The new DCU film franchise is really about to take off and there’s more than a handful of underrated DC Comics teams that deserve to make an appearance. James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU is just months away from thrilling fans with Superman, but the cinematic universe shouldn’t be afraid to go beyond the Man of Steel.

Yes, the Justice League seems like an inevitability for the DCU, and fans know things like the тιтans are on the horizon. But there are a lot of great, if underrated, teams that have never been in a feature film. The Outsiders, the Metal Men, and even a team that serves as DC’s Fantastic Four would all be great characters to bring into the spotlight. Sure, the DCU might want to focus on the big guns while getting things started, but these 10 DC Comics teams would be absolutely perfect to bring to Gunn and Safran’s universe.

10

The Freedom Fighters

First Appearance: Justice League of America #107

Though not originally created for DC Comics, this patriotic team of heroes has been a staple of the DCU for decades. This team generally resides on Earth-X, a world where the Nazis won World War II, leaving the Freedom Fighters as the world’s greatest crusaders for righteousness against a fascist regime. Sure, they’re a bit old school, but they’ve got a great array of powers, from Doll Man’s shrinking to the Human Bomb’s explosive detonations. And let’s face it, how cool would it be to see a live-action Uncle Sam kick ᴀss alongside other DCU heroes on the big screen?

9

The Outsiders

First Appearance: The Brave and the Bold #200

Batman may be тιԍнт with the Justice League, but he once stepped away from the team when they decided not to interfere in foreign affairs. This led to the Dark Knight creating the Outsiders, a team of heroes who weren’t afraid of getting their hands dirty. Katana, Geo-Force, and fan-favorite Black Lightning are just some of the impressive team. If the DCU really wants to feel a bit more lived in, as Creature Commandos already hinted it was, it’d be great to see Batman’s personal black ops squad make an appearance in some capacity (especially since Metamorpho’s in Superman).

8

Time Masters

First Appearance: Showcase #20

The Time Masters are exactly what they sound like. Led by time-traveler Rip Hunter, this team is trusted with keeping DC’s timeline stable from aberrations and any villains wishing to do it harm. With a Booster Gold series confirmed to be a part of Gunn and Safran’s DCU, it’s clear that time travel is not off the table. And if Booster is going to appear, they may as well go ahead and bring his son Rip Hunter into the mix. There’s a lot of time-warping fun that could be had if the DCU goes all in with its iconic time-travelers.

7

Batman Inc.

First Appearance: Batman and Robin #16

For better or worse, Batman is pretty much the face of DC Comics. While the Caped Crusader hasn’t been seen in the DCU beyond a shadowy cameo, it’d be wild to the universe bring his arguably greatest creation to life. Batman Incorporated is Bruce Wayne’s ‘franchising’ of his crime-fighting persona and the organization is composed of heroes hand-picked by Batman to leave no corner of the globe vulnerable to crime. There are a lot of fan-favorite heroes in this team, such as Argentina’s El Gaucho or South Dakota’s Man-of-Bats and seeing them in live action would be a real treat.

6

Shadowpact

First Appearance: Day of Vengeance #1

Fans may be more familiar with Justice League Dark, the premier hero team’s mystical equivalent. But if the supernatural side of the DCU wants to have its own idenтιтy, they should form Shadowpact instead. Like Justice League Dark, Shadowpact is composed of magical heroes, but this team was brought together out of necessity to fight Spectre when he went to war against all magic in the DC Universe. Everyone knows Gunn loves his scrappy teams who are brought together by fate. With the right touch, Shadowpact could very much be the DCU’s mystical take on the Guardians of the Galaxy.

5

Justice League China

First Appearance: New Super-Man #1

Granted, the Justice League isn’t what many would consider underrated, but this team was technically created independently of the traditional one. The Justice League of China was created by the Chinese government to operate as a public-facing hero team. The JLC is led by Kenan Kong, a bully who gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he’s endowed with Superman’s life force. If the DCU really wants a compelling team of young heroes (that feel familiar to DC’s iconic team), the Justice League of China would be a great group to tackle in a standalone movie or television series.

4

The Terrifics

First Appearance: The Terrifics

In a post-Dark Nights: Metal world, DC Comics decided to take a page out of Marvel’s books and create a line of comics similar to its most notable heroes. Inspired by Fantastic Four, DC Comics released The Terrifics, a book about four unexpected heroes who find themselves bound to one another and start exploring the oddest corners of the DCU. Superman will be introducing Metamorpho and Mister Terrific, half of the team’s core members. Just bring Plastic Man and Phantom Girl into the mix and the DCU has everything it needs for a film starring this mod squad.

3

The Metal Men

First Appearance: Showcase #37

Everyone loves robots, so bringing in DC’s band of metallic automatons would be an amazing move for the DCU. The Metal Men are Doctor Will Magnus’ greatest inventions and together, this team is capable of anything thanks to their shape-shifting powers. Interestingly enough, the DCU has already laid the groundwork for the team in the Creature Commandos’ episode “Cheers to the Tin Man”, which featured Magnus’ earliest blueprints for the team. Maybe it was just an Easter egg for eagle-eyed fans, but if Gunn is considering bringing the Metal Men into the DCU, he should definitely go for it.

2

The Doom Patrol

First Appearance: My Greatest Adventure #80

To be fair, the Doom Patrol did have a show that lasted for four seasons across two different streaming services. But the World’s Strangest Heroes aren’t exactly A-list to the general audience just yet. Not to mention, as weird as their streaming show got, things can always get weirder with the Doom Patrol, and there are plenty of threats that fans haven’t seen the team tackle yet, like the interdimensional liquidation company Retconn. The DCU shouldn’t just showcase the big dogs, it should also give room for the oddest (and frankly, coolest) teams to shine.

1

The Legion of Super-Heroes

First Appearance: Adventure Comics #247

With Superman leading the DCU into a new era in a few months, Gunn and Safran’s DCU has an opportunity to create an entire new generation of Legion of Super-Heroes fans. This team lives in the future, inspired by the actions of Superman (or rather, his teenage alter ego Superboy). While the team has been the subject of a few continuity snafus over the years, they’re an incredibly cool collection of superheroes with powers that demand to be seen on the big screen. Hopefully, the DCU will make sure to spotlight the Legion of Super-Heroes like they deserve to be.