THE GOOD GUYS ARE BECOMING THE BAD GUYS!

Ever since Smallville it seems like comic book TV shows are starting the comic book villains off as the heroe's allies, friends, etc. Lex Luthor was the first and his dark side grew as the years went on. He was pretty much the hero in season one with little snippets of his dark side until finally his was the villain of seasons six and seven. This was done beautifully by Michael Rosenbaum. I'm very bitter that he was never nominated for an Emmy for his performance because he was definitely the best part of the series.

Nowadays, the recent comic book shows are trying to emulate that idea. The idea is to see the villain rise as the hero rises. They are both on similar paths and they have the opportunity to make the right choices but only one of them does. It's always heartbreaking but inevitable. Like I said, it was done so well on Smallville but that was a very different show. The slow burn of Lex's downfall was built into the structure of the show. It was all about families and how they shape us. Each new show like Arrow, Flash, Gotham, and now Supergirl has at least one character that starts off as an ally to the hero before becoming a nemesis. Granted on the Flash and Supergirl we can only speculate based on the characters from the comic books, but I'm guessing that certain characters were chosen for a reason to serve some ultimate purpose on the show rather than just be a sidekick or supporting character. Let's go down the list and see what we've got . . .

CAITLIN SNOW is KILLER FROST (THE FLASH)

We are probably a good season or two away from this happening but it's definitely exciting to think about. Caitlin on the show is very different from her comic book counterpart. Sometimes Killer Frost is a member of the Suicide Squad (who of course have a presence on Arrow). Is it a possibility that Caitlin will eventually become a metahuman but not a villain? Yes of course. But is it as interesting. No, not really. Caitlin could easily go down the path of the villain. She's always been kind of a bitch, despite being loyal to her friends. Also her fiancee came back from the dead only to leave her high and dry. Granted he had a good reason but still . . . Not cool bro. Also her boss is the Reverse Flash and will end up betraying all of them. Then there is the shippers of "SnowBarry." I'm all for it! Barry and Caitlin should totally get together. However, when they don't (or do and then break up) I think that that will Caitlin will say "enough is enough" and then turn into Killer Frost. It would be really tragic because I really like her and I very much want Barry and her to get together. But then again . . . hot and cold don't mix so good . . . 

WINSLOW SCHOTT is THE TOYMAN (SUPERGIRL)

As of this writing the Supergirl pilot is being filmed so we can only speculate what role Schott will play in the series. The popular rumor (and most likely true) is that Winslow or "Winn" as he'll be called (these kids have awesome fuckin names nowadays) will be Kara's friend and design her uniform. These heroes always gotta have somebody build them a suit! It makes sense to incorporate a character from the comics that has expertise in building things, albeit robot, evil toys. I'm looking forward to seeing another "Lex-ish" character show up and try to be a friend to a Kryptonian only to feel betrayed and then exact revenge! HAHA! REVENGE! . . . Ahem . . . Sorry. Anyway, I really like the Toyman character. He's got a silly gimmick for sure but he's a great villain. He's actually more of a Batman villain but he lives in Metropolis so . . . Them's the breaks. There's a great Action Comics issue by Geoff Johns (my man) where he tells his story to Jimmy. He says that he always wanted to be a Batman villain but he kept getting caught by Superman. It was really interesting and I'm super (pun intended) excited to see where his character ends up on Supergirl.

EDWARD NYGMA is THE RIDDLER (GOTHAM)

Well, you could mention a bunch of characters on Gotham as on their way to villainy. Nygma's a strange character in the sense that he would almost fit better on The Big Bang Theory. He's a man that's too smart for his own good and too awkward to function in normal society. I've mentioned before how I think he could be a good candidate as the primary villain in season two but I'd like to see a little more of a slow burn with Nygma. So far, we've seen little off hand remarks from the other cops, little glances where Nygma feels cheated, and even a scene or two where he's done some sick things (framing the medical examiner for one). I think it would be great to see Nygma and Gordon become closer friends and maybe even partners on the GCPD. Eventually, something will happen to split them apart. This will bring back all of Nygma's insecurities and form him into the Riddler - just in time for the arrival of Batman. Oh yeah . . . I got this!

