As far as superhero films go, attention is normally focused on the hero. Such is tradition. But, many will quickly agree that a superhero film, regardless if its DC or Marvel, really is only as good as its villain. After all, who wants to watch Batman fly kick a cardboard cut-out in the face? No one, which is probably why the Joker was created.
Marvel is destroying it at the box-office of late, but that doesn’t mean that DC is out for the count. Sure, there have been a few missteps along the way, and the less said about Batman Versus Superman the better. But DC also happens to have a trump card that it has yet to play. Namely, DC has the best super villains that have been somewhat underplayed, and this genre is begging to be explored.
Take a look at the top 4 DC Comic’s super villains that we’re almost certain to see in upcoming films. At least, if DC wants to make up some ground, and get back in the ring with Marvel…
Brainiac
We won’t argue with the fact that his name is pretty silly, but there is nothing silly about his presence in the DC Universe. It was, after all, Brainiac the alien android that destroyed Krypton, ultimately creating the Superman we know and love. Not that he did it on purpose to help Superman along into being a hero. No, Brainiac destroyed Krypton for the same reason as he destroys all other planets.
Namely, to gather and assimilate all information he possibly can, including cultures, samples of living creatures, and everything else. Oh, and he has to destroy the sources of all the information he’s gathered, naturally. Including entire planets. Else, how would it be valuable information?
Brainiac first appeared in Action Comics 242, and was rated by IGN as the 17th greatest villain of all time. We’ll eat our hats if he doesn’t appear in a near future DC film.
Darkseid
Many DC fans were baffled that Darkseid did not appear in the Justice League film, given that he is all but recognised as their ultimate canon nemesis. Though, chances are they are saving him for the sequel.
Darkseid is recognised as perhaps one of the most outright evil characters in the DC Universe, hailing from the planet Apokolips, where he has ruled as a tyrannical master for 250,000 years. His ultimate goal? As with any ultimate evil alien, to understand the so-called Anti-Life Equation, which will give him control over every living thing in the universe.
Darkseid first appeared in Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen 134. He is rated as IGNs 6th greatest villain of all time.
Black Adam
With the Shazam film a success, Black Adam is almost guaranteed to make his appearance in the future. He stands as a corrupted version of Shazam, falling to darkness back in the time of ancient Egypt. What makes him so compelling and interesting, and one of the most tragic and complex DC villains, is that he is simply alive in a time where his beliefs no longer make sense.
Dedicated to a system of justice that no longer has a place in the world, Black Adam refuses to alter his perceptions, ultimately making him a villain that may have been an ally, given different circumstances. Some DC timelines see him eventually become an ally, but it will almost certainly be his villainous version that we see in future films.
He first appeared way back in 1945, in a brief The Marvel Family cameo, published by Fawcett Comics. It was not until 1973 that he was resurrected by DC as the chief nemesis of Shazam, giving him new life. He was rated IGNs 16th greatest villain of all time.
Krona
Lastly, we have Krona. Many have said that he will never properly make it to a DC movie, given that his backstory is so complicated and abstract, making it impossible to properly adapt him to the silver screen. He did, technically appear in the Green Lantern film, but in what can only be described as an extreme misrepresentation of his comic version.
The ancient Guardians of Oa have been around almost as long as existence, watching over the universe. But one of their number, Krona, was obsessed with altering reality by peering back at the Big Bang via supernatural powers. He finally managed to achieve his obsession, creating the Anti-Monitor, an inhuman monster capable of untold destruction. Naturally, The Guardians cast him out, and he has been their enemy ever since.
Krona is a primary Green Lantern villain, first appearing in Green Lantern 2, in 1965. He has evolved dramatically since then, with one of the longest and most complicated histories in the DC Universe.
So there you have it, our DC super villains list. Here’s hoping these anti-heroes get a look in on the silver screen soon!
