DCEU: Rebooted

Sometimes, I write some fanfiction style takes for games or movies that could be made. These have nothing to do with RPGs, but since it’s my site, I get to do that sort of thing. I’ve done plans for a DCEU a couple of times now (every time they make new announcements that still sound like trash), and this is my latest rework.

Overall Goals

DC has started and stopped many incarnations of an expanded universe. Sometimes this is fine (Suicide Squad 2) and sometimes it’s a mess (suicide squad 1). They appear to be throwing ideas at the wall, seeing what sticks, and then re-working all the pipeline properties to fit the mold of what just made money last time. It’s leading to some really good solo outings (The Batman), but the Expanded Universe just isn’t working. If a DCEU is something that is desired, here is my stab.

Phase 1 – Establishing the Universe 

We want to build out our DCEU around the big names. Batman, Superman, and the Justice League. Others will appear, but this is the foundation of all successful DC comics, in opinion. An outcome of constantly rebooting their universe, is that we have gotten batman’s origin almost a dozen times depending on how you count. No origin stories for our core heroes. We are also trying to steer away from the common villains at the start (Joker [15 actors], catwoman [18 actors], even Luthor [16 actors]).

One trap a lot of these movies have is overstuffing villains. They build origin stories and plots for a whole slate of super villains. We will have one villain, but we will also introduce a ton of side ones who get no origins and no build up. They get one scene, show off something cool, and it is more of a cameo than a part (think Rhino from Garfield Spiderman 2). What we are doing is quickly seeding the universe with the idea that there are more villains than just the ones in our plot for two purposes. First, the heroes are established and have been doing this for a bit. So, they obviously have other villains. Secondly, we are teasing future stuff and seeing which ones people respond to. Ones that gets a lot of buzz might come back for a TV show, future cameo, or Phase 5 movie. 

1. Superman – Heroic icon. Happy, inspiring. ~45yr old established superman. Married to Lois. He is almost retired here, where he is happy and just generally solving classic threats (runaway subway, bank robbers, etc.). Morgan Edge (and intergang) is out to prove that superman is a phony. He is a Ben Shapiro type who runs a news broadcasting agency and is doing a smear campaign to build followers and content. Edge had Metallo built, who is the muscle for this scheme. Edge is a faux, modern patriot who is angry superman is not the Uber Mensh he wants, and instead presents Metallo in that light. Superman and Lois have to prove the power of being a pure good guy vs the corrupted Metallo. We can end with the Superman #701 ledge talk to drive home the kind of guy he is. Should be right after an ultra-high stakes tense battle, and he hardly has time to switch gears, but is taking this just as seriously. 
2. Batman – 40’s as well, think batfleck. Established, and been doing this forever. Ultra-loner, dark and angry, but after 45 min or so establishing this, we go into the original Robin plot with the flying Grayson’s. Alfred is your heart of the story and tries to get Bruce to retire and convinces him to take Dick in with a “don’t let him go down your path” speech. Dick brings batman out of his isolation, and we get into a fun batman. Villains shift as well, originally a grim/gritty two face and gradually we do ventriloquist, and end with a scene of robin beating up kiteman or condiment king or something. Overarching arc is hunting down and arresting Two-Face. Stinger – Batman starts working the same case as superman and team up.
3. World’s Finest – team up movie. Pick up Flash an hour in as fun plucky guy who insists on helping, and proves his worth, and then the Stinger = We should get a table. Batman/Superman/Flash are working to hunt down a joint threat. Eobard Thawn is introduced and is stealing tech from super villains around the world. Batman/Superman arrive just in time for him to get away and frame the two of them for the theft, rinse and repeat. So, they must battle a series of flash villains who assumed B/S showed up to steal their tech and take them in. Captain Cold/Heatwave/Boomerang team up and a Mirror Master lair are the two big ones. They cannot solve the puzzle, but finally put it together. It’s one man faster than they can imagine. Clark’s heard rumors of the Flash, and they go to have a little chat with her. It’s not Flash, but now that she has heard of another speedster she is impossible to get rid of, and excited kid-forces her way onto the team. Thawn is building a time machine to go back to the future (or past wink wink).
4. Justice League – Movie is about recruiting a bigger team after the B/F/S team up works well. I think we even start with a mystery men style open try outs full of cameos. At start its Flash/super/bat and they are recruiting. WW is only worthwhile applicant. Shes the last one, and they are constantly about to give up. WW is a She-Himbo fish out of time, who doesn’t get why a try out like this is funny. The threat for the movie is space based (brainiac and a swarm of robots are destroying mars, with earth in their sights) and Manhunter shows up and asks team for help. Explains that the GL corps (we meet a ton of them, but Hal Jordan and John Stewart join JL after the movie) have them held on mars, and final act is big battle to liberate Mars.
   • Cameos (D-list heroes for one and done scenes). Color Kid, Danny the Brick, Abigail Hunkel (original Red Tornado), etc. 