HARVEY DENT is TWO-FACE (GOTHAM)

Another from my previous Gotham post, but it's worth noting again the significance of a character that becomes TWO-face being a main character in season TWO of Gotham. I don't think that's a coincidence and if it is then the producers are missing a hell of an opportunity. As I said in my previous post, I don't think that he should become Two-Face (that should be saved for after Batman's arrival) but he at least needs to show off his dark side a little more. I love the idea that Harvey is this charismatic, positive force for justice in Gotham City but there is a lingering darkness inside him that is begging to come out. I'd like to see more of Harvey as an enthusiastic Assistant D.A. that is fighting a losing battle with corruption. We'll see it takes its toll on both Gordon and Dent but the difference is that Gordon never gives up and Harvey will be close to a breaking point. I think that would be a great way to keep him on the show. Gotham will either make you or break you. So far, it's shaping Gordon and Bruce into heroes but what about everyone else . . . ? 

SLADE WILSON is DEATHSTROKE (ARROW)

This is probably the best example of "Lex Luthor-ism" in the comic book TV shows so far. In the very first episode of the show, we knew there was going to be some sort of showdown between Oliver and Deathstroke given the mask on the beach.

Sweet!

What the viewers didn't realize is how quickly the Slade Wilson/Deathstroke story would come on the show. As I said, Smallville built Lex Luthor up as Superman's greatest nemesis over the course of seven years. Arrow wasted little time in getting to know Slade and then turning him into the Arrow's enemy. In the first season, he became Oliver's friend, ally, and brother on the Island. In season two, Slade is back with his trademark eyepatch and black and orange mask. Despite it not being as long of a "rise to villainy" on Arrow for Slade as it was for Lex on Smallville, it was still believable for the audience given the timeframe on the show (the flashbacks) as well as the chemistry between the actors. And we know for sure that Slade is gone but not forgotten. I imagine it won't be long before he returns to Starling City to see his old friend . . . 

And of course, the granddaddy of them all: 

LEX LUTHOR is . . . uh . . . LEX LUTHOR (SMALLVILLE)

As I said earlier, Lex was my favorite character on Smallville. His path to the dark side was compelling and mesmerizing. The character was written well of course, but it was Michael Rosenbaum's performance that gave it the gravitas needed for the role. If you look through my blog you'll find some of my favorite episodes of the show and a couple of them feature Lex in prominent roles. I remember growing up, watching the show, and wishing that Lex would fight his darkness. Upon rewatching, it's fascinating to see how Lionel raised Lex to be ruthless and Lex became a villain and Jonathan raised Clark and he became Superman. I think Rosenbaum definitely set the bar very high for the other actors on this list and their eventual rise to villainy. 

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie! 

5 THINGS I WANT TO SEE IN THE SUICIDE SQUAD MOVIE:

I have a confession to make - I'm a comic book fan . . . Wait, you already knew that! HAHA! Gosh, that's a relief! Seriously though, I am a fan but I'm not exactly an expert. One of the areas I'm not 100% on is the Suicide Squad. I like the concept of the characters. My first exposure was the "Task Force X" episode of Justice League Unlimited. I really enjoyed the episode, especially Michael Rosenbaum's performance as Deadshot (he based the voice on Kevin Spacey). I've read some comics with them in it but my main exposure comes from Arrow and the animated Batman: Assault on Arkham film.

It's awesome. Go watch it! 

The basic idea is that the Suicide Squad is made up of a handful of supervillains that do black ops missions for the government in exchange for time taken off their prison sentences. As these things normally go, their mission NEVER goes as planned and they have to get creative to accomplish the mission or at the very least get out alive. If done well, Warner Bros has the opportunity to make a truly unique superhero movie. Mainly because there are no superheroes in the main cast. Yes, there are rumors of Batman making an appearance, but I'm betting that he'll have a small cameo at best (more on that later). 

