Some of the most interesting characters for audiences to watch are those with incredibly gray morals. Seeing realistic characters due to their emotions and motivations being something other than just revenge or because “it’s the right thing to do” always makes the story more complex.
We’ve seen other amoral main characters in recent movies and TV shows, such as the Amazon Prime series. The boys or in the remake Suicide Squad, followed by its spin-off, Peacemaker. The new fashion in cinema is the rise of the anti-hero, showing audiences well-developed but incredibly dark realistic characters. With the popularity of recent DC movies and shows, many characters from the comics still have the chance to get a moment on the big screen. Here are some DCU anti-heroes that audiences would love to watch.
Bana-Mighdall’s Artemis Could Rival Wonder Woman
While the name “Artemis” is used by more than one character in the DC Universe, this one is probably the fiercest. She’s an Amazon warrior, much like Wonder Woman, and even takes on that role for a short time before she dies and is resurrected. She is known for her vigilante justice, fierce fighting skills, and fearlessness. Throughout her story, she ends up teaming up with Red Hood and Bizarro, creating a trio known as The Outlaws.
Artemis would make an amazing and exciting woman to watch kick ass and take names on screen. She would rival Wonder Woman and even give us the opportunity to see more of Red Hood, which many fans love and are always looking to see more of.
Azrael is sadly overlooked
This antihero is fascinating for a reason similar to Marvel’s Daredevil – the religious element. He is part of the Order of Saint-Dumas and essentially sees himself as an Archangel of Justice. He’s a vigilante and assassin with a very confused moral compass and a flaming sword of justice. It would be interesting to watch him dissect his morals and motivations throughout his story and for his dramatic costume design and weaponry.
While Azrael has made a few brief film appearances, he is widely misunderstood and often forgotten. He deserves a chance for a more developed on-screen story – especially now that we have a new generation of Batman, who Azrael is known to help fight crime from time to time.
Etrigan the demon (Jason Blood) has it all
It’s the anti-hero for those who like a little history, a little magic and a little something scary. Etrigan began as a knight of Camelot swept up in battle against Morgan Le Fey. The knight is originally named Jason, but the wizard Merlin uses him as a vessel for the demon Etrigan who helps them fight Le Fey. With this invocation, Merlin binds Jason and Etrigan together. Jason is now immortal and continues his life. He studies magic and demonology which he uses in his adventures, until he is picked up by or summons Etrigan, who also does some of his own work and plots with the forces of Hell.
This anti-hero has a bit of everything when it comes to origins and storyline. Much like our beloved Venom, there’s a lot of potential when it comes to making a movie or series for this split-body character.
Lobo is wonderfully chaotic
Then there’s the chaotic madness of Lobo, the only surviving member of his kind solely because he wiped out his entire race. He has a passion for killing and fun in destruction, but he still has a soft spot for space dolphins. Lobo thrives in chaos but holds himself accountable to his own moral code, where his word is his bond. This character has a lot of baggage and moral ambiguity to unpack. Lobo would be fascinating to watch for fans of characters like Marvel’s Peacemaker or The Punisher. It would also be interesting for those who love costume design since Lobo has various iconic looks in the comics. Lobo has a lot to love and hate, but he would definitely make an entertaining main character.
It’s always fun to watch an anti-hero’s story from public safety. Seeing them fight ruthlessly, wreak havoc, but be balanced by those little moments of humanity is so appealing to viewers. Antiheroes can be dark, gritty, and cruel, but also incredibly human. That’s part of what makes them so scary and interesting at the same time. These anti-heroes could be anyone. They could be us. If something had happened differently in the lives of these characters, maybe they would have become real heroes – or are there real heroes?