Over the past decade, comic book TV shows have started dominating our screens whether it's on streaming services or network television. The Arrowverse has expanded, obscure properties are now massive hits, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to grow in a major way thanks to the recent launch of Disney+.
Looking forward, there are a lot of great shows coming our way, but that doesn't mean there aren't still some we want to see. With that in mind, we're now delving into Marvel, DC, and Image properties we believe would be perfectly suited to television. We're not just focusing on big name characters, though, as many of them have obviously already received the spotlight.
We think you'll be surprised by some of the suggestions here, and they may even be comics you're not familiar with (if so, you definitely need to make checking them out a top priority).
So, to take a look through this feature, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button below!
10. Saga
If you’ve never ready Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ Saga, it’s a little hard to describe, but here goes nothing. An epic space opera/fantasy, the Image Comics series follows two lovers from long-warring extraterrestrial races, Alana and Marko, fleeing authorities from both sides of a galactic war as they struggle to care for their newborn daughter, Hazel.
There’s so much more to it than that though, and it’s packed full of top notch storytelling and incredible supporting characters. While Saga could certainly work as a trilogy of movies, it would be much better for it to be adapted in a similar style to The Walking Dead; that would give the team behind the series the chance to tell this story in the in-depth way it deserves.
There has been the odd rumour about a Saga adaptation of some sort, but it seems like Hollywood just isn't confident in this weird property finding success. Here's hoping that attitude changes.
9. Invincible
Robert Kirkman has found great success with The Walking Dead, but both that comic book series and the TV show have somewhat overshadowed his work on Invincible. A modern day superhero origin story, it followed Mark Grayson, a teenager who inherits his father’s powers before learning that his alien dad may be the world’s greatest villain.
Invincible would be a tough project to ever adapt as a movie due to the wealth of material which would no doubt be neglected in the transition, making the long form storytelling TV offers a much better option. The only problem with this one is the sheer scale of the action, as that could prove to be challenging for any network to adapt with a television budget.
In recent years, we've heard rumblings about both live-action and animated adaptations of Invincible, but none of them have happened. With any luck, we'll get a small screen version of some sort.
8. Zatanna
Zatanna is a character who has actually already been seen on TV (she showed up in a handful of episodes of Smallville), but a solo series of some sort is both overdue and makes perfect sense.
Chances are that she’ll have a leading role in the planned Justice League Dark series coming to HBO Max, but with no confirmed roster for that iteration of the team, it's feasible the character could shine elsewhere (even if it's a spinoff following her introduction in J.J. Abrams' show).
For those of you unfamiliar with Zatanna, she’s a powerful magician who casts spells by speaking backwards and splits her time between being both a stage performer and superhero. Providing it’s handled the right way, this has a tonne of potential, and could be a great platform for a female lead.
7. MPH
MPH was a five issue limited series which took place in Detroit and focused on a group of down on their luck friends who stumble upon a street drug called, you guessed it, MPH.
Granted incredible super speed (they’re so fast that it appears as if time around them has stopped), the comic book went to some really interesting places, even throwing in a bit of time travel at one point. Fleshed out, a premise like this could work brilliantly on TV, whether it incorporates the original characters or boasts a fresh new take on the idea.
Writer Mark Miller has struck a deal with Netflix to adapt his comic book work, so there's no reason to think this won't be among them. Right now, though, we've heard nothing concrete.
6. X-Factor Investigations
When Fox announced plans for two TV shows set in the world of the X-Men, it was definitely a shock that X-Factor wasn’t among them (instead, we got The Gifted and Legion). This popular series followed a ragtag group of mutants - Multiple Man, Siryn, Wolfsbane, Polaris, Strong Man, among others - who set up their own detective agency.
Set well apart from the X-Men, these guys often investigated street level crimes involving their fellow mutants, and that’s a premise which would work wonderfully as a weekly TV show.
Now, with the rights to these mutant characters back in the hands of Marvel Studios, a show like this could definitely find a home on Disney+ or ABC, and would make for a great platform to expand this world. After all, it's not all about what happens inside Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters!
5. Martian Manhunter
Yes, we've seen plenty of Martian Manhunter in Supergirl, but that's never really felt like the definitive take on the character, and his role in Zack Snyder's Justice League will only be very minor.
Hailing from the planet Mars, J’onn J’onz was teleported to Earth and left stranded here years ago following the deaths of his fellow Martians. The fact that Mars wouldn’t really factor into things would obviously benefit a TV series without the huge budget superhero movies often have, and while the concept will be familiar thanks to The CW, it’s well suited to the small screen.
After arriving here, the shape shifting hero became a detective, and that too could add an interesting wrinkle to this show as we see him fighting crime both as a cop and a superhero on HBO Max.
4. Nightwing
There were rumblings for a while that Nightwing would get his own movie from The LEGO Batman Movie director Chris McKay, but as plans for The Batman changed, so too did that project.
It's been a long time since we've heard anything about this one, and while Nightwing is now taking centre stage on Titans, a big budget HBO Max-style take on the character would be no bad thing. The CW could even adapt the character, especially as that network does excel at fleshing out the worlds of these heroes across multiple episodes and seasons.
Perhaps he could be introduced in Batwoman before getting his own spinoff in the near future? Either way, this is a character with potential which could stretch beyond the DC Universe app.
3. Spider-Woman
It's crazy that Spider-Woman still hasn't been given the spotlight on the big screen, and while we have seen Spider-Gwen, Jessica Drew is a character who could excel either in Sony's Universe of Marvel Characters or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, with no indication of that happening in the near future, why not bring the hero to the small screen instead?
Phil Lord and Chris Miller are reportedly developing a number of Spider-Man themed TV shows for Sony Pictures, and Jessica's story taking place in that format makes a lot more sense in many ways.
It's hard to say exactly how faithful a show like this could be to the comic books; after all, if Sony is in charge, there's no change of Jessica being tied to spy to the likes of S.H.I.E.L.D. or HYDRA.
2. Deathstroke
Gareth Evans was supposed to direct a Deathstroke movie starring Joe Manganiello, but that never got off the ground, and it doesn't sound like it's going to end up happening at this stage.
Seeing as Slade Wilson was supposed to target the Dark Knight in The Batman, this spinoff was clearly meant to pick up shortly after that, so it's no wonder the movie has hit a brick wall. However, there's no reason it couldn't be re-imagined for the small screen, and we're sure Manganiello could be enlisted to play Deathstroke across a six-episode, big budget HBO Max series.
It's something fans want to see, and there have even been some hard to believe rumours online that the streaming service hopes to bring Ben Affleck back as Batman for something similar.
1. Wolverine
The X-Men are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but we don't know exactly when. However, if the plan is for Marvel Studios to take a slow burn approach to their introduction, then a Disney+ TV series delving into Wolverine's origin story could be nothing short of perfect.
We could follow him from childhood and right through World War II as the hero is inserted into a number of key moments in this shared world. It would be the perfect way to differentiate this Wolverine from Hugh Jackman's, and by the time the show ends, he could be part of the X-Men.
Honestly, this streaming service could be the best place to introduce a number of mutant characters...