The film will feature Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, and Jared Leto as the Joker. It's an impressive cast sure to deliver impressive performances. Every time one of these movies is announced the rumor mill starts going and everyone has an opinion. I for one am super excited mainly because this cast sounds absolutely perfect and a Suicide Squad movie has the potential to be unique and exciting. But what do I want to see in this film? I'm glad you asked! Here is my list for 5 THINGS I WANT TO SEE IN THE SUICIDE SQUAD MOVIE:

DON'T LET BATMAN SELL THE MOVIE:

As I said, there's a rumor that Ben Affleck will make an appearance in the film as Batman. Now, I'm all for this idea because I love Batman and the Assault on Arkham movie had Batman as a supporting character to the Suicide Squad. This was a great move actually because the animated movies tend not to sell very well unless Batman, Superman, or the Justice League are the main attractions. It's a bit of a marketing cheat, but for a fan like me, I just want a quality film. Batman's appearance wouldn't guarantee a quality film. All Batman would really contribute to the film is connection to the future DC films. Plus, when all is said and done, if Batman is in the movie, I want it to be a surprise. I want everyone saying he isn't in it and then BAM! there he is! That would be sweet. 

THE JOKER IS THE CONSULTANT

Like I said, the rumor mill is always running wild with these kinds of films. The prevailing theory is that the Joker's involvement in this film will be a "Hannibal Lecter" type of role. In the movie The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal is a criminal but he provides helpful information to the FBI before escaping custody in a super awesome, creepy way. Have you ever seen that movie? You should because it's awesome. I watched it on Netflix recently and I loved it. Of course I've seen it before then, but it's still great. 

If this creeps you out, just remember he also is Thor's father

I love the idea that the Joker would provide a similar role in the Suicide Squad movie. He would consult on the case and then escape in an epic way. Also, Anthony Hopkins's role in Lambs is something like 12 minutes of screen time. Because of his amazing performance, he's the most remembered part of the movie. I think that's exactly what the Joker's role should be. He should only be in the film for a few scenes but makes such a lasting impression that he's the most talked about character. Again, rumor has it, that this film will set up a future solo Batman film with the Joker as the main villain. So let's give the audience a small but satisfying taste of the Joker. Leave them begging for more. It's exactly what the Joker would want . . . 

TEENY REFERENCES TO THE ACTUAL HEROES:

Captain Boomerang is one of the Flash's Rogues. The Joker is Batman's arch-nemesis. Enchantress has had a few run ins with the Justice League and Justice League Dark. There is bound to be references to the superheroes running around the world. However, I think it's best to keep the references to a bare minimum. One of the things that can kill these types of movies is constantly referencing each other or the world around them. We know Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman exist. There is no reason to mention them in every single scene. That was my main complaint with the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Every episode included a reference to the Avengers and it grew annoying. The Joker WILL mention Batman, because you know, he can't go more than 30 seconds without talking about Batman. 

They're old pals after all . . . 

Like I said, it's more interesting if Batman and the other heroes are mentioned briefly. This gives the audience time to get to know the Squad and relate to them, root for them, instead of being reminded that there are more interesting characters out there. The Squad is full of great characters. Let the audience discover them. 

GIVE HARLEY QUINN HER DUE 

Harley Quinn is a fascinating character. She's gone from devoted sidekick/girlfried to the Joker to a strong, independent woman. She is the star of two ongoing comic books, Suicide Squad and Harley Quinn. She was created on Batman: the Animated Series but then made the transition to the comic books. Suicide Squad will be the first live action portrayal of Harley. She did make a brief cameo on Arrow but that doesn't really count since we didn't see her face. Margot Robbie is faced with the challenging task of being the mainstream's audience first exposure to Harley Quinn. She's a talented actress, so I have no doubt she'll do well. However, Harley can EASILY be played as the idiot comic relief. My main complaint about Batman: Assault on Arkham was that Harley was very annoying and the actress that played Harley was trying too hard to sound like Arleen Sorkin, who played Quinn on Batman: the Animated Series. Robbie and director David Ayers will need to give Harley a distinct voice both literally and figuratively. Let's see her be funny (that's important) but with a lot of depth. She's a great character that has grown out of the Joker's shadow. Let's keep her that way. 

