It’s no secret that we are in a time where people want to see fresh and unique content. While we have had 11 Batmen and three Spider-Men (well, 70+ if you count the many that appeared in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse), audiences want to see other comic book characters tackled. Studios have already begun introducing more female superheroes and, while that’s a great start, it’s not the only underrepresented category they should promote.
There is a vast amount of Black characters that we have yet to see on the big screen, with some getting small cameos or appearances on TV shows like Arrow or DC Legends of Tomorrow. But small references like that simply aren’t enough. There are quite a few that possess stories extremely worthy of being explored. Let’s take a look at four that deserve their flowers.
White Tiger (Marvel)
Created by Christopher Priest and Dan Fraga, the White Tiger we are referring to is the third embodiment known as Kasper Cole, a Black and Jewish police officer. His story starts when he comes across T’Challa’s suit and begins acting as the Black Panther, even going as far as investigating criminal activities. He crosses paths with Killmonger, who offers him a genetically-modified version of the herb known to instill powers on the one who consumes it. Intrigued by this offer, Cole agrees, becomes White Tiger in his own vibranium suit, and sets out to work with Killmonger.
With the massive success that Black Panther rose to, it was imperative that a sequel be crafted, but that changed when Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away. No one even thought of releasing any follow up films simply because there was no way to replicate the inspiration and warmth he brought to T’Challa. After some time, studios decided there was more story to tell and carefully pieced together Black Panther 2, a film that was beautifully executed and done so in a respectable manner. Introducing Cole in a third project would be a great idea because Boseman and the cast inspired so many and it would be a disservice to not further dive in.
Static Shock (DC)
It has been over four years since it was announced that Michael B. Jordan was set to produce a Static Shock movie. While he is great behind the camera (his directorial debut with Creed 3 was a massive success), fans can’t help but wonder what’s taking so long and question whether it will ever see the light of day. We’re here to tell you we need a Static flick, whether Jordan is attached to it or not. The character is quite popular so a fan base already exists and is worth building up.
Virgil Hawkins, known as Static, is a metahuman who was accidentally exposed to a radioactive chemical that left him with electromagnetic powers. He is a nerdy hero still in high school, like a Peter Parker for DC, that’s a member of Teen Titans and Young Justice. Hawkins is seen as a positive role model in the Black community as he tackles social issues, bullying, gang violence, and racism. With that being said, it’s quite obvious why there is no better time than now for a Static project to make its way to the big screen.
For a lot of people of color, Static Shock was one of the first Black heroes they came to know. While he has had appearances on TV, it doesn’t equate to his potential in a film adaptation, so fingers crossed Jordan really is still working on this in the background. After all, DC could really use their own African American hero with the possible magnitude of Marvel’s Black Panther.
Tempest (Marvel)
X-Men had a solid run in the Hugh Jackman days and now it’s time for a new wave of heroes as Marvel Studios has now joined forces with Fox to introduce the team to the MCU. Becka Munroe, known as Tempest, is the daughter of Storm and has similar abilities to her mother and so much more. She possesses superhuman strength along with large claws and fangs much like a cat. Although the identity of her father is unknown, she has siblings that are from Wakanda, making a potential crossover between X-Men and Black Panther a realistic possibility.
To this day, many have demanded a Storm standalone film, so if it comes to fruition, a young Munroe could be prime to introduce. She is introduced as being shy and not wanting to utilize her powers, so an origin story of finding your identity and acceptance could be a stepping stone for writers to work with. Maybe even centering a film between Storm teaching her daughter how to use her newly discovered abilities.
M (Marvel)
Monet St. Croix, better known as M, has been associated with a lot of mutants, more notably the X-Men. While small screen references to her have been made, Monet has some serious abilities like telekinesis, telepathy, healing factor, and is considered to be a genius, amongst other things. She’s a Black Muslim, making her a great minority character to explore as her religion is rarely ever depicted on screen. As mentioned before, Marvel is gearing up to tackle their own version of X-Men films, and with Kevin Feige overseeing these titles, we can expect greatness. One thing about Feige is that he pays attention to what the people want. Fans have called for more characters to be highlighted rather than the continuous recycling of fan favorites. Monet could be a viable piece to a new wave of mutants hitting the big screen with a storyline and background worthy of some shine.