The last decade has seen a big rise in movie adaptations of classic comic characters. This means that some studios have been breathing new life into some well-established characters, like Batman, Spider-Man, and Superman, while also giving some more obscure characters the chance to shine, such as Shazam and Moon Knight.

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Unfortunately, not every comic book character that hits the big screen is met with widespread praise. This has been the case since long before the superhero boom that has been sweeping theaters in the last ten years. As a result, there are several characters who have not been seen in the movies for a while, even if they are deserving of a second chance.

7 Jonah Hex

A Comic Cowboy Who Could Mark The Return Of The Western

• First Comic Appearance: All-Star Western #10 (1971)
• Last Seen On Screen: Jonah Hex (2010)

Many comic book fans know Josh Brolin for playing such iconic characters as Cable and Thanos in the Marvel movies. However, few people remember that Brolin also starred as DC's Jonah Hex in the 2010 movie adaptation of the character. This bounty hunter prowls the wild west looking for criminals to take down with his ability to speak with the dead. Sadly, the movie wasn't received well by fans and critics, despite having a strong supporting cast that featured Megan Fox and Michael Fassbender.

There is a lot that this character can bring to the superhero genre, however. Jonah Hex normally exists in the late 1800s, which means he can easily star in a stand-alone movie outside the DCU. Plus, his Western background can make him a hero more suited to a generation who remembers the old Western blockbusters from times past.

6 Spawn

Hellspawn On A Quest For Vengeance In The 90s

• First Comic Appearance: Spawn #1 (1992)
• Last Seen On Screen: Spawn (1997)

Spawn is a comic character that exists in a very dark corner of the genre. This deceased human from Image Comics is sent to Hell but returned to Earth to kill the wicked, so he can be reunited with his wife again. His methods of seeking vengeance are often violent or gruesome, which is why his first movie received an R-rating when it was released in 1997.

This R-rating was rare when it came to comic book movies at the time, and many reviews stated that the poor visual effects helped to slow the movie down. However, modern audiences are far more familiar with adult superhero content, and visual effect technology has come a long way in the last twenty years. Therefore, the tools are there to give Spawn another chance as a big-screen antihero.

5 Robin

The Ward Of Batman's Last Adaption Was As A Corpse

• First Comic Appearance: Detective Comics #38 (1940)
• Last Seen On Screen: Batman and Robin (1997)

Robin has gone hand in hand with Batman for the last 80-plus years. There have been many young men and women who have put on the mask in the comics during this time, but cinema-goers only seem to remember the campy version of Dick Grayson who last appeared in the much-maligned Batman and Robin movie from the 90s. The reaction to this movie was so bad that Robin has been left out of all of Batman's solo adventures on screen since, but his costume appeared as a hint to his death in Batman v Superman. However, it looks like that may finally be about to change.

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Rumors of a potential Robin appearance have been surrounding both current Batman franchises, which include James Gunn's DCU and Matt Reeves' darker take on Gotham. Hopefully, these end up becoming a reality, as Robin is such a core part of the Batman mythos that the movies do not feel right without him.

4 Constantine

The Soaring Popularity Of Keanu Reeves

• First Comic Appearance: The Saga Of The Swamp Thing #37 (1985)
• Last Seen On Screen: Constantine (2005)

The idea of Keanu Reeves playing a comic book character would be lapped up by audiences today. Sadly, movie-goers were not behind the notion of The Matrix star playing the supernatural detective from Liverpool in 2005, and so the Constantine movie underperformed at the box office.

DC's resident magic user has appeared on TV since then, but big-budget movies like Thor, Doctor Strange, and Wonder Woman have proved that modern audiences are ready for the magic side of the DC Universe on the big screen. With Keanu Reeves' resurgence of popularity, let's hope he gets another chance as the character.

3 Gambit

One Of Many Sidelined X-Men Characters

• First Comic Appearance: Astonishing X-Men #4 (1990)
• Last Seen On Screen: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Fans were ecstatic when it was revealed that Taylor Kitch would be playing Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. This character was a huge member of the mutant team in the comics, and it seemed strange that the first X-Men trilogy did not feature the card-throwing thief. Unfortunately, fans were left underwhelmed by Gambit's portrayal in the movie, so the mutant was put on the back burner for a while. Then it was announced that Channing Tatum would be playing the role in a Gambit solo movie, but Disney's merger with Fox Studios stopped this movie's production in 2018.

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Hopefully, Marvel has plans to bring Gambit back to the big screen as part of the MCU when they debut their version of X-Men. Whether they are played by Channing Tatum or a new actor, this charismatic hero deserves his time to shine.

2 Green Lantern

The Failed Start Of DC's Cinematic Universe

• First Comic Appearance: All-American Comics #16 (1940)
• Last Seen On Screen: Green Lantern (2011)

The pressure was on for Warner Bros. when Marvel successfully kicked off their shared universe of movie superheroes with Iron Man in 2008. Things seemed to be going in the right direction for the studio when they announced that the charismatic leading man, Ryan Reynolds, would be taking on the role of the space cop in a 2011 movie that the studio hoped would have similar success to movies like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. This wasn't the case, as a lackluster script and poor CGI saw the Green Lantern movie lose the studio around $200 million.

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This failure was so bad that Green Lantern was left out of the studio's future Justice League plans for fear of tainting the brand. Luckily for Ryan Reynolds, he bounced back with Deadpool, a live-action adaption that forever changed comic book movies. Hopefully, Green Lantern will make a comeback in the James Gunns' DCU, as the character is an essential pillar of both the cosmic scale of things and the Justice League.

1 The Flash

The Fastest Man Alive (To Receive A Divisive Show And Film)

• First Comic Appearance: Flash Comics #1 (1940)
• Last Seen On Screen: The Flash (2023)

The DCEU was in a spot of trouble when The Flash movie hit theaters in 2023. The franchise had not seen the financial success it needed, and it had been announced that DC would be rebooted soon after this movie premiered. Plus, the lead actor in the movie was the subject of some serious legal issues, so they could not promote the movie when it was released. As a result, The Flash movie flopped, even though it marked the return of a fan-favorite Batman actor, Michael Keaton.

This circus of issues will not follow the character into the future, so it may be possible to revive DC's speedster in the future. Flash had a very successful, nine-season run on TV, so the character does have his fans. What Flash needs is to stop relying on cameos, time travel, and universe hopping, and then maybe that won't spell the end of The Flash in live-action.

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