KEEP IT UNIQUE 

The best part of the Suicide Squad movie is that it's the first comic book movie from a major studio that is all about the bad guys. Granted, they're bad guys doing "good" things but the main characters are still villains. We don't need to have origin stories, regretting their powers, or even a climatic battle for the fate of the planet. All we need are these characters being bad asses in an "against the odds" situation. This is Warner Bros's chance to make a truly unique comic book movie that will set the bar higher than ever. Marvel makes quality films no doubt, but WB is going for a different approach. I've said before how DC has the best villains, and this is their chance to prove it. I love Deadshot and I'm super excited to see Will Smith take on the role. Plus Jared Leto is on the VERY short list of actors worthy of following Heath Ledger's shoes as the Joker. I'm excited to see what this film has to offer. My main request above all else is to keep this film interesting, exciting, and most of all unique!

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie! 

RIP LEONARD NIMOY

On Friday morning we received terrible news – Leonard Nimoy had passed away. Nimoy will always be remembered as Mr. Spock from the original Star Trek TV series and films. He reprised the role in Star Trek: the Animated Series, Star Trek: the Next Generation and the recent rebooted JJ Abrams Star Trek films. Nimoy was a man who was gracious to his fans, humbled by his success, and was pretty damn talented. I could talk about how I loved Nimoy as Spock but I met him as Spock later in my life. I’ve only seen a few episodes of the original Star Trek series and I watched the first two films thinking they were quite boring. I did enjoy Nimoy’s performance though. He’s a wonderful actor, but I was a fan of him from Futurama and the Simpsons where he parodied himself a little bit. I always love it when actors play themselves on shows like Family Guy or Futurama or the Simpsons. It’s a great way to show that an actor is willing to poke fun at himself. Here are my favorite post-Star Trek Nimoy appearances:

THE SIMPSONS: SEASON 8 "THE SPRINGFIELD FILES"

In this episode, Homer believes that he sees an alien but no one believes him. The FBI, specifically Agents Mulder and Sculley, come to Springfield to investigate Homer's claims. Nimoy acts as narrator throughout the episode. Well, at least the first part of it. He seems to forget that the show isn't over and runs away before finishing the narration. It's one of the Simpsons best episodes. If you have the means I suggest looking it up. Take a look at this hilarious clip from the beginning of the episode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6lTSPXDOAI

FUTURAMA: SEASON 4 "WHERE NO FAN HAS GONE BEFORE"

Again, one of the best episodes of the series. Fry wants to have a marathon of the original Star Trek films but they have been banned on Earth. He kidnaps Leonard Nimoy's head and they go into space searching for the lost episodes/films of Star Trek. They find the rest of the crew on an abandoned planet with a very devoted Trekker who gives the original cast their bodies back but makes them his slaves. It's worse than Comic Con! But the episode is hilarious.

PRICELINE

We all know William Shatner as the face of the Priceline.com commercials. Nowadays, he's recruited Kaley Cucuo-Sweeting as his daughter on the commercials. However, a few years ago, Shatner was almost replaced as the spokesman by Nimoy. These commercials were funny little reunions for Shatner and Nimoy. Yes, they were a little cheesy but it was all in good fun. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKzNNOU5lLw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Yig8HJzZLM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ3TPgJ6T3I

THE BIG BANG THEORY: SEASON 5 "THE TRANSPORTER MALFUNCTION"

The Big Bang Theory has four characters that are obsessed with Star Trek so it was only logical (pun intended) that some Star Trek alum would appear on the show at some point. Wil Wheaton has made many hilarious appearances. Brent Spiner showed up and made his way to Sheldon's list. George Takei even showed up in one of Howard's fantasies. Shatner and Patrick Stewart have yet to guest star. Nimoy had semi-retired from acting by the time this episode premiered. His appearance in this episode is in a voice over. He plays the Spock action figure that convinces Sheldon to play with his Transporter toy. Sheldon breaks it and switches it with Leonard's. AF Spock returns in a dream to mock Sheldon for breaking the toy and tell Leonard the truth. Nimoy pokes fun at the Spock character and gives a very funny performance. See for yourself: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvNXolkz8-c

