Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman managed to flip every preconceived notion that people previously held about comic book movies. Propelled by the momentum of a female director and a badass leading lady in the form of Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman has taken the DCEU by storm, and almost certainly guaranteed a place for itself as one of DC's most valuable franchises. The film continues to rake in money day after day, and it's clear that the adventures of Diana Prince have only scratched the surface of their true potential.
Of course, Wonder Woman is only the beginning. The film's critical and commercial success is signaling a growing trend of women in the comic book movie genre, and more female-driven films will undoubtedly follow in the next few years. (In fact, here are all of the ones we know are coming, and soon.) With so many great female superheroes worthy of solo movies, we have gone through the Marvel and DC pantheons to pick out the 12 heroines who could easily lead to surefire hits. There are a ton of awesome heroes to get to, but let's get started with one of the strongest (and definitely the greenest) of them all.
She-Hulk
Jennifer Walters possesses many of the same abilities as her cousin Bruce Banner, but her overall depiction as She-Hulk is considerably different from her male counterpart. Obtaining her Hulk abilities after a blood transfusion with Banner, Walters was subsequently endowed with a rage-enhanced strength that makes her a formidable opponent in combat. However, Walters retains her intelligence and social skills as She-Hulk, which is probably a good thing when we consider the fact that her transformation into the green-hued monster is permanent. We already have a Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and now it is definitely time for a She-Hulk.
Hawkgirl
Although Hawkgirl certainly had time to shine on the first season of DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Ciara Renée's portrayal of the Justice League icon left quite a bit to be desired by longtime fans. The reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian princess, Shiera Sanders Hall possesses elegant birdlike wings on her back that allow her to fly like a (wait for it) hawk, and she's a skilled combatant with a mace. The character's popularity has remained high with modern audiences ever since the Justice League animated series, so seeing her properly brought to life on the silver screen would undoubtedly please numerous fans.
Black Canary
A frequent love interest for Oliver Queen a.k.a Green Arrow and a longtime member of the Justice League, Dinah "Black Canary" Drake has easily become one of DC's most enduring heroes in recent years. Primarily known for her fishnet stockings and her sonic "Canary Cry" screams, Ms. Drake is a badass fighter who can easily go toe-to-toe with DC combatants like Batman and Nightwing. In fact, Black Canary is such a skilled hand-to-hand fighter that she has often found herself charged with teaching lesser Justice League members how to fend for themselves with nothing more than their fists.
Storm
There's absolutely no question that Ororo Munroe has played a significant role in the X-Men movies over the course of the last two decades. In fact, she was one of the first modern female superheroes to appear in any mainstream comic book movie. That said, Storm has almost exclusively existed as a supporting player for other X-Men characters over the years, and we think it is time for this weather-manipulating African Queen to get her own story. If that happens, she will finally be able to move on from "Do you know what happens to a toad when it gets struck by lighting?"
Black Widow
Out of all the characters present on this list, Black Widow arguably is the one with the longest and most successful silver screen career. Scarlett Johansson has admirably portrayed the former KGB assassin the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the events of Iron Man 2, and fans have consistently clamored for a solo movie focusing on her character with each passing Marvel "Phase." Johansson is still definitely young enough to keep playing Natasha Romanoff in the MCU for many more years, and Phase 4 seems like a perfect time to finally give this spy-turned-good-guy her time to step into the spotlight.
Huntress
As one of the darker members of the Birds of Prey team, Huntress has enough