Needless to say, this is a big year for DC. Not only did the comics undergo a revamp that was very much needed, but the DC cinematic universe is starting to take flight, albeit a little bit clumsily curtsy of the less than favorable reviews for BvS and Suicide Squad. Fortunately, DC’s agenda doesn’t get cut off there and we can expect in the near future to see more of the new faces about to be added to hall of fame of DC universe characters that transitioned to the big screen.
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Cinema is incredibly influential and, as such, it had a significant impact in the popularity of our favorite DC universe characters. Some kids had their first contact with these characters and they may not have been as impressed as we were when we first got to know them via movie classics and comics. As such, here’s the rebooted list with the most popular DC universe characters, as dictated by the movie releases of the last decade (and not only).
#10 Rorschach
You either loved Watchmen or completely hated it. The movie was impressive from a cinematic standpoint, but typical to Zack Snyder movies, it was a bit all over the place plot-wise. But the one thing we can all agree on is that Rorschach was by far the best part of the movie. This is a character that’s mysterious, gloomy, and can annihilate you without you even knowing what hit you. Perfect.
#9 Green Lantern
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While Green Lantern is one of the biggest names of DC universe characters in the comics, the film adaptation that starred Ryan Reynolds as the lead unfortunately tossed the character into a dumpster of regret and questionable choices. It’s unfortunate that we won’t be seeing him in the upcoming Justice League, but a rebooted version of this character is mandatory to redeem him.
#8 Green Arrow
On the other hand, here’s the slightly more popular “green brother.” Green Arrow had a boost in popularity curtsy of the CW’s successful series Arrow, which set the stage for the network’s inter-connected universe featuring DC characters. The only reason he’s not higher is because it’s ultimately difficult to compare the exposure of the CW compared to blockbuster movies.
#7 Aquaman
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Poor Aquaman really had it tough throughout the history. He was easily the most laughable of heroes (riding seahorses with sparkly tridents) and the fact that he only appeared in cartoons and an awful game did no wonders either. Well, thanks to Jason Momoa, it looks like we’re finally getting an Aquaman worth looking out for.
#6 Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman has always benefited from exposure, having starred in several cartoons, comics, and even a TV show. She’s recently made her big screen debut in Batman V Superman, as portrayed by Gal Gadot, and her upcoming solo flick had everyone going completely nuts. We dare say it looks like it has the potential to be the best DC film up to date.
#5 Harley Quinn
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Given how the Joker has had three movie interpretations prior to the release of Suicide Squad, DC fans have been anxiously expecting for his right-hand-sidekick-partner-in-crime-complicated-relationship-half to make the transition too. Critics and audiences say that Margot Robbie didn’t disappoint, being easily one of the best parts of the movie. Now that she’s lived up to the hype, we are all excitedly awaiting her future appearances on screen.
#4 The Flash
The Flash has always been one of the most popular DC universe characters and his fame has been pretty steady. It took a recent boost curtsy of the CW’s The Flash, which was intended as a spinoff for Arrow that managed to outgrew the latter in terms of popularity and sheer quality. Now that Barry Allen is coming to the big screen too, there’s no better time to be a fan of the Flash.
#3 Superman
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Superman is one of the greatest superheroes of all time, as well as an icon of pop culture and comic culture. After the release of Man of Steel, fans were pretty torn up, as Zack Snyder’s take on Superman was pretty fundamentally different from what we were used to up to that point. The cheery and heroic hero was now weighed, gloomy, and just a tad too intense. Even though both of the movies Henry Cavil’s Clark Kent starred in really split the audiences in two, that doesn’t undermine Superman’s popularity or influence.
#2 The Joker
When people say that Batman has the greatest villains, Joker is usually the first name to pop into our heads. He’s always been a force to be reckoned with, but Heath Ledger’s performance in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight took it to a whole new level. The Joker suddenly became a deeply psychological character with numerous layers that frightened us all with his unpredictability, thirst for chaos, and a reasoning that we could actually relate to. His popularity blew through the roof with the announcement of Suicide Squad and all the people that were eager to see Jared Leto’s portrayal.
#1 Batman
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Based on his cinematic evolution alone, Batman is easily one of the most popular DC universe characters to ever be put on the big screen. Save for a few hits and misses, Batman has been properly exploited for decades. Tim Burton gave us a memorable movie, Christopher Nolan changed perception of comic book movies with his trilogy, and some people argue that Ben Affleck’s Batman was one of the few redeeming points of BvS. So many reboots later, people are still excited to see Affleck’s take in a solo Batman movie and we think that says a lot about his status. He’s just that good of a blockbuster material.