STAR TREK (2009)

My love of Star Trek actually began with this film. I saw a few episodes of Star Trek: the Next Generation when I was a kid but I didn't really fall in love with it until the first film from JJ Abrams. After this film I looked up the old movies (didn't really like them) but I did enjoy the series. I loved that Nimoy was in the new series. It seemed to give it credibility and felt like a passing of the torch. The scene where he meets Kirk is great and then later when he meets Spock is wonderfully done. I also loved his brief, surprising cameo in Star Trek: Into Darkness. It saddens me knowing that he won't be reprising this role again in the next Trek film. At least he left us a lasting legacy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ppo5YIYwTM

I can honestly say that I will miss Leonard Nimoy. He was a great actor and brought a lot of gravitas to the roles he played. His appearances on the Simpsons and Futurama were humorous, of course, but still played with a load of sincerity that sold the performances. I will definitely miss him. 

Live long and prosper my friend.

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie!

NEW ALIEN MOVIE!

Neill Blomkemp (there's an awesome name) director of critically acclaimed films such as District 9 and Elysium has gotten a shot at the big time - Alien. I love the Alien movies. I loved the first one because it was scary as hell, the second one because it was scary and action packed. I never actually saw the full third film (although I hear I'm not missing out). Alien: Resurrection was . . . eh, it was ok it was just not on par with the original films. The imagery in the movies is striking and original.

Freud would have loved this movie

When I was a kid I read comic books like Superman vs Alien Part One and Part Two, Batman vs Aliens Part One and Two, and my favorite and hidden gem Aliens vs Predator vs Terminator. If you ever find these, I highly recommend. They're pretty bad ass. 

See? That's bad ass right!

The big question is what is gonna happen in the film? Blomkemp released some concept art that he worked on and it all looks interesting. It implies the return of the ship from LV426, the alien queen, Corporal Hicks, and Ripley sporting a helmet shaped like the Xenomorph head. All in all, it looks really interesting and exciting. But what will happen in the film? Will it have ties to Prometheus? 

Fun fact: this was the only part of the film I liked

Maybe it will be another Aliens vs Predator movie?

Eh . . . probably not a good idea

Hey maybe they'll do something really wacky and bring the Aliens to a different Fox franchise.

Alien: Heroclix 

I can't tell you how much I was disappointed by Prometheus. I was really looking forward to that movie relaunching the Alien franchise, even if it was just on the fringes. I liked the Predators movie with Adrien Brody, even though the acting in the film was awful. I still thought it was a cool concept. I think there have been many attempts to get a new Alien film made over the last few years but nothing caught on. Hopefully, Blomkemp will bring back the awesome and scary to the Alien universe. 

Also, and this is a little off topic, but think about this: You ever think if the Aliens were real? Dude we'd be fucked! Acid for blood! Egg laying super-mom queen! Damn things don't feel pain, they just breed! And for some reason there's always some dumb human that wants to use it as a weapon. They're pretty much indestructible, if for no other reason than their numbers.  

Also they're terrifying

Good thing that these things don't exist. Or maybe they do . . . We don't really know do we . . . ??

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie

5 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEXT FLASH/ARROW CROSSOVER

It happened. The Flash and Arrow had an epic crossover. Ok yeah, it was two months ago but I can't get over it! It was so awesome!

Squeal!

Well the episodes were a massive success and the producers have promised us more crossovers in the future. Ray Palmer and Felicity will be heading to Central City and Joe and Cisco will be helping the SCPD. This is all well and good but the team up and fight between the Flash and Arrow was the highlight. Just like seeing the Avengers on screen together, it's great seeing these two heroes on the small screen. And better than the Avengers, we can see it every year instead of waiting every three years. But what's gonna happen? What's next for Barry and Oliver's joint adventure? They can't just fight again that wouldn't be as interesting a second time around. They need to have some common enemy, theme, or situation that brings them together. Having said that, here are my suggestions for 5 WAYS TO CROSS OVER ARROW AND THE FLASH:

INTRODUCE A NEW HERO:

