How DC can Kick Marvel's Butt in Hollywood
(ie., 21 DC-based movies than could turn things around for the original comic book universe)

It's not really even open for discussion that Marvel's movie projects have been kicking DC's movies in the softies lately, and fan boys and girls can debate why until they're blue in the face. Instead, I thought I'd take a shot at a list of DC-based movies that would help the Distinguished Competition jump back on top of the movie bandwagon.

Honorable Mention:

Katana
Why? Because Lucy Liu would be incredible as the katana-toting superchick. She's already proven she can do it in Kill Bill, Volume 1. Through in a cameo at the end with Christian Bale in the shadows as Batman drafting her into a new group of Outsiders to pick up where the law fails, and bam, we've got a hit on our hands.

20. Doom Patrol

Take the early Vertigo run, put a cast of talented unknowns in it, and go for an R rating. It'll work.

19. The Crusades

This knight-in-the-city mystery could be either stupid or a megahit, depending on how a director chose to play it off. Played off straightforwardly, a director like M. Night Shamalyn could make it kick some serious R-rated booty.

18. Zatanna

Put Jennifer Connelly in the fishnets and throw in Billy Bob Thornton as a bad guy, then get Dave McKean to direct and Neil Gaiman to script. Ah. Lovely.

17. Uncle Sam

No, not the Freedom Fighters version, but the hard-times Vertigo miniseries from a few years ago. Cast Bruce Willis even if he is bald as the homeless Sam, and crank up the depressing bits to eleven with John Carpenter directing.

16. Static Shock

Corbin Bleu would be a perfect Static. Call the movie Static Shock after the cartoon, but make sure the little white boy sidekick is nowhere to be found. Get Dwayne McDuffie to script it. Oh yeah, and cast Stephanie Leonidas from MirrorMask as Frieda.

15. Vigilante

Ever since I saw him done right on the JLA cartoon, I knew that Vigilante would make a great movie as well. Put Billy Zane in the gun belt and mask and have the Wach. Bros. direct this one, and damn, what a loud movie this could be.

14. Resurrection Man

Give Alex Denisof time to get a little bit rough looking (like in later seasons of Angel), and then kill him over and over again like in this awesome but ill-fated comic book series. Have a funny and action-packing director like Guy Ritchie helm it, and what a movie we'd have on our hands.

13. Gotham Girls

The casting is everything in this one. Alyson Hannigan as Ivy. Scarlet Johansson as Harley. Natalie Portman as Batgirl, and Charisma Carpenter as Catwoman. Then get someone like Singer to direct it.

12. The Power of Shazam

Kick in the nostalgia for this one and put Brendon Fraser in the red tights. Give him a little Vanessa Hudgens and Drake Bell for sidekicks and find an unknown for young Billy Batson, and get Billy Zane for the voice of a CG Mr. Mind. Don't take it past PG.

11. Stuck Rubber Baby

This old-school Vertigo horror/fantasy would be a beautiful movie, even if most people wouldn't recognize it as a DC book.

10. Black Canary

Elisha Dushku already kicked butt as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and she'd look incredible in the fishnets as Dinah. Keep it grounded in the "reality" of films like Shoot 'Em Up and Wanted rather than the 4-color world of the JLA and play up the sexy. Through in Angelina Jolie in aging make-up for the elder Canary from time to time, and bam, we've got a hit on our hands.

9. Metal Men

Have Dwayne McDuffie script it and turn it over to Pixar to animated. Can you say "Metal Men are back on top" anyone?

8. JSA

Let's get animated with this one and do the old crew right. Hire the great A-listers for voice talent and let's kick some Nazi butt (even if they do have the spear of destiny).

7. Green Lantern

Cast John Cusack as Hal Jordan and Lauren Graham as Carol, hire Industrial Light and Magic, and get Donner to give us some of the charm of the first Superman movie, and this would kick butt.

6. Death, the High Cost of Living

With Alexix Bledel as our favorite Endless, and a director like Alejandro Amenabar (The Others) at the helm, this could be a knockout film.

5. Starman

John Cusack already played this role in Hi-Fidelity, but he's too old for it now, but let's honor him by casting him as the dying Starman in scene one, and have Tom Welling play Jack Knight. Lance Henrickson played the elder Knight, and you base the movie on the first story arc by Robinson.

4. Blood Syndicate

As long as Will Smith and Samuel Jackson have cameos, fill the roles up with actor-rappers and stick to the first 10 issues of the series. Have Dwayne McDuffie supply the script.

3. Challengers of the Unknown

Have Michael Bay helm this one and cram it full of action and A and B list actors.

2. Preacher

Put Travolta and Taratino back together with John playing Jesse and Quentin directing.

1. The Spectre

Cast Hugo Weaving as the spirit of vengeance and judgment, then make sure his face in enshrouded in shadow most of the time. Ground the action in reality but jump out to spiritual realms frequently, and have the film directed by Guillermo del Toro. This film alone will change everyone's perception of DC-based movies as hokey.

So there you have it. My plan for revitalizing DC's movie attempts. Yeah, I know that with the exception of Green Lantern, none of the big guns are there, and I don't apologize for it. I went for what would be the best movies.

But what do you think? Leave a comment and let me know.