Phase 2: Side Kicks and Mantle Passing 

We don’t want to randomly introduce more people. We built a solid foundation in phase 2, and now we are expanding the cast with sidekicks and new heroes. Batman and Superman are our core. Here is where we do origin stories, but it is not for the characters we have seen a dozen takes on. This is for the sidekicks, and folks who will grow the EU.

1. Batman and The Robins: Batman is building his own bat-team for Gotham, so he can focus on Justice League stuff with a mantle passing goal. The Robins. Carrie Kelly Robin, Tim Drake, Damien Wayne, and Barbara Gordon. Dick sees its spiraling and is worried about all these new kids coming onboard (We can have a joke about one of the Robin’s bringing in Ace the Batdog for how far it’s gone). Batman has them running jobs in teams of two taking down crime and things seem to be great. One job w/Barbara and Tim goes sideways. Tim gunned down and Barbara crippled (we can have the Joker do it). Batman disbands the team “bad idea, too dangerous” etc. (Dick approves) He goes after Joker and is surprised by Damien stepping in to save at last minute. Barb proposes oracle role, and Damien gets to keep being Robin. Carrie spins off on her own as well, and now we have a whole slew of bat-sanctioned bat-folks running around Gotham solo. Dick is not happy and can’t be a part, goes his own way. Stinger is Tim eyes popping open in a red lens or something to have a red face.  
   1. One off Villains (in addition to random goons battled by the Robins) 
      1. Killer Croc, Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, and Man-Bat.
2. Last Son of Krypton: Superman’s cousin, Supergirl lands. Clarke starts to think that maybe there are more kryptonians unfound in the galaxy. Enlists Cyborg’s dad to build tracking device (cyborg is unseen, but we hear he a reference to “the accident”). He finds what turns out to be Zod and folks in exile and flies off and isn’t in most of the movie. The real plot follows SGirl as she traces a second signal that crops up later on earth, after she adjusts for a week or two with Lois. This is the core plot, and it’s a mystery solved by a fish out of water, as she investigates Lexcorp, who is growing a Superboy clone and has a bunch of bizarro failed supermen. He is building his own army, and we can do the thing where superboy was too hard to control, so the bizarro’s are his modified solution.
3. Green and Black: Black Canary, a new grim/gritty vigilante is sentenced to supermax prison for killing some mobsters who play innocent. As we watch more of the movie, she had actually organized this whole thing to get in, and it turns into a jailbreak to get her husband, Green Arrow out. He was framed by same mob boss. They break out and provide evidence. End is establishing them as crimefighting duo, maybe even donning flashy costumes for the first time. Oliver Queen isn’t rich in this. Dis-inherited as a teen, he has been scraping by on his own through his 20s and early 30s to today. Cameo tons of villains. 
   1. Cameos (other prisoners) – These are real threats, locked up. They have short scenes, so needs obvious visible powers, but not guns which would be taken. 
      1. The Cheetah, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Calendar Man, and if we can make it happen, we pull in a Red Hood cameo progressing that plot some.  
4. Teen Titans: Dick is upset with batman for continuing the Robin project and takes on the Nightwing name. Sets out to form his own team. Dick has been working with Superboy/girl to help them adapt to life, and that’s our core team. They sync up with Cyborg, who Supergirl met and can tie in for the same reasons. BB comes to them, in a rough spot as their first real mission. His team, the Doom Patrol (in their 60’s+) are in trouble. Slade Wilson has them kidnapped, in remote south American fortress. The Doom Patrol and BB are always dropping references to their battles, but it’s always with a Gorilla. BB has just assumed that’s what most super heroing was. Mallah and Brain are working with Slade, the others are referenced. (You have a “witnesses say they saw a giant gorilla. That should narrow it down…. you know it really doesn’t.” Sort of thing) 
   1. Gorilla Cameos – Grodd, Mallah and Brain, Gorilla Grimm, Ultra-Huminite, The Jackanapes. 
   1. Doom Patrol – Elastic-Girl, Robot Man, The Chief, Mr. Negative 