I've probably talked about this before but I think that Green Lantern really, really, really needs to be a TV show. I mean just film Geoff Johns's run! It was fantastic! But in order to bring him into the DC-CWverse maybe sneaking him in like Arrow did with Barry Allen would be the best option. Hal Jordan has a history with both Barry and Oliver in the comics, so it's natural for him to show up. He could be the common element that brings Oliver and Barry together again. Whether Hal is visiting one of their cities or maybe both heroes travel to Coast City (it's been mentioned several times in each show) tracking a mutual enemy. Of course it doesn't have to be Green Lantern. Any other DC hero could make an appearance and bring the heroes together. 

What the hell ever happened to your show man?

Any way you look at it, a new hero introduced during a Flash/Arrow crossover would be pretty epic.

BODY SWITCHING EPISODE:

Is it hokey? Yes. Would it still be awesome? Absolutely. I saw an interview with one of the producers of Smallville and he said there were two reasons to do a body switching episode: 1 - it's cheap and 2 - it's a great way to explore a character in a new way. He's totally right on both counts. Arrow and the Flash have huge budgets and I'm sure the producers would love an excuse to maybe save a little cash. Also, it would be hilarious for Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin to have to play each other. I know both actors would relish the opportunity. I mentioned yesterday how it would be great if they played evil versions of each other, but what if they played each other? That's just as good, if not better! And yeah, it's hokey but with all the other comic booky stuff that happens every week on the Flash it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities. 

FLASHPOINT:

This was on my wish list for the Flash back before the show premiered and that has not changed. With Geoff Johns serving as DCE Chief Creative Officer, I think he should use his power to convince the Arrow/Flash producers to due a multi-episode arc where Barry screws up the timeline and we get to see what Central City and Starling City look like in the Flashpoint world. Maybe Oliver died on the Queen's Gambit and Thea is the Arrow? Maybe Ronnie and Dr. Stein never became Firestorm? Maybe Felicity actually became the rebel hacker she was on her way to being in college? Flashpoint is one of my all time favorite comics and the animated Justice League: the Flashpoint Paradox was a great adaptation. It would be great to see it done in live action. I feel like with Barry's recent revelation that he was there the night of his mother's murder will lead to some sort of Flashpoint-esque storyline possibly happening at the beginning of season 2. 

Oh . . . Yeah 

MUSICAL EPISODE:

Yeah, yeah, I kinda covered this one before. Given the talented Grant Gustin and Jesse Martin are stars of the Flash I think a musical episode SHOULD be inevitable. One of my favorite episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the "Once More With Feeling" musical. It had great music and featured a great way to explore the characters in a new and interesting way. A crossover Flash/Arrow musical would be super cheesy but it would also be a ton of fun. I mean come on . . . You'd watch it and love it! Or maybe it would signal the downfall of both series. 

CROSS DIMENSIONAL EPISODE:

It's no secret that I loved Smallville and it's near and dear to my heart even now. Now, it's highly unlikely that an episode like this will ever happen. It would require some divine intervention or maybe the shows running really out of ideas. However, I think that Justin Hartley and Kyle Gallner guest starring on either the Flash or Arrow or both would be super awesome. The Flash has already brought in a few (with more on the way) stars from the original Flash series from the 90s, but why stop there? Smallville is still the longest running superhero drama in TV history. I'd love to see a reunion of the original Justice League with the new CW League. Maybe . . . Maybe . . . Some day . . . 

Ok so maybe these suggestions are long shots but if the crossovers are meant to be an annual thing (and they should be) then why not have some fun? I mean these shows are based on comic books after all! Fun is what it's all about!

