3 DC Villains Who Need A Solo Movie

Whilst not everyone was a fan of Joker, you can not ignore the new avenues it has opened up for the Superhero genre. Here we have three villains that we believe make strong contenders for DC’s next villain solo outing.

1) Scarecrow (Dr Jonathan Crane)

A well-known Batman villain who tends to be cast as somewhat of a sideshow on screen, Scarecrow is an obsessive ex-professor of Psychology who loves to toy with the fears and phobias of his adversaries. His crimes are a form of ‘research’, making the citizens of Gotham his unwilling guinea pigs. Scarecrow’s backstory generally focuses on him having been bullied and ostracised by his family and his peers, causing him to become obsessed with his experiments on the effects of fear. One of the best versions of Scarecrow came in Batman: Arkham Knight, possibly because the game allowed a deeper exploration of the villain’s twisted methods.

A Scarecrow film could branch into the realms of psychological horror as we explore the terrifying and the macabre. Beginning with the exploits of a young academic shunned by his colleagues, we could see Dr Jonathan Crane’s obsession grow as his experiments become more dangerous and unethical, using students and volunteers as lab rats to develop his fear toxin. A good Scarecrow film should leave us in the uncomfortable position of being a little disturbed or afraid but wanting to see more.

2) Poison Ivy (Dr Pamela Isley)

It is criminal that Poison Ivy hasn’t had her own film yet. Some say it is because she has little substance beyond her activism, but she is so much more than that. A woman torn between her humanity and her desire to serve nature, Poison Ivy’s trademark blend of smarts and sex appeal would smash the box office.

A lab accident, or murder attempt gone wrong, gave Pamela control over plants and a versatile array of toxins. Primarily an eco-terrorist, Poison Ivy has also been a champion for women’s power and independence, helping women such as Harley Quinn and Catwoman stand on their own two feet in their time of need.

For many fans a Poison Ivy film is long overdue, particularly as our society becomes more and more eco-conscious. Her film would need to generate empathy from the get-go. I envision Dr Pamela Isley discovering something that could clean up Gotham; perhaps a new energy source or evidence that the work of a local big shot is doing irreparable damage to the environment. It is this discovery that leads to Dr Isley’s accident as a corrupt businessman wants to preserve his profit margin. Whilst this puts a ‘vengeance’ spin on Poison Ivy’s crusade it also makes her motivations more suitable for the big screen and reduces the risk of being too ‘preachy’. I believe that, with the right storyteller drafting the script, Poison Ivy will take the big screen by storm.

3) Cheetah (Dr Barbara Ann Minerva)

Whilst Batman’s rogue’s gallery is well known in the world of villainy, to the point even people who aren’t fans can name at least a few, Wonder Woman’s villain rota is often left untapped by the wider media. With the success of Wonder Woman’s own film, it’s only logical that we see more of her foes too – including the wonderful Cheetah.

The two most recent backstories for Cheetah vary slightly, with one having her complete an ancient tribal ritual of her own accord and the other having her forced into it and subsequently blaming Wonder Woman for failing to respond to her distress signal. I believe the later would translate best into film, the tragedy of a woman passionate about mythology falling prey to an ancient God. Barbara didn’t know the distress signal she had been given by Wonder Woman had been disabled, and when the ritual was complete it turned out there was an unforeseen side effect – she was transformed into the Cheetah.

In this ‘Indiana Jones meets Jekyll and Hyde’ type setting we could witness the birth of a truly monstrous villain that we just can’t bring ourselves to fully despise. Driven to cannibalistic tendencies, we would witness Cheetah struggling to hold onto her humanity as she swears vengeance on the one she holds responsible for her fall: Wonder Woman.

Honourable Mentions

- Kaitlyn Snow/Killer Frost

- John Constantine/Hellblazer

- Sinestro

- Lex Luther

- Bizarro

Are there any villains you’d like to see hit the big screen? Follow us @itsgeekology on Facebook or Twitter and let us know.

~Anduril