Now that Joker has proved audiences are interested in seeing feature films about villains, it’s a safe bet production companies are starting to brainstorm who should get their own standalone film. Todd Phillips’ Joker raked in over a billion dollars worldwide, which makes it the first R-rated film to pass that billion-dollar mark. It would be a movie-making sin if producers and directors didn’t ride this astounding wave.

But what other villains could compete with the international success Joker brought? We’ve seen a number of familiar faces over the years, like Penguin and Catwoman, popping up as secondary characters in Batman stories. Unfortunately for them, and the actors portraying them, they haven’t always received glowing praise. More times than not, they’re utterly disappointing. But with DC Films going in a different direction, origin stories for these major villains might just change everyone’s minds for the better.

Furthermore, there are already quite a few who exist in the DC Extended Universe, who could be brought into a future team-up movie. But if not, DC Films and Warner Bros. could simply release standalone DC villain movies in the same vein as Joker, but each with their own unique vision.

Deathstroke

Slade Wilson was once a soldier in the army who quickly rose in ranks due to his superior abilities as a fighter. After earning the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he volunteers for an experiment he thinks is to defend against an enemy truth serum. Only, he doesn’t realize the Army has ulterior motives and is trying to create super soldiers instead. The procedure works but makes Wilson extremely aggressive. The Army eventually discharges Wilson for going on an unauthorized mission to save a friend, which results in him creating the masked mercenary persona - Deathstroke. Audiences got a glimpse of Deathstroke in the credits of the 2017 Justice League film, but a Deathstroke origin story is really what fans want to see.

Vandal Savage

Previously known as Vandar Adg, he was the leader of a Cro-Magnon tribe. In those prehistoric times, he comes into contact with a meteorite and, in turn, is covered in the emanating radiation. Except that radiation transforms him, making him immortal and intelligent. Throughout the years, Savage becomes a number of malicious leaders across the globe, always planning for world domination. In a standalone film of Vandal Savage, audience would not only get to see the character evolve across different time periods, but also in different locations around the world.

Scarecrow

As a child, Jonathan Crane was abused and forced to participate in his father’s experiments. During that time, he is dosed with toxins that induce fear and is locked in a small pit. He loses his mind after being stuck in there for days and is traumatized for life. As an adult, he finds a career in the world of clinical psychology but quickly realizes he can’t run his own fear-testing experiments by legal means. Then as Scarecrow, he follows his father’s footsteps and becomes obsessed with perfecting a fear-inducing serum. As seen in The Dark Knight Rises, Scarecrow is an interesting character enmeshed in the underbelly of Gotham City. With an origin movie, audiences could see more of his experiments and their psychological effects.

Mr. Freeze

Victor Fries is an extremely intelligent scientist, but he begins working for a corrupt company in an effort to save the life of his beloved wife. When he isn’t able to find a cure for her sickness, Fries steals equipment from the company and puts his wife into a cryo-stasis. After the CEO finds out Fries stole from him, he sends his men to kill Fries in the lab. This results in a catastrophic accident that transforms Fries so that he can only live in sub-zero temperatures. This in turn causes him to build his famous suit powered by diamonds, and turn into the villain, Mr. Freeze. Audiences saw the character portrayed in the 1997 version of Batman & Robin, but many people thought it didn’t do Mr. Freeze justice. A fresh take on this heartbreaking story might interest fans of the DC universe.

Bane

Bane was born into one of the cruelest prisons in the world, and spends his formative years fostering his sharp intelligence and physique. In isolation and the prison, he is put in brutal situations where he is forced to strengthen his mind and body in order to survive. One of the wardens signs Bane up for an experiment to make super soldiers, something that no else survived, and is injected with steroid-like drug. Bane survives the procedure, escapes the prison, and sets his sight on the infamous Batman. Another character from The Dark Knight Rises, Bane is a formidable character with a storied history, who deserves his own origin film.

Poison Ivy

Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley is a botanist in Gotham who nearly dies during an experiment. She is injected with toxins and poisons but ultimately survives, transforming into the famed Poison Ivy. As part of her abilities, she is immune to poisons, has plant-related super powers, and can use mind-control against almost anyone. Her crimes often involve trying to protect and save the environment, which has earned her a label as an eco-terrorist. In today’s world of climate activism, a standalone movie for Poison Ivy might actually be something that many moviegoers would enjoy watching.

Flash’s Rogues

The Rogues are a group of supervillains, consisting of Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Hear Wave, Weather Wizard, Trickster, Pied Piper, Top, and Captain Boomerang. Unlike the other villains in the list, this group is the enemy of the Flash, instead of the more common Batman or Superman. Also unlike many of the other villain groups, the Rogues follow a strict code of conduct making them an interesting team. With a standalone movie, the Rogues could bring recognition to more unknown DC villains and refresh the groupings audiences usually see.

Two-Face

Harvey Dent was abused as a child but persevered into adulthood, escaping his childhood hardships and wanting to make Gotham a better place. Dent wins the position of District Attorney and tries to turn Gotham around for the better. But in his battle against corruption, one of the criminals he was prosecuting throws acid on his face, and scars him for life. He spirals downward and turns into the coin-flipping villain we know today. Audiences saw a recent portrayal of Two-Face in The Dark Knight, but a director could create an entire movie dedicated to his rise and fall in Gotham City.

Catwoman

Like many villains in Gotham, Selina Kyle is born into an abusive household, and eventually runs away after both of her parents die. She lives on the street, stealing what she has to in order to survive, until she is sent to an orphanage. In her adult life, she trains in a ninja dojo where she learns martial arts skills that she uses in her notorious cat burglaries. Catwoman is one of those characters that has been portrayed many times over, but never gets the acclaim the character deserves. A standalone movie with zero camp and full grit might just be the ticket this character needs.

Riddler

Edward Nashton was bullied child growing up, but had a sharp intellect and had an enormous fascination with puzzles. He turned to a life of crime as grew older, using it as an escape from the mundane world. Except the notoriety and infamy that came with the criminal life is what he really craved, and through staging complex and mystifying crime scenes for law enforcement in Gotham, he became known as the Riddler. An origin story for this character could bridge the genres of comic book movie and mystery story, following the Riddler through a number of his most intriguing crimes.

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The movie market has become saturated with stories about superheroes, and it’s starting to become stale. For as much as we love our crime-fighting champions, sometimes it’s also good to indulge in the darker side of life. Any one of these DC villains has a fascinating backstory and action-packed criminal career, which would translate well into a full-length feature. Joker seems to have opened the door to a whole new world of possibilities and only the future knows how many more origin stories we’ll get about our favorite villains.

Next: DC Movie Future Explained: Every New Reveal About Upcoming Slate

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