Character Studies

10 comic book superheroes who won't be transitioning to the big screen

blackpanther2.jpg
THE BLACK PANTHER Not coming to a theater near you, although you can catch the animated series on BET (Photo: Marvel)
In 1967, when President Lyndon B. Johnson's wartime approval ratings tumbled, a little NBC cartoon called Super President didn't exactly catch on. But that same year, issues of Batman—a dark tale of an angry billionaire who foists his own fear on the world in the form of a gray-hued bat costume—outsold copies of Superman with ease.

Fast-forward 41 years and here comes The Dark Knight, with all the hype and outsized expectations of the new iPhone. Perhaps Bruce Wayne's longstanding success is no surprise. After all, as dark or complicated as Batman may be, he's still a quintessential leading man—stoic, brawny, easily inhabited by the George Clooneys or Christian Bales of the world.

But what about other, weirder superheroes who fail to be have such instant mass appeal? From an overly buff She-Hulk to a sexually ambiguous cowboy called the Rawhide Kid, Hollywood has so far ignored many beloved but little-known crusaders.

Earlier this year, Wesley Snipes tried and failed to produce a film adaptation of the obscure '60s Marvel character the Black Panther, the first modern black superhero. (Though BET announced in April that it will turn the character into an animated series early next year.)

Black Panther might not make it past basic cable, but in honor of the unlikely hero, Radar nominates 10 other subversive comic book characters who probably won't—but really should—show up at a theater near you.

Next: Elongated Man >>



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