Nightwing to the Spectre, the possibilities are endless, and I’d watch each and every one of them. Think another hero deserved to be on this list more? Let us know which DC hero you’d love to see star in their own animated series in the comments below!
