Following the success of Scott Derrickson’s 2016 hit Doctor Strange, it seemed almost a guarantee that director Scott Derrickson would return for the MCU sequel. However, Derrickson recently announced he would not be returning for Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness, with rumors mentioning Sam Raimi as a possible replacement.
Derrickson recently mentioned John Constantine as a DC character he might be interested in working on the future, which we would love to see. Of course, there are a few other DC characters besides Constantine we think would do well with Derrickson behind the camera. We’ll be looking at them today.
ZATANNA
While we’d love to see John Constantine given another shot on the big screen after the 2005 film starring Keanu Reeves, with Matt Ryan currently portraying the character well on TV we’d love to see another supernatural character on the big screen.
Zatanna plays in the same circles as John Constantine, and the two often work together as members of the Justice League Dark. It’s Zatanna’s rich comic history and absence from most live-action adaptations that have us dreaming of a darkly magical film adaptation.
DOCTOR FATE
The obvious counterpart to Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the DC Universe is the magical character known as Doctor Fate, though the two are very different. While Doctor Fate protects the world from magical threats just like Strange, the source of his power gives the character a different level to explore.
There have been a few different versions of Doctor Fate over the years, as the power of Nabu is bestowed upon different hosts who wear his helmet and enchanted vestments. Sometimes this bestowment is optional, and sometimes it’s a straight-up possession, which could be handled well in the hands of frequent horror-director Derrickson.
FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E.
We’ve seen many different cinematic takes on the literary classic Frankenstein. While we aren’t in a rush to see the same old story done again, DC has a unique take on the character that would work well on the big screen and introduce an organization into the DCEU that could tie together a number of supernatural DC films.
After years of adventures following his creation at the hands of Victor Frankenstein, his monster was welcomed onto the Super Human Advanced Defense Executive (S.H.A.D.E.) to investigate and deal with paranormal activity, something DC’s Frankenstein was particularly suited to handle.
RESURRECTION MAN
Mitch Shelley is not a typical DC superhero as he mostly stayed away from costumed affairs. However, his unique power of immortality came with a unique twist. Each time Mitch died, regardless of the condition of his remains, he would resurrect with a new power that was often associated in some form with how he died.
A future version of the character even had a watch that could kill him in different ways that could influence the ability he would resurrect with, giving his death and powers a strategic edge. It’s a dark take on the superhero story, but one that could do well on the big screen.
ETRIGAN THE DEMON
The DC history has roots in Arthurian Camelot that are best explored with the character of Jason Blood, a knight who was bound to Etrigan the Demon which granted him eternal life. Fans might recognize Etrigan from his various animated appearances and rhyme-filled vocabulary.
We’ve seen Derrickson deal with the demonic in horror films like Sinister and Deliver Us From Evil, and we’d love to see that mixed with a dash of the humorous Doctor Strange to bring Etrigan the Demon to the big screen.
SHADE, THE CHANGING MAN
Doctor Strange tapped into the classic Steve Ditko stories to bring the various dimensions teased in the film to psychedelic life that made for a cinematic treat that separated Doctor Strange from the rest of the MCU films.
One of DC’s most psychedelic characters is Shade, the Changing Man who also happens to be another creation of Ditko’s. However, it was the Vertigo reboot from Peter Milligan, Chris Bachalo, Brian Boland and other artists that really dove into the trippy dimensions explored by Rac Shade, an other-dimensional Changing Man with a powerful M-Vest capable of manipulating reality.
GREEN LANTERN
We’ve seen Derrickson nail a few key elements from Doctor Strange like flying special effects, energy constructs, and cosmic/galactic settings that could all benefit the long-rumored Green Lantern adaptation for DC Comics.
While there is an upcoming TV show and the long-rumored Green Lantern Corps film in the works, we’d still like to see a big-screen take on a Green Lantern that will make us forget Martin Campbell’s 2011 adaptation with Ryan Reynolds.
THE SPECTRE
Derrickson’s previous films have shown a definite skill for horror that we’d love to see explored more with some of DC’s characters. More specifically, we want to see the story of The Spectre told on the big screen, diving into the character’s religious roots as he deals out his own unique brand of justice on evil-doers.
Fans of the Arrowverse on The CW recently saw a version of The Spectre on the small screen during the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event. We’d love to see a spooky horror tale focusing on former cop Jim Corrigan as he is transformed into the spectral Spirit of Vengeance.
DEADMAN
We’ve been hearing rumors for years about plans for a Justice League Dark movie, which we would love to see as it would give quite a few supernatural DC characters their live-action debut. However, if we’re really being honest with ourselves, we just want to see a Deadman movie.
Boston Brand was a high-flying circus acrobat before he was murdered, but he was brought back as a ghost that can possess people in order to find the identity of his murder. The film could dive into spiritual territory like Doctor Strange, and could even utilize some of the same astral projection techniques used in the film to bring Deadman to life.
DOCTOR OCCULT
The character we feel would be perfect for not only Scott Derrickson but also the DCEU’s expanding slate of alternative films is Doctor Occult. Occult is a supernatural detective with an interesting origin story that involves ancient satanic sacrifice and two separate characters existing within Doctor Occult’s body. He has been operating as a “Ghost Detective” for around a century.
Doctor Occult has popped up in various titles and events over the years, but the best storyline for a film involves other mystical characters like the Phantom Stranger, Mister E. and John Constantine who became affectionately known as the Trenchcoat Brigade as they attempted to train a powerful young magic-user named Timothy Hunter in Neil Gaiman’s The Books of Magic.
