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Wonder Woman 1984 made a big splash when it hit theaters and HBO Max over the holiday season. Given its success and DC Comics’ severely underutilized collection of female characters, I’ve compiled a list of five DC superheroines in desperate need of a period-piece movie.
There are many projects currently in development, from a New Gods movie featuring a story about Big Barda to HBO’s Justice League Dark project that will focus heavily on Zatanna. This list attempts to highlight heroines who have not shown up on the big screen or who do not currently have something in the works. Though, this is more of a guideline than a rule, as evidenced by the first DC character on this list.
Renee Montoya As The Question
Rosie Perez recently played the fan-favorite Renee Montoya in Birds of Prey (2020). However, it was not the complex and definitive take that such a beloved character deserves. I’m not saying Perez did a bad job, but that was a Harley Quinn movie, not a Renee Montoya one. Coincidentally, like Harley, Montoya is one of the few characters to be created as a cartoon character first, before becoming popular in the comics and beyond.
Debuting as a Gotham City police officer in the stellar Batman the Animated Series, Montoya became a favorite because of her strength of character and kind heart. After making the jump to comic books, things took a darker turn for her. Montoya deals with homophobia from both her parents and other police officers that she’s worked with for years, eventually leaving the GCPD. When the DC event, 52, started, Renee was an alcoholic and alone.
This is where I think a period-piece movie could be developed. Considering most film adaptations are a mash-up of different aspects of characters and storylines, I propose that the 1990s would be a perfect place for the setting. Montoya debuted in the early 1990s, which is ideal to set a crime-noir story in. This is where The Question comes in.
Once an investigative journalist, Vic Sage is a masked vigilante with an innate distrust for any and all authority. And he is willing to crack a few heads to get the information he needs. The story of how Renee Montoya becomes the partner of the original Question, Vic Sage, and, eventually, taking up the mantle herself could make for a fascinating film.
Lady Blackhawk In World War II
Zinda Blake first appeared in 1959’s Blackhawk #133, attempting to become the first female member of the famed special-ops team, the Blackhawks. In some dated and somewhat sexist storytelling, it takes Zinda saving the entire Blackhawks team on several occasions before she is “allowed” to join. As a self-taught ace pilot and a skilled all-around combatant, Zinda becomes one of the team’s key members.
What would a period-piece list be without a World War II movie? Marvel has their version, Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). It is time for DC to tell us what was going on in their cinematic universe during that tumultuous time. Zinda Blake is a great opportunity to tell an interesting story in one of the most important eras in history from a unique perspective. It also provides the chance to tweak her origins and costume design, which have some sexist undertones. Even after establishing her as a skilled fighter, Zinda was often used as a damsel in distress early on, dressed in a leather jacket and a black miniskirt. Very practical for a soldier, indeed.
Back To The DC Future: Dawnstar
A period-piece doesn’t necessarily need to be set in a previous era. To me, the futuristic (at the time) Blade Runner (1982) is a period piece, though, technically, it is set in the distant past of 2019. The DC heroine, Dawnstar, has roots in the Legion of Super-Heroes of the 31st century and could make for an exciting superhero movie.
Dawnstar, which is her real and only name, and her people are descendants of Ancestral Puebloan Native Americans but hail from the planet Starhaven. In the 13th century, her ancestors were taken from their home on earth but managed to establish their own civilization on Starhaven. Although, now, Dawnstar and her people grow giant feathered wings as a result of years of genetic engineering by the aliens who abducted them years ago.
Given her unique backstory, a Dawnstar movie could focus mainly on the far future where she becomes a powerful member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. It could also allude to the distant past and the mystery about why her Anasazi ancestors were taken in the first place. Intriguing, right?
By The Power Of…Amethyst!
Okay, everyone saw how the Masters of the Universe (1987) movie turned out, but I think the world is ready for another super-human, fantasy-fueled, 1980s romp; And Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld, could give moviegoers just that. In fact, it could be a sort of spiritual companion piece to Labyrinth (1986). Amethyst is raised by kind earth parents until she turns 13 and discovers her true lineage as the Princess of Gemworld and how the evil Dark Opal is ruling over her kingdom.
A movie about Amethyst’s discovery of Gemworld and her subsequent adventure is a perfect setting for a far-off fantasy period-piece. Considering Wonder Woman 1984’s success, it is clear that the nostalgic 1980s have not gone stale in the hearts and minds of the masses. Amethyst could capitalize on this by creating its own love-letter to eighties fantasy films, such as Willow (1988), Legend (1985), and The NeverEnding Story (1984). Hell, why not have the movie take place after 1984 and squeeze in a Wonder Woman cameo? Set the hype-machine to eleven.
A Green Lantern Murder Mystery: Jo Mullein
Sojourner (Jo) Mullein is one of DC’s newest Green Lanterns. She is even the Justice League’s lantern in the current comic book event, DC Future State. Having been a police officer during the 2000s, Jo was fired due to certain unfortunate circumstances. Feeling lost in her life, she was approached by a Guardian of Oa and offered the opportunity to make a difference. As a Green Lantern, Jo is stationed in the farthest reaches of the galaxy. So far, in fact, she jokes that it might not even have a number and so dubs it the far sector, which happens to be the title of her comic series, written by N.K. Jemisin and drawn by Jamal Campbell.
In Far Sector, Jo is forced to deal with a planet of three warring species where emotions have been outlawed. Of course, this means there is a healthy black market of emotions to be had, and this leads to, you guessed it, murder. Jo has to use her Green Lantern ring and her wits to follow the clues, keep from being killed, and solve the murders. All while balancing the complex subtleties of alien politics.
Bearing in mind that Jo is a respected veteran Green Lantern in DC Future State, Far Sector seems to take place in the very near future. With everything that has happened in just the past year, even five years in the future feels like a far-off period-piece. Not to mention, the planet in Jo’s sector is so technologically advanced that it feels more like five hundred years into the future. DC could right a terrible wrong — ahem, Ryan Reynolds — with a Jo Mullein Green Lantern film.
Ultimately, Success Will Drive DC’s Direction
In the end, it is how well their movies do, both financially and critically, that will determine what type of content DC continues to produce. It would be nice to see some of these lesser-known, but fan-favorite DC characters star in their own movies. But can they make money for DC like Wonder Woman or Harley Quinn can be based solely on their names? That remains to be seen.
Still, in light of Wonder Woman’s 1984’s success — though it has received mixed critical reviews — it looks like we will see more female-led superhero period-pieces in the coming years.