Phase 3: Things Fall Apart 

The foundations we built were shoddy, and reliant on two people being infallible. This phase is all about tearing it down and deconstructing what the idea of “what makes a hero.” Batman specifically is almost our main villain here. This is where we break things away from our Bruce and Clark and start to let others take the spotlight. 

1. Tower of Babel: Movie opens with a JLA meeting but we show that this has grown and become a routine team. Rework a Tower of Babel movie with current JLA team. Our end goal for the movie is to kick batman off team. Talia Al-Gul gets the plans and launches them (not Ras who is dead. Turns out she’s Batman’s ex-wife in her weird way from the comics). Even the remaining “Robins” move on and do their thing solo, without batman from now on. Batman is now off the team, and it’s essentially shattered. Most go their own way, but one hero will die here. (Probably WW, Flash, or the Manhunter) 
2. JLA Dark: A New justice league steps in and meets in the now physically ruined Hall of Justice. Dr Fate has been working with Deadman, Etrigan, and Hawkgirl behind the scenes. They pull in famous magician Zatanna and step into limelight. Dr. Fate will also call Shazam in, and its a thing where he is the only one who knows about Billy. Constantine, and Swamp Thing make cameos to help move plot along. Being in the spotlight causes the villain to act. Trigon (ravens Dad) is doing a merge earth/hell sort of thing using her, and mission becomes stop him and rescue her. They drop the name at the end of the movie and decide to operate in the shadows once again. They can say something like the JL should be a beacon of hope, and they can’t be that.
3. Green Lantern Corps: The GL Corps, calls back all lanterns. Sinestro and a rainbow corps is forming up. We get a red lantern, black lantern, etc. are going to take over Oa and destroy the corps. The movie should end with a shattered corps, with whoever the most popular lantern is, returning to earth with the one still working green ring while the others go their own way.
4. Red and Green: We invert the Green and Black movie, this one is Poison Ivy and Harley, who cameod in the previous one. They break out of prison because Joker is going to do something insane, like turn the Gotham harbor purple and they heard Batman was gone. It doesn’t super matter what joker is up to, and they can beat him up (kill him?) in a 10-minute scene towards the end. The movie is about the journey. These two are in prison, and probably should be, but are breaking out. Movie is about helping Harley get over Mr. J, and the two (Ivy/Harley) decide to go start a new life somewhere. A “Garden State,” new jersey, joke fits here. Their breakout frees tons of villains, and we end with a montage of ridiculous villains doing ridiculous things, while Harley and Ivy ignore it. 

