The DC Universe has some truly bizarre characters, concepts, and storylines. Most of these seem to only work in the comic book medium and yet somehow have been brought to the big or small screen. What's more, despite their absurdity they have still been compelling and believable to audiences, creating hugely successful cinematic experiences.
Of course, every time DC takes a risk like this they are emboldened to keep pushing forward. That means that as the Worlds Of DC continues to evolve, the boundaries will be moved as audiences continue to accept the wackiness coming their way. Ultimately though, some of these tales feel especially impossible to bring into the realm of live-action.
Starro The Conqueror's Debut (The Suicide Squad)
The creation of Starro in the DC Universe has almost been a running joke. Yet, the character has also been portrayed as a deadly threat, with the Kaiju-like beast almost defeating the Justice League many times over. A giant starfish is a ridiculous design yet completely terrifying.
It seemed hugely unlikely that Starro would make any kind of live-action debut, but The Suicide Squad has taken a few of his most exciting stories and successfully adapted them. From his origin tale to the way in which the character seeks to conquer all, these narratives involving this fishy fiend have actually created a great big-screen experience.
Almost Everything About Watchmen (Watchmen)
Alan Moore's Watchmen was deemed as almost unadaptable. The narrative involves a world in which superpowers didn't exist until the God-like Doctor Manhattan changed everything. Ozymandius' plan to drop giant squid on America to control the population only added to the madness.
With so many complex themes, bizarre creatures, and expensive spectacle, a big-screen adaptation seemed far off. Zack Snyder's iteration did the graphic novel justice though and the TV mini-series became one of HBO's most beloved hits to date, expanding upon the unbelievable story that had been set out.
Shazam's Origins (Shazam!)
Captain Marvel or Shazam has moved between comic book companies over the years and the history of the character is complicated. The idea that a boy could gain the powers of a God simply by shouting the word "shazam" is a storyline that feels very comic book in nature.
DC's Shazam allowed the story to play out in all of its silliness though. The company understood the concept was incredibly cheesy and therefore leaned into it, resulting in a fun adventure that audiences thoroughly enjoyed. They even pushed into the magical Marvel Family, which would normally be sequel material.
The World Of Atlantis (Aquaman)
Aquaman is one of DC's cheesiest characters and his debut on the big screen left many assuming his portrayal wouldn't be quite as cool. The company managed to pull off his origin story and team up with the Justice League but for his solo film, they needed to bring in the narrative of Atlantis.
This mythical Kingdom has a lot of narratives to explore, but the political tension at the heart of the underwater city actually gives a realistic edge to something totally wacky. Atlantis is usually portrayed on screen as a forgotten city, sinking to the bottom of the ocean. DC's attempts to bring the comics to life were still pretty strange, with a drum-playing octopus and war-faring sea horses; not to mention the horrifying trench.
A Team Of Supervillains (The Suicide Squad)
The Suicide Squad is an idea that feels at home in a violent comic book. Convincing a group of convicts to go on deadly missions with the incentive of a bomb planted in their neck is certainly an idea too sci-fi to ever be carried out in the real world.
There's something quite believable about this odd narrative though and that likely connects back to the authoritarian ideals of Amanda Waller. Once again, a storyline that feels far out there in concept has stuck the execution by bringing in very believable themes and characters surrounding the premise.
G0rilla City (The Flash)
Gorilla Grodd is a strange character in his own right. But when the likes of King Shark and Killer Croc have also been adapted in various forms on-screen, a psychic gorilla doesn't actually seem too wild. The CW's The Flash took things one step further though, introducing Gorilla City.
A King needs a kingdom after all and there have been storylines in the comics which see Grodd get just that. While there were some shifts in the story as to how Grodd eventually gets to his home, it's still quite a remarkable thing to see a whole society of autonomous gorillas in live-action.
The Green Lantern Corps (Green Lantern)
The storyline behind the Green Lantern Corps is science fiction at its absolute hardcore. It brings in space travel, aliens, and magical abilities and combines them with a good versus evil narrative that fans are familiar with. For once, the portrayal of this storyline didn't work on screen.
DC's Green Lantern didn't manage to capture the essence of what the Corps really was. Although there were problems with Hal Jordan's characterization, the physical and narrative representation of the Corps, alongside the debut of some of their most laughable villains meant that this bizarre story didn't pick up the momentum needed.
Danny The Street (Doom Patrol)
In DC Comics there exists a sentient street that can move anywhere on Earth and has a personality of its own. In fact, this street can actually transform, at some stage even becoming Danny The World, a whole planet that this personality was in control of.
It's a storyline that may not make much sense on paper but that didn't stop the writers of Doom Patrol from trying to bring the character to life. Danny The Street is given the flamboyance and power that fans can expect, and it's possible the character and their arc can continue to evolve despite the fantastic debut.
Swamp-Thing's Emergence (Swamp-Thing)
Swamp-Thing is a bizarre character who was actually given his own TV show which many fans urge to be renewed. The origins of the anti-hero seem even stranger than most since the green beast was actually once a man before being transformed.
The Swamp-Thing show was an accurate portrayal of what had been done in the comics, especially in Alan Moore's run, and refused to leave anything behind in the source material. The result was something just as dark, twisted, and unbelievable but was once again given a very human edge.
The Multiverse (Arrowverse)
The Multiverse and indeed specifically the Crisis On Infinite Earths are two storylines that are at the core of comic book lore. The idea of a Multiverse on the big screen or even the small one seemed unlikely, considering the complexity of making something like that happen.
The Arrowverse slowly built to the idea though and created the Crisis narrative, complete with the realities seen in other DC TV shows and even the DCEU. The experiment opened the door for more Multiverse mayhem in the future with the company's rebranded Worlds Of DC.