News of writer Ta-Nehisi Coates getting the job of writing a Superman movie has been well received by fans. Coates has proven his comic bonafides with great runs on Black Panther and Captain America and fans are eager to see just what he has planned for Superman. Superman movies haven’t been the greatest lately and they need a second (or fifteenth) chance.
One of the biggest questions is who Superman is going to fight. Everyone knows Zod and Lex Luthor, having been in several Superman movies, but Superman has fought all kinds of dangerous villains, ones it would be great to see Coates give a chance to shine.
10 Titano Needs To Be On The Big Screen
Titano comes from an earlier time. A product of the Silver Age, Titano is a giant Kryptonite powered ape. Now, he’s not a great villain to base a whole movie around- he’s not the big bad type, being just a mindless ape- but something like Titano can only be done justice on the big screen.
As one of Superman’s coolest B-list villains, Titano needs to get more recognition and seeing Superman battle giant Krypotnite powered ape is exactly the kind of big screen spectacle the Man of Steel needs to shine and set him apart from the many superheroes on the silver screen.
9 Jax-Ur’s A Different Kind Of Kryptonian Villain
When most people think of Kryptonians, they think of powerful titans under the yellow sun, ready to duke it out with the Man of Steel. However, Krypton was a big place full of all kinds of people. Jax-Ur is the greatest mad scientist in Kyrptonian history, destroying Krypton’s moon and getting imprisoned in the Phantom Zone.
Jax-Ur is very different from the Kryptonian supremacist Zod and would challenge Superman not only physically, but also mentally as he would have to try and match wits with the most twisted scientist in Krypton’s history.
8 Metallo Harnesses The Power Of Kryptonite
Kryptonite is one of Superman’s greatest weaknesses and Metallo is fueled by it. Metallo has had many different origins over the years, but all of them involve a man remade into a Kryptonite fueled cyborg. In recent years, Metallo is usually John Corben, who has been everything from a common criminal to an Army general.
Metallo is strong enough to go head to head with Superman and his Kryptonite based energy attacks are able to hurt him. It’d be interesting to see a villain who can so easily overwhelm Superman and how he’d deal with it.
7 The White Martians Would Make For An Interesting Threat
The White Martians aren’t traditionally Superman villains but he’s fought them a lot over the years and a movie with them as the villains would be great. Armed with all of Martian Manhunter’s powers, the White Martians were the soldiers of Mars, trained in the art of war and ready for conquest. Using their shapeshifting powers, they could make for an interesting threat to Superman.
From making him look bad by pretending to be him and committing atrocities to infiltrating the seats of power and turning the government and people against him, the White Martians would test Superman in ways moviegoers have never seen him tested before.
6 Mongul Would Give Superman A Run For His Money
Mongul is not some next level supervillain that’s going to challenge Superman with a combination of brains and brawn. The commander of Warworld, Mongul is just an alien who likes to go through space and conquer stuff. That’s a threat right up Superman’s alley and one that would make for a lively and action packed movie.
Superman versus Mongul is always an entertaining fight. The denizens of Warworld would make for great mid-movie fodder for the Man of Steel, as well. A big, typical action movie may not be what people expect from Coates but he’d definitely be able to knock it out of the park.
5 Toyman On The Big Screen Is Completely Unexpected But Would Work Well
Toyman, on paper, seems more like a Batman villain. An inventor who makes deadly toys, he’s a definite Silver Age throwback but that doesn’t mean he can’t still be used in the modern day and if any writer can come up with a new interpretation of the villain, it’s Coates.
With his army of powerful, AI controlled toys and a robotic body a la his appearances in the old SuperFriends cartoon, Toyman can be built up into a credible threat on the big screen. Coates is skilled enough to find an angle that would make the villain work and bring him back into the minds of fans.
4 Brainiac Is The Greatest Superman Villain Who Hasn’t Appeared In The Movies
Brainiac is one of Superman’s most dangerous villains and he’s never been in a movie. Brainiac has been responsible for some terrible things over the years and he’s a powerful, multi-faceted threat that can challenge Superman in all kinds of ways. His ship is full of powerful drones that can stand up to Superman and Brainiac himself is no slouch.
Superman versus Brainiac is a classic match-up, one that is pretty perfect for the big screen. A movie with Brainiac as the villain would be interesting and fun and give a great villain more spotlight, which he’s long deserved.
3 Parasite’s A Classic Superman Villain
Parasite has been around for a long time and is a very unique threat to Superman. By himself, he’s not very powerful but once he gets around Superman, he drains away the Kryptonian’s energy becoming more and more powerful as Superman gets weaker.
While comics fans are used to seeing Superman deal with Parasite, moviegoers aren’t and it will give them a different view of Superman- that as powerful as he is, he’s also a thinking man’s hero. Parasite is a villain that takes more than just punches to beat and that’s what moviegoers need to see with Superman.
2 Cyborg Superman Has Never Gotten A Big Spotlight
Cyborg Superman has been a thorn in Superman’s side for a long time and while it may be hard to find a way to make his origin work in the movies, since it’s heavily indebted to the Death Of Superman story, Coates could make it work. Cyborg Superman is powerful and intelligent, a villain that can challenge Superman in many ways.
There’s a lot that can be done with Cyborg Superman as a villain and Coates would do a great job with him. He can stand up to Superman and is super smart, having been a scientist in a past life. There are many options to put him into a Superman movie and let the wider public get a look at him.
1 Mr. Mxyzptlk Is Unlike Anything Moviegoers Have Seen
Superman has had a lot of outlandish villains over the years and one of the most powerful is Mr. Mxyzptlk. The Fifth Dimension imp loves messing with Superman, using his reality altering powers in his battles against the Man of Steel. Fans of Superman movies, and just superhero movies in general, have never seen anything like Mr. Mxyzptlk and that’s reason alone to showcase him.
Whether it be as the jokester imp trying to entertain himself or as the more malicious and dangerous versions of the character from “Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow” and “Superman Reborn”, Mxy is the perfect villain for a Superman movie and Coates would make him work brilliantly.
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