Phase 4: Back to Basics 

1. Titans Go!: Titans recruit more members, and things are going great. Business is good after the break out in Red and Green. Montage of them being celeb superheroes and beloved, Titans Tower is built. Add Raven, and Starfire, but we want the team to be like 20+ folks working in teams fo 4 or 5. One of the teams forms H.I.V.E and takes over the tower and titans. With the schism many of the heroes bail and just go their own way when it’s not so prestigious (Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Younger Plastic Man). New core group has to save the day and they as a whole get humbled.
   1. H.I.V.E – Jinx, Gizmo, Mammoth 
2. Knightfall: Solo batman working for redemption. Batman’s lowest point, he has been abandoned by all his robins and super friends. By this point he is in his 50s or 60s and body has been broken forever. Insert Terry McGinnis, the kid who always looked up to Batman and believed in him. Act 1 is batman doing the classic Bane storyline (bane breaks Alfred here instead) and batman just falling apart trying to round up escaped villains while Bane takes advantage. Cameos from old mentees who are telling him he has done all he can do and that it is time to stop and that they have it. We can add other Robins we haven’t seen on screen here too, who have joined The Robins. Bruce is using a proto-batman beyond suit, and Act 2 is McGinnis taking over instead of Azrael, and here is our new Batman from here on.
3. Must There Be A Superman: Superman is on trial with the UN, who is pressing the idea that Superman constantly saves the world, but he also steers geo-politics with his justice leagues, and abilities. The debate plays out, with impassioned arguments by heroes, villains, politicians, and Lois (superman’s identity is revealed during this). We can also insert some footage of some cool superman battles with foes, but there is no actual fighting real time here. This lets us go wild with the battles, because its played on a courtroom tv and edited to just highlights. In the end, superman agrees to let humans forge their own path, but he is here if we need him (he leaves a comms thing with Batman). We end with him watching over, floating in space and turning his attention elsewhere deep into space (implying that he will focus on alien threats). 
4. Legion of Doom: The Legion of Doom, actually in a giant spaceship under a swamp. Lex is sponsoring it, and pulls in intelligent criminals like Riddler, Black Manta, Bane, Slade Wilson, and the implication of a hundred or so others on call to form an evil team up. Stole idea from JL, quotes someone like Zuckerberg on spinning a new idea and improving it. He will fund their villainy, but the plan is to work as a team and take down the various heroes 2 or 3 on one. It’s working, and a new JL is formed to stop them. Supergirl, Batman Beyond, Nightwing, Black Canary (leads it and starts the league), Zatanna, Oracle, and The Flash.

Phase 5: The Future 

When you enter Phase 2, we should be prepping the Phase 5 slate for pre-production. Pay particular attention to whoever was a breakout in Phase 1 and through phase 2. Those folks should be getting Movies here. As you get into 3, you should do the same for 6 and so on.

