3 DC Detectives That Need a Show After Lanterns, Including a Character James Gunn Loves

HBO’s Lanterns took a big swing by taking an intergalactic, alien-filled world and adapting it as a grounded Western detective story, and this gamble has absolutely paid off. The series does feature all the wacky worldbuilding that you would expect from Green Lantern, yet it still manages to tell a compelling Earth-based mystery story in a television format.

So, Lanterns has proven that the DCU knows how to make a detective show, which is a great quality to have considering the franchise is named for Detective Comics, after all. DC is home to tons of detectives, many of whom could easily carry their own show once Lanterns ends. While there are plenty of candidates, these three detectives would be perfect for future DCU TV shows, and they could easily be as good as Lanterns.

3) The Question

Originally a Charlton Comics character, Question was one of the heroes acquired by DC Comics, with him appearing in 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths as well as getting his own runs in 1987, 1995, 2005, and 2019, cementing him as a recurring character in the DC universe. Question is a detective and crime fighter named Vic Sage who wears a pseudoderm mask that makes him appear faceless, and while he occasionally has powers, his mask and binary gas allow him to change his appearance while investigating and confronting criminals.

According to James Gunn, the Question is one of his personal favorite DC characters, and the DCU would have no rights issues if they wanted to use him. This greatly increases the odds of a Question show happening, as Gunn is famously not shy about using lesser-known characters that he, personally, loves. Question is one of the classic comic detectives, and his connection to philosophy could make for some incredibly interesting stories and themes if a Question procedural mystery show ever comes about.

2) Batman

Lanterns‘ inclusion of Hal Jordan and John Stewart proves the DCU isn’t scared to explore major characters in movies rather than TV shows. Because of this, it would be an incredible idea for the DCU to give an HBO show to the World’s Greatest Detective, Batman. While The Brave and the Bold is a Batman movie already in production at the DCU, very little has been heard about it. Plus, the existence of Matt Reeves’ The Batman series complicates things, as it is doubtful that DC would want two different live-action Batman movie series running at the same time. This has led to speculation that Reeves’ The Batman could still be retconned into the DCU, and given this has repeatedly been denied, it only makes Batman’s DCU status more confusing.

However, giving Batman a TV show almost immediately solves all of these problems. If the DCU wants a separate Batman from the Reeves series, then a DCU Batman show is a way to get the new character introduced into Gunn’s shared universe – without conflicting with Reeves’ movie series (that was planned as a trilogy). Conversely, if the DCU doesn’t want to use Robert Pattinson’s Batman, then The Penguin has already proven that his universe is ripe for great TV storytelling – meaning future stories in Reeves Batverse could continue there instead. Given that the best adaptation of Batman is still Batman: The Animated Series, and since it proved that the TV format works so well for the character, a show similar to Lanterns may be the perfect option for Warner Bros. to eat their cake and have it too with two Batmen.

1) Detective Chimp

James Gunn’s DCU has become known for introducing some weird DC characters, with the franchise highlighting heroes like Peacemaker, the Creature Commandos, and Metamorpho. The upcoming The People v. Gorilla Grodd series will only make things weirder, and if one DCU show is willing to focus on a superintelligent ape, why not another? In the comics, Bobo T. Chimpanzee is a detective who, on top of having the increased strength and agility of a chimp, also has a genius-level intellect, knowledge of gun and sword combat, and the ability to solve crimes.

Detective Chimp is one of DC’s weirdest heroes, which makes him perfect for a comedy crime series set in the DCU. Detective Chimp isn’t far off from other major animal characters already present in the DCU, like Krypto, Eagly, and Weasel, and the character could easily carry his own show. He has mass appeal to casual fans and hardcore DC lovers alike, as the concept of a chimp who solves crimes is easy to sell. Detective Chimp isn’t that much sillier a concept than Lanterns‘ green-clad alien space cops, so if a TV show about the Green Lanterns can work, one about Detective Chimp could work too.

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