DC has an enormous roster of superheroes, and it’d be hard for me to pick my favorite. Who are six of the most popular?
1. Supergirl
She’s always been a fan favorite, and Melissa Benoist’s show in the Arrowverse is consistently one of the most uplifting and well-written. She’s been shown to be as capable as her cousin Superman on more than one occasion and isn’t afraid to deal with political issues as well as world-ending supervillains. Also, her mother in the show is played by the same actress as the older Supergirl movie.
2. Aquaman
Often the butt of jokes (especially in the Superfriends era), Aquaman has always been a key member of the Justice League and got a much-needed image boost when Jason Momoa took over the role. His movie did well (his good looks don’t hurt), and I’m sure he’ll be back for more in the future.
3. The Flash
Fans love his awkward, humorous portrayal in the JL movie and are looking forward to his own upcoming standalone film; meanwhile, his show on the CW is full of heart and has tackled fun challenges like Flashpoint and the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and come out stronger for it.
4. Wonder Woman
It’ll always be a challenge to get out of Linda Carter’s shadow from the iconic TV series that inspired so many, but Gal Gadot has been doing very well in her own appearances on the big screen and will no doubt draw huge audiences for her next WW film as well.
5. Batman
It’s hard to count all the Batman adaptations that have happened over the years in both TV and film or all the amazing comic stories that have come and gone. Today we’ve got more spin-offs (Joker, Gotham, and Batwoman) that all owe their origins to this legend — the guy who goes toe to toe with everybody else even though he’s got no superpowers (other than being a billionaire).
6. Superman
The big guy may always come out on top, whether he’s doing well at the box office or not. He’s literally tied to the origin of the word “superhero” and has been a part of American culture for almost 80 years. Christopher Reeve will always be the face I picture in the role, but today we’ve got Brandon Routh, Tyler Hoechlin, and Henry Cavill did a great job to keep the dream alive.
Honorable mentions
It’s hard to pick just six without hurting somebody’s feelings! Green Lantern probably would have made the list before Ryan Reynolds’ clunky film turned audiences away. Meanwhile, the people at CW have done a great job with the recently-finished show Arrow, cementing Green Arrow’s legacy as the founding superhero in their television “Arrowverse”, along with the wacky crew of Legends of Tomorrow (like John Constantine, who’s had more than one film and TV adaptation already). They’re set to try a new Green Lantern next with the character John Diggle, so we might see a boost in his popularity. Meanwhile, if Halloween costumes are anything to go by, Harley Quinn might be the next big … hero? She’s kind of an anti-hero, really, but with her own animated series doing well and the Birds of Prey movie getting much better reviews than Suicide Squad, I’d say we’ll only be seeing more of her — and I couldn’t be happier.