Casting Notes 

• Superman: Idris Elba, or John Hamm. Someone big and imposing with a square jaw, who can play serious and let a little comedy in.  
• Lois: Marissa Tomei. Needs to be an actor of the appropriate age (not 25). Shes got to be able to be in the room with funny Jonah Hill, but this is a dramatic role, and she has to be able to tell a room “I’m in charge” convincingly (Shes the ace reporter at an international paper). 
• Morgan Edge: Jonah Hill. Needs to be energetic, and able to put on a shit eating grin. Dip into parody but also be taken seriously.  
• Metallo: Is not a robot, but a man with a robot endoskeleton and kryptonite heart. We need a big guy for the role, and he should be a parody of superman. Like a menacing Chris Evans. I would lean towards a pro wrestler, for example, Cody Rhodes. 
• Batman: Jamie Foxx. He can flip between serious and mean and playboy billionaire pretty well and has the body type for a batman.
• Robin (Dick Grayson): Needs to be fun, fit (spandex costume), and acrobatic. I lean Tom Holland, and we have him be the ~20s young adult in need of guidance. 
• Alfred: Alfred needs to be the compassionate one who cools down batman. Hes going to be your voice of reason, and struggle with supporting his adoptive son, and keeping him safe.
• Two Face: Florence Pugh. We have no women in the plot and need to fix that. So, this is a bit of stunt casting. Two face needs to switch between classy mob boss type and a brutal monster. I’m envisioning the scene in Hawkeye where she shows up at the party in that green coat, for vibes. We know she can do action and be a villain if needed. There is no plot I know of with Two Face about fatherhood or anything, so it is an easy swap. She was the promising up and coming DA before becoming a villain.
• Ventriloquist: Daniel Radcliff. He gets into these weird roles and can have some fun with it.
• Kiteman: Look to Harley Quinn cartoon for the role. Should be a bit of a buffoon Channing Tatum could be good, but he is a little big.
• Condiment King: This is a joke and stunt casting. So, you pull someone like Bruce Campbell in here to lighten the tone. Someone whose known for playing themselves and does not mind being the butt of a joke. 
• Flash: Needs to be younger, and energetic. We are going to go with Jessie Quick for this flash and cast someone in their early 20’s who is about to age out of the Disney channel.
• The Rogues (Flash Villain Team): These three aren’t going to pose much of a serious threat to superman, but they have some neat gun-themed powers.
  • Captain Cold: Anya Taylor-Joy, she’s going to play aloof and “cooler than you.” with a gun that freezes people.
  • Heatwave: Andrew Garfield, and we will ask that he go manic with it. Will play as Anya’s brother, and counter her calm demeanor.
  • Captain Boomerang: Liam Hemsworth, playing an Australian. Boomerang is the ace crack shot of the team with high-tech boomerangs. 
• Mirror Master: A more serious villain, lair is in a house of mirrors, and we play up how creepy he is or can be. Neil Patric Harris does a good job in these sorts of roles.
• Thawn: We need someone dark and looming. Who exudes confidence and can make people unsettled even with a compliment. Like a Christoph Waltz, or a Giancarlo Esposito. 
• Wonder Woman: You need an unknown or someone needs to bulk up a lot. Maybe WWE’s Ivy Nile, but I’d want to check her acting more. We are looking for a female Chris Hemsworth in thor.
• Manhunter: Andre Braugher has a good stoic vibe that works well here and is big enough to tower like the manhunter.
• Hal Jordan: Hal and John are in a buddy cop movie during all this. So, they need to pair well. Hal is the funny one, John is grizzled. I go Kumail Nanjiani.
• John Stewart: For John, we need someone serious, and starting to age out of the force. A serious Terry Cruise would do well and has played a cop a ton. 
• Color Kid: Andy Samberg can step in here and play it up. 
• Abigail Hunkel: I lean to a Melissa McCarthy type. Bigger girl, physical comedy, etc. Melissa would play her totally straight and unaware of the joke.
• Brainiac: We need physically imposing, bald, and able to be mentally calculating. Jeffrey Wright is an obvious choice, and I wouldn’t fight against it.
• Carrie Kelly: We need someone with a little attitude here, and I think we are almost trying to replicate a PG-13 Hit Girl, so Chloe Grace-Moretz is a fit.
• Tim Drake: Finn Wolfhard has a good vibe to him, in that rich kid attitude sort of way, and we could lean into this. He would do well with the pending heel turn too.
