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Why is WB sidelining Martian Manhunter for DCCU?

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In the Justice League cartoon, there were seven founding members:

  • Batman
  • Superman
  • Wonder Woman
  • Flash
  • Green Lantern
  • Hawkgirl
  • Martian Manhunter

Of these, one of the most interesting and most overpowered characters was Martian Manhunter--he can turn intangible, he can shapeshift, he has Superman-levels of strength, and he has telepathic powers. When I finally got into comics and read New 52, I was kind of surprised to see that he wasn't part of the Justice League, but even then they addressed it as "we tried accepting him into our team and things went bad:"

JL8e.jpg


Now, in DCCU when they released the Aquaman pic it had this text over it:

aquamanjasonmomoa.jpg


which implies there are going to be seven members of the Justice League, but if you look at the heroes being introduced through the announced movies, there's

  • Superman
  • Batman
  • Wonder Woman
  • Aquaman
  • Flash
  • Shazam
  • Cyborg
  • Green Lantern

which is eight, but Green Lantern is being introduced after JL part 2 so we can assume the first seven are JL founder members. So what happened to MM? He's not even a part of the DCCU as far as we can tell, much less a part of JLA. What gives? You would assume with the popularity of the original cartoon they'd have him instead of Shazam or Cyborg or something.
 
I'll take Aquaman over Hawkgirl, but yeah, Martian Manhunter would be good to have as part of these. I get that it'd be tough to make him a protagonist with his own film all to himself.
 
I'm pretty sure DC cares very much about what David S. Goyer thinks

This is why they took him off of everything but that Krypton show that's presently stuck in development hell.

OT: I'd imagine that it's at least partially budgetary, but mostly because they're pushing Cyborg as the 7th Leaguer. Which they're doing because... they need a black guy on the team, because this is 2015 and without him the JL is white AF.

Also, OP, if you're not reading his current solo book you should be doing that because it's legit amazing.
 
This is why they took him off of everything but that Krypton show that's presently stuck in development hell.

OT: I'd imagine that it's at least partially budgetary, but mostly because they're pushing Cyborg as the 7th Leaguer. Which they're doing because... they need a black guy on the team, because this is 2015 and without him the JL is white AF.

Also, OP, if you're not reading his current solo book you should be doing that because it's legit amazing.

i am.

and yes, it's pretty damn amazing.
 

jackdoe

Member
I've always figured it was because they wanted racial diversity on the team, and Geoff Johns didn't want to swap Hal Jordan for John Stewart, so they swapped Martian Manhunter for a prolific black DC character and chose Cyborg due to the popularity of the Teen Titans.
 

Kuroyume

Banned
I'd rather have Martian Manhunter than anyone not named Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman. I mean... MM is goofy but not Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, or Cyborg?
 
I've always figured it was because they wanted racial diversity on the team, and Geoff Johns didn't want to swap Hal Jordan for John Stewart, so they swapped Martian Manhunter for a prolific black DC character and chose Cyborg due to the popularity of the Teen Titans.

Currently Cyborg is a founding member in the new52 universe. They are prolly going off of that
 
Because there's Ant-Man weird, and there's shape shifting Martian with telepathic powers weird.

I don't know, I guess they don't want to go cosmic so quickly? Or maybe because he doesn't really have a memorable story arc where he doesn't die, or even a consistent rogues gallery? Because in the comics, doesn't Manhunter have an African-American alter ego? And if you want a non-white member, Manhunter would be pretty good.
 
which implies there are going to be seven members of the Justice League, but if you look at the heroes being introduced through the announced movies, there's

  • Superman
  • Batman
  • Wonder Woman
  • Aquaman
  • Flash
    [*]Shazam
  • Cyborg
  • Green Lantern

which is eight

Shazam isn't part of the Justice League, and I think he's not even really part of the cinematic universe. At least that's how it stood last I heard.
 

Slayven

Member
Because they're following the new comics storyine. Also, because if they introduce all cool guys now, what will they use later? Patience, my friend.

He's black.

actually he has over a 100 secret identities, including an italian cat, a D-List supervillain. and Japanese business man
 

shira

Member
Mars is associated with bad movies

- Mars needs Moms
- John Carter

I guess the Martian is reversing those trends, give it time
 
Shazam isn't part of the Justice League, and I think he's not even really part of the cinematic universe. At least that's how it stood last I heard.

Why cast the Rock as Black Adam if not to introduce Shazam? Seems like kind of a waste.

MM is a cool character but, like Vision in Age of Ultron, his power set is kind of broken when used logically on screen.
 

Shaanyboi

Banned
Because they're basing it off of the New 52 Justice League line-up, which also replaced MM for Cyborg. Not that Cyborg is particularly compelling, but I can understand why thematically he fits in that he brings a unique aspect to the team as this hyper-technologically advanced individual. Whereas MM is... another alien who lost his people?
 
He's a refugee.

this made me fucking laugh

Because they're basing it off of the New 52 Justice League line-up, which also replaced MM for Cyborg. Not that Cyborg is particularly compelling, but I can understand why thematically he fits in that he brings a unique aspect to the team as this hyper-technologically advanced individual. Whereas MM is... another alien who lost his people?

no, he's (new 52 MM line spoilers)
a weapon created by the few remaining martian people in order to sacrifice earth in order to bring mars back to life, as martian blood magic states that there can only be one planet with life on it in this solar system, and if earth has life mars can't.
 

Shaanyboi

Banned
this made me fucking laugh



no, he's (new 52 MM line spoilers)
a weapon created by the few remaining martian people in order to sacrifice earth in order to bring mars back to life, as martian blood magic states that there can only be one planet with life on it in this solar system, and if earth has life mars can't.
I don't see how this is relevant. This was a later reinvention, but when DC was deciding to revamp the line with the New 52 and had to put names to the new Justice League, I'm pretty certain they're looking at names and key iconic traits and how those balance eachother rather than, y'know, storylines that hadn't even been written yet.
 

Slayven

Member
Why cast the Rock as Black Adam if not to introduce Shazam? Seems like kind of a waste.

MM is a cool character but, like Vision in Age of Ultron, his power set is kind of broken when used logically on screen.

Him and his bro stomped a jacked JLA

2646980-5.png
 
Because DC is still run by idiots.

Martian Manhunter is awesome as shit. But nooooo push Cyborg because he's black. Real progressive, assholes.

His human form is a black guy! Stupid DC.
 
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