It's all fun and games till someone takes an arrow to the knee

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie

5 VILLAIN SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FLASH SEASON 2 AND ARROW SEASON 4

You can't have a great hero without a great villain. Luckily, DC Comics are filled to the brim with fantastic supervillains. From the Joker, Lex Luthor, Darkseid, the Reverse Flash, and so on and so forth the DC superheroes have their work cut out for them. So far on Arrow we have seen Deathstroke, Deadshot, Ra's Al Ghul, Vertigo, the Clock King, the Huntress, and many other characters from the comic books plague Starling City and the Arrow. On the Flash we've seen the Reverse Flash, Girder, Captain Cold, Heatwave, and the Weather Wizard among others. I don't know about you but I can't wait to see what happens for the remainder of the two seasons and what might happen next season. Like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Smallville before them the seasons are generally centered around a "Big Bad." So who might the Big Bads next year? For Arrow Season 3 we have Ra's Al Ghul. The Flash Season 1 has the Reverse Flash. But who will be stopping by next season? Let's speculate shall we?

5 VILLAINS THAT COULD BE IN ARROW SEASON 4:

THE CALCULATOR:

This dude legit started out as a guy that ran around as a giant calculator. Years later, Brad Meltzer thought of a better use for the character. He made him the supervillain equivalent to Oracle. He kept all the villains in communication and organized. For Arrow, he would be great as a the supervillain equivalent to Felicity. The Clock King played this part a little bit during Season 2, but that was just one episode. It would be great to have this guy be a main villain for a whole year to plague Team Arrow with coordinated attacks around Starling City and maybe even spill over into Central City. Given Arrow's knack for taking second or third tier villains and making them awesome, this one is probably more of a when rather than an if. 

HARLEY QUINN:

See what I did there? I had a previous post about keeping her out of Gotham! And now I'm saying that she should be on Arrow! Oh my gosh, I'm so clever! Ok not really, but this would be freaking awesome if I do say so myself. Harley is one of the most popular DC characters of all time. She's the star of two current comic book series Harley Quinn and Suicide Squad. While Harley did have a brief cameo in Season 2 it would be great to have her come on the show for real. After all, Injustice: Gods Among Us has shown us that Harley and Oliver have some great banter.

Read it, it's hilarious

While Harley has never been a really proper supervillain, more of a henchmen or antihero, it would still be great if she could get an introduction in the DC-CWverse. The odds of this happening are very slim considering the upcoming Suicide Squad movie and the Gotham TV series will most likely bring the character on soon enough. However, I think a character like Harley would be a great way to shake things up on Arrow for its fourth season. 

CATMAN:

For those of you who don't know, yes, in DC Comics there is Batman and Catwoman and the completely unrelated Catman. And they say Hollywood is out of ideas. You try coming up with a new villain based on an unused animal! But seriously, Due to Gail Simone's acclaimed run on Villains United and Secret Six Catman became a hot character. Although he has become more of an antihero in the comics now, that doesn't mean we couldn't see him start out with his villainous roots. He may not be strong enough to be a "Big Bad" but he would be a great character to come on the show and join the Suicide Squad. I think this might be another case of not if but when. 

STANLEY DOVER:

Back in the early 2000s, movie director Kevin Smith wrote a critically acclaimed run on Green Arrow. His first arc, Quiver, featured a villain called the Star City Slayer. The Slayer was a child murderer and Satanic cultist. Quiver is one of my favorite comic book storylines. Stanley pretends to be Oliver's friend and benefactor after he returns from the dead just so he can gain his trust. Dover intends to gain immortality through the Beast with No Name. Since he's getting older, he plans to take over Oliver's body to live out the next several years of his life looking for the Beast. Given the realistic nature of Arrow it would be a tough sell to see this character. He would probably be a better fit for Constantine or maybe even the Flash. But he started as a Green Arrow villain. The magical portion of the story could be toned down. Instead he could just be a cultist with delusions of grandeur. Either way, it would be a great story to see adapted in some way.

THE OUTSIDERS:

The recent Green Arrow comic books brought a new level of mythology previously not heard of in the stories. The Outsiders consisted of seven clans, Arrow, Mask, Sword, Spear, Fist, Shield, and Ax. Katana was part of the Sword Clan and Komodo was on the Arrow Clan. Oliver found out about the Outsiders and his father's involvement in it when Komodo came to Star City to assassinate Oliver. Green Arrow discovered a whole conspiracy involving his father's manipulating his time on the Island, the Clans, and where their "powers" came from. It was a fascinating story and made Green Arrow more than just a "lucky survivor" of the Island. He was now a hero with a predetermined destiny. It would be really cool to bring in these characters and flesh them out. Felicity, Laurel, and even Diggle could be brought into the various clans. Given the fact that we've already met Katana in her civilian guise as Tatsu Yamashiro and Komodo was a villain in an earlier episode, it's again likely that the Outsiders could be making an appearance before the series is over. 

