Young Justice is a critically acclaimed animated series now streaming on HBO Max. It's also a showcase for a diverse, expansive cast of DC's lesser-known, younger characters, all with compelling stories of their own; a sort of PG Game of Thrones meets Euphoria. Some of the characters, like Nightwing and Cyborg, will be familiar to the average viewer. Others might seem new to anyone but the most ardent comic reader.
However, that doesn't mean their stories don't deserve to be told. As discussed on Reddit, a few of these characters have a strong fanbase of their own, one eagerly awaiting the arrival of a feature film starring their favorite hero.
Nightwing
Hollywood loves spinoffs, so it seems a bit odd that Dick Grayson, AKA the first Robin, hasn't received his standalone film at this point. Granted, as leader of the Teen Titans, he's prominent in most of the animated films and series that feature them, including being the star of HBO Max's Titans, but leading his feature has so far eluded him.
This is a dysfunctional father-son relationship that's both relatable and tantalizingly watchable. s the appropriately named Redditor Nightwing 612 has commented, the potential villains speak for themselves: "A known Batman villain for the first movie, Deathstroke for the 2nd, Talon and Court of Owl for the last"
Terra
Terra's story is not new to viewers, as it has been told in the popular Teen Titans animated series, the animated film Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, and of course, Young Justice. However, just because a story's been told before, doesn't mean it isn't worth retelling. There's something inherently subversive about Terra's story of betrayal.
With its mature and triggering themes, Tara Markov's story is less like the cuddly kids fare of Shazam and more along the lines of Joker. In the words of Marv Wolfman, referenced by Redditor Spider Jerusalem, "it was the first time a member of a super-hero group ever proved to be a spy (not a traitor--she was always working for the Terminator). Playing on the comic readers' expectations worked."
Vandal Savage
Redditor The_Unit45 has already thrown this suggestion out on who should play him: Keanu Reeves. If anyone could play a megalomaniacal supervillain that, through his power of immortality, has lived throughout all human history, it's the long-locked actor who once played Neo. Vandal Savage possesses no superhuman abilities aside from his immortality and regenerative abilities. However, his life history is that of a conqueror.
Most of his strength is based on the knowledge he has been able to accumulate throughout multiple millennia, a perfect demonstration of the power of time. A Vandal Savage film would be a cynical examination of human "progress".
Cassie Sandsmark AKA Wondergirl
If the success of the Wonder Woman films has proven anything, it's that audiences are captivated by the Amazons of Themyscira. An opinion shared by Redditor Officialkylepop, who feels that Cassie's version of Wonder Girl—not Donna Troy—"has been neglected in the new comic 'universe'. She’s been good on [Young Justice] and it’d be fun for a spin-off of her going back to Themyscira and her connection to [Wonder Woman]."
This is true. Despite being second-in-command of the Outsiders, Cassie is generally relegated to being a cheerleader-version of Wonder Woman. She's cheerful in that American "have a nice day!" kind of way. However, this belies her Amazonian roots. As the niece of Wonder Woman and the granddaughter of Zeus, Cassie's is a story grand enough for a feature film.
Blue Beetle
As Redditor Harvey-McKenzie so simply puts it, "Ah, obviously Blue Beetle? It's almost offensive to ask...", adding that "...it's better to give a newbie a chance, Jaime is a teen superhero similar to Spider-Man and a Latino guy so many can feel identified with him."
The most intriguing thing about Blue Beetle isn't even the assortment of powers deriving from his alien--more specifically, the imperialistic and technologically advanced Reach--suit, it's the fact that the suit is a sentient being that has paired itself with Jaime. A Blue Beetle movie is currently in the works, but fingers crossed it doesn't end up in development purgatory.
Cyborg
This is a tricky one. Cyborg is no stranger to DC content, figuring prominently in various shows ranging from the original Teen Titans animated series and the live-action Doom Patrol to having a prominent role in the Zach Snyder cut of Justice League (being virtually nonexistent in the Whedon version). He also possesses a pretty unique skill set and personality, providing youthfulness, tech-savvy-ness, and diversity.
So there's an argument on both sides, as seen in this Redditor exchange between dynamitegypsy and FunkyTown313. dynamitegypsy said: "Maybe someone could explain why we need one... I don't see what it would bring to the table." FunkyTown313 responded, "The real question is why not? Cyborg has the chance to take a "lesser" known DC character and make them popular."
Halo
As the lead character for a feature film, Halo has a lot going for her. The first thing is, she's a Mother Box in human form. Having human feelings and experiences for the first time, Halo is a tabula rasa through which the story could delve into and question what it means to be human. Secondly, she's got an entire kitchen cupboard full of superpowers, including constructing shields, regeneration, and particle beams.
Most importantly, she would be the first prominent Muslim hero—at least until Disney Plus comes out with Ms. Marvel—and the meaning of that representation can't be overstated, perhaps best described by Redditor ChaosPhoenixGX, "as a Muslim I'm very surprised and maybe impressed? It's hard to describe what I'm feeling. I always felt Islam was stereotypically seen as a more strict religion to the average Joe."
Artemis Crock
It wouldn't be completely accurate to say that Artemis Crock didn't exist before Young Justice. Before that show, she had a minor role in the comics as one of the three incarnations of the villain Tigress. Safe to say, Young Justice greatly increased her profile, or in the words of Redditor Chasingtheimprobable, "they adapted an older character and made it work better."
As the daughter of the villain Sportsmaster and sister of the assassin Cheshire (a sibling connection that was another Young Justice retcon), Artemis Crock is an extremely relatable character—Artemis possesses no superpowers and has some serious family issues—whose story is ready for the big screen.
Zatanna
Redditor TheRainWolf said it best: "Zatanna is a badass and deserves her movie." Much like Dr. Strange did for the MCU, Zatanna could introduce DC's magical pantheon of characters to the larger DCEU. Smart, sassy, and extremely powerful, Zatanna checks all the boxes when it comes to leading a superhero film. It's no surprise that more than a few A-list directors have been mentioned in conjunction with Zatanna projects, most prominently Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, The Shape of Water) and Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman).
It doesn't take a "Mistress of Magic" or "Sorceress Supreme" to read the tea leaves and realize that when it comes to the prospect of a Zatanna feature, it's more a matter of when than if.
Miss Martian
In a related post, Redditor bthehuman92 opines, "Why isn't there a Martian Manhunter movie yet? He has been my favorite character for years & I've been waiting, just wondering if anyone has any insight on why it hasn't been done yet?"
It might seem odd to propose a feature film for Miss Martian when the more well-known Martian Manhunter has yet to receive his solo film. However, as Young Justice demonstrated, the younger Martian has plenty of story potential that her uncle lacks. Not only is she a member of the oppressed White Martian race, but her mixed-race family acts as a perfectly relatable representation of the complexities surrounding a touchy subject with a long history. That, and M'gann M'orzz's empathetic, idealistic nature, makes for a ready-made, YA, fish-out-of-water, character arc of self-discovery.