• Damien Wayne: Here I bring back David Mazouz (Gotham’s Bruce). He can do brooding and dark, and that’s what we are going for with Damien. It is also a nice callback for prior DC fans. 
• Barbara Gordon: Sophie Turner would be a solid fit here with the team and is into genre shows or movies. She doesn’t quite fit the perky more modern take in the comics, but I think she could do the more serious Oracle role fine. Anna Kendrick would work, but is a little old, and has the opposite problem. Although it is probably better to get a wheelchair actress for the role, and use CG/doubles for standing scenes, since they will be less and short term.
• Killer Croc: We are going to WWE here for sure, grabbing a heavyweight, and giving a lot of prosthetics for a long alligator face (not a short snout sharp tooth human). Someone with a Big Show or Odyssey Jones build.
• Scarecrow: While long term, if seen again, he should be sinister and creepy. In his initial appearance, he is getting beaten by Batmans protégés. This means he can’t always be super creepy, and should be able to go lighthearted, at least to start. He also has to stay tall and lean. I’m going to say we flip this one around, and go with a Joanna Crane, as anther one we can swap some things around on and let’s go with a Kristen Stewart type.
• Mad Hatter: The hatter’s a bit of a joke character, and while he needs to be menacing, he is almost never serious. I think you can pull in an Andy Serkis here and get a great take.
• Man-Bat: Man-Bat is mostly CG, but there should be some untransformed scenes of a clean cut, but desperate scientist. Pedro Pascal could be a good fit.
• Supergirl: Like Wonder Woman, I am not sure of any Hollywood actors who fit here without serious bulking up. She does not need to be giant like WW, but even though she’s Kryptonian, she should be fit. She needs an all American, Kansas vibe. May want to dip into someone from WWE here, but certainly not a heel. Maybe Bianca Belair. 
• Luthor: We need someone serious and imposing, especially since Girl/Boy will both have a comedic bend. He’s the straight man to play off in their movie. He should be similar in age to superman, so older than our protagonists. Mark Strong has the looks and background for what I’m looking for. 
• Superboy: As a clone of superman, we need this person to look like a younger version of whoever we cast. Target age is 25.
• Mercy: Mercy isn’t called out in the script, but she’s a great character and a big part of my vision for Luthor. Emma Watson could have the look, and potentially be a solid fit. 
• Green Arrow: I think Peter Dinklage could do well here. We saw him be serious and mean in game of thrones, but we know he can be funny and quippy too.  
• Black Canary: Hollywood ages women out by the time they hit our target (45-55) so we will have to do some digging. She needs to be strong (mentally and physically) and able to carry the movie. I think Ming-Na Wen is a really great fit. Recently she has been strong stoic types, but she was also Mulan, and some musical talent could be a nice step in for the role.
• The Cheetah: Need an actress (35-45) who can get a little manic with it, but also do intimidating. 
• Harley Quinn: Dove Cameron has the looks and can pull the energetic counter to Emma Stones more laid back and planned Ivy.
• Poison Ivy: Emma Stone has a lot of the look and traits that could fit here. 
• Calendar Man: Look to the Long Halloween for inspiration. We need someone with a dispassionate otherworldly look, and Bill Skarsgard can step in here really well.
• Slade Wilson: let’s just let Manganello have this one.
• Doom Patrol: these folks are past their prime as heroes and comedic.  
  • Elasti-woman – Hellen Mirren. We are looking for old Hollywood glamour and sophistication here.
  • Robot Man – Jeff Bridges. Hes great universally, but we want someone who is on the verge of a breakdown at all times and this could work well.
  • Negative Man – Bryan Cranston. The physical stuff as Hal from Malcom in the middle will play well alongside the potential menace stuff he showed in breaking bad.
  • The Chief – If he appears, we pull in Danny Devito. Hes great as a probable shyster who skipped important details and is probably taking advantage of you. 
• Mallah and Brain: For Mallah, we need someone sophisticated and out of place with a thick French accent. Same with Brain, while Brain could be a robot voice, folks want a stunt casting here.
• Cyborg: Donald Glover can fit in here if he bulks up. Cyborg needs to start dark, but after a fun romp with a couple of literal aliens, beast boy, and gorillas, he should be having a blast. 
• Beast Boy: Ben Schwartz is my vote for the role. Hes going to be fun, energetic, and does a great job being amazed at stuff. Beast boy is finally getting outside of his normal (living with geriatric heroes fighting gorillas in the jungle). He can play younger, and beast boy is heavily make-uped anyway.
• Talia Al-gul: Talia’s thing has always been that she is gorgeous, but also deadly. Eva Green is my go-to here, and we let her play up the sinister a lot.
• Dr Fate: Pierce Brosnan is a great cast here, and I’m fine to leave that alone.
• Deadman: Alan Tudyk could take Deadman and do some fun stuff with it. He is the comic relief in the series.
• Etrigan: Ron Perlman can potentially play both roles, depending on how we do it. Add some bulk and prosthetics when the demon comes out.
• Hawkgirl: Rosario Dawson. This is a tough warrior woman, and we can potentially pull our 2^nd choice wonder woman actress here. Hawkgirl is non-nonsense and down to business. Mostly acting as the muscle for this team.
• Zatanna: I don’t have a good fit here, but she needs to be a bit of a wise ass, mid to late 30s and be able to play “what if Taylor swift was a magician” style celebrity.
• Shazam: The kid is a kid, so find a kid actor of the age who is decent. The adult needs to be someone naturally giant and looking like the Rock in his black adam promos. We are probably going to the WWE here again.
• Constantine: Keanu can pick this back up.
• Trigon: Mark Hamill can step in here with a mix of practical and voice acting, and I bet could really run with it. 
• Raven: If Aubry Plaza wasn’t 37 this is where I’d go. Instead, lets pull Dylan Gelula, Xan from Kimmy Schmidt in here.
• Sinestro: Ewan Mcgreggor as a sinister villain is great, and I think he’s who we go with here. Especially if we ever want to do any of the turns where Sinestro is sympathetic. 
• Joker: This will be controversial, because everyone always makes the joker a big deal and we aren’t. Hes going to be a respectable, big villain, but we aren’t making him the main character in the movies. To play into that we go big name, and about batman’s age. I’m thinking Taika Waititi. We do not need sinister and terrifying here (but I bet he could do it), we want someone whose main power is that he can take a punch and infuriate people with words.
• Starfire: There is a lot of skin with this role, so whoever needs to be comfortable. Targeting a woman 22-28 for a fish out of water type who is a refugee from whatever Brainiac was up to in the JL movie.
• Blue Beetle: Targeting the same 22-28 range, and great fit for a minority and/or woman casting swap. Booster and Beetle can both be lax on the normal superhero fitness regimen.
• Booster Gold: Need a cocky rogue or lovable scoundrel. Targeting the same 22-28 range, and great fit for a minority casting swap.
• Younger Plastic Man: Ben Schwartz has a great vibe here, but we need someone 15 years younger.
• HIVE 
  • Hive Queen: Revealed at the finale to be the true boss of HIVE, this character is older than the rest and works as an evil mentor. I think you bring in Aubry Plaza here. 
  • Jinx: She is a counter to Raven. So, we are looking at similar vibes, and whoever the second-choice actor is, can take this one. 
  • Gizmo: Gaten Matarazzo. Hes got the look down and could be a good geeky inventor type. Will work really well next to Odyssey below.
  • Mammoth: Another WWE cast, this one is the same profile as our Killer Croc, but younger. Odyssey Jones may get this one. 
• Bane: We need a latino who can play big and imposing, but also intelligent. We are going classic comic look, luchador mask and suit or mask with jeans and black tank top. Dave Batista is the obvious choice. 
• Terry McGinnis: He will be the same age as our Robin’s and probably not get along well with them for the foreseeable future. Hes “Dad’s new kid” in their eyes, and many of them could claim to be the heir of Batman more than him. He is in a rough spot for the characters, and frankly the audience, so needs to be able to win folks over.
• Riddler: If we miss Neil Patric Harris earlier, he can stand in here really well. We are going suit and tie Riddler. Tobey Mcguire could do something interesting here too if we want a darker take. 
• Black Manta: Black Manta is almost always in his helmet, especially since it’s just a small role in this movie. That said, we still need to cast assuming he takes it off. I like Michael B. Jordan’s take on killmonger, and think he could do pretty well with a similar take to Black Manta.