5 VILLAINS THAT COULD BE IN THE FLASH SEASON 2:

THE ROGUES:

We've already seen a few of the Rogues on the series with a few more confirmed on the way. These characters are practically the Flash's supporting cast in the comic books. It would be great to see them become more than just occasional guest stars. During Geoff Johns' run on the Flash comics he really built up the Rogues as legitimate threats to the Flash. They each had complicated backstories and motivations as well as a code of honor. Like I said, DC Comics has no shortage of wonderful villains. It's also not unheard of to see the occasional guest star become a series regular. Arrow is a perfect example with both Slade and Malcolm Merlyn becoming regulars after having guest spots in the previous seasons. I'm hoping this will be a when and not an if. We will see . . . 

THE CRIME SYNDICATE:

Given that the Flash is about to tackle time travel in the next few episodes, I'm willing to bet that alternate dimensions are also on the list. The Crime Syndicate is a twisted version of the Justice League from Earth-3. Their version of the Flash is named Johnny Quick. He's a sadistic killer that loves using his speed to plow through people, literally annihilating them. Yeah, it's pretty messed up. But he's an evil Barry Allen and it would be cool to see Grant Gustin have to play an evil version of himself. They could even bring in an evil version of Arrow for Oliver to fight. I'm sure Amell and Gustin would love the opportunity to play twisted versions of their characters. What actor doesn't love a challenge? Also, it would save the producers money from hiring new actors. Unless, they really wanted to I guess . . . 

KILLER FROST:

Dr. Caitlin Snow is already a regular character on the show. In the comic books, she becomes the evil Killer Frost. She's a metahuman that freezes her victims to death. And get this - she's also a spurned lover of Firestorm. So . . . We're on the way to this happening! The only downside to this happening is that Caitlin has become a very likable character and I would hate to see her become a villain. I already went through this with Lex on Smallville and I just don't know if I can go through this again . . . Sniff . . . Sniff . . . Don't do it, Caitlin!

FUTURE BARRY ALLEN:

In the current comic book series, Barry is trapped in the Speed Force and his murderous future self is in his place in the present, mucking things up in Barry's name. It's a pretty wacky story but it's still a lot of fun. Future Barry suffered a major tragedy in the form of Wally dying. Now he's in the present trying to make sure that his mistakes don't happen again. Now, I actually consider this somewhat of a long shot because I have a theory that Harrison Wells is actually Future Barry. Since he's the Reverse Flash he might be Eobard Thawne or Hunter Zoloman or Daniel West. However, I think Harrison has qualities of all those characters and could very well be either Future Barry or Barry from an alternate dimension. If he is not, then maybe Future Barry can be the villain next season. 

DEATHSTROKE:

Deathstroke is too strong of a character to be just one hero's arch-nemesis. I would love to see him return on Arrow which apparently will be happening next week. However, I think it would be just as cool to see him become a regular villain on the Flash. In the comics, he's taken on the Teen Titans and the Justice League. He's taken all of them on and wiped the floor with them, so it's not crazy to think he could take on Barry and beat him. He's a great character and was a truly evil guy on Arrow. It might be a bit of a stretch to get him to Central City but he's already attacked Caitlin and Cisco while they visited Starling City. Barry has yet to fight him as the Flash, but I have a feeling that we'll be seeing him again soon. If not on the Flash then maybe on the Titans show that's currently being developed. 

That's my list of who I want to see on the next seasons of the Flash and Arrow. I think any of these characters would be great to see, and great to have them crossover with each other. And maybe if they end up crossing over with Supergirl or Titans then those villains can show up too! Oh my gosh! The possibilities are endless!

Till Next Time! 

JJ - The Comic Junkie!