We’re all accustomed to seeing the likes of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman on the big screen, but there are other members of the Justice League who are just as cool but don’t get nearly enough love, and fans are calling on James Gunn to give one hero in particular a shot.
We’ve seen him make a small appearance in the Snyder cut of the Justice League: Martian Manhunter, an alien from Mars with the ability to change his appearance, as well as the ability to fly and use telepathy. He introduced himself to Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) at the end of the Snyder cut, but obviously, that went nowhere. Now fans are calling for him to be given the chance he deserves — and hopefully be given a vital role in any of the upcoming DCU projects.
Although, looking at the roster of upcoming projects in the first chapter “Gods and Monsters,” there isn’t anything dedicated to Martian Manhunter, but that doesn’t mean he won’t show up at some point. The first chapter will likely set up the main players in the DCU, and he is a pretty big player, so it’s likely he’ll show up in some capacity. He could possibly show up in the Lanterns series as it’s been revealed the show will follow a detective-mystery plot with the Green Lantern. Manhunter did disguise himself as a detective when he was first introduced in the comics, so it would make sense to introduce him in such a show.
Fans added their own points to the original discussion, talking about which stories they’d like to see Gunn tackle with the character.
He could even be the chairman of the Justice League if some fans have their way.
If you’re wondering why we haven’t seen a lot of the Martian Manhunter, it’s probably because most recent lineups of the Justice League have replaced him with Cyborg, who arguably is better suited to the Teen Titans. Why he’s been shunned by the mainstream is a mystery when he’s very well known and even a favorite among readers of the comics.
Some were quick to point the finger at Zack Snyder’s version of the character who was wasted in the films.
Hopefully, Gunn will do the character justice and answer fans’ prayers. The Justice League without Martian Manhunter is like the Avengers without Captain America; he’s a mainstay of the team, and it’s about time he finally got the mainstream attention he deserves. Luckily, Gunn has teased New Frontier, a story that heavily involves Martian Manhunter in the comics, so we know the character is definitely on his radar even if it’s a long wait before we ever see him on our screens.