Will DC Comics original teenage space heroes come to the big screen?
Disney and Marvel Studios may have won praise and box-office gold with their “Cinematic Universe” of tightly-connected movies and TV series, but Warner Bros and DC Comics are taking a different approach – launching multiple franchises and sub-series, some connected to one another and some not.
Now, it’s possible that the timeline may become even more complicated. The diligent rumor-hunters at Latino Review are reporting a rumor that Warner Bros (which controls all potential DC Comics movie properties) has begun sending comics from DC’s long-running Legion of Superheroes franchise to screenwriters throughout the industry, seeking different writers takes on how the property might be brought to the screen. While this would not guarantee that a Legion film is in the offing, it would indicate that the project is at least being considered.
With stories taking place in the 31st Century of the pre-“New 52” DC Universe, The Legion is a vast alliance of both human and alien teenage superheroes whose youthful adventurous spirit and often emotionally-charged interpersonal drama often stood in stark contrast to the stern, decidedly-grownup “major” heroes of the DC pantheon. The characters originally debuted in 1958’s Adventure Comics #247 as time-travelers who put Superboy (aka then-teenage Clark Kent) through a membership-tryout that is ultimately revealed to be a test of humility for the legendary figure The Legion considers its historic predecessor.
Of note: Because the Legion stories take place mainly in the future of the mainstream DC Universe, their history and status-quo has been radically altered multiple times in order to reflect changes to the present-day DCU canon. Between that and the fact that there have been well over a hundred members of The Legion throughout the decades (with names like Lightning Lad, Shadow Lass, Bouncing Boy, Karate Kid, Saturn Girl and more); any prospective film would have no shortage of material from which to draw. An animated series based on the comics previously ran for two seasons on Kids WB.
Source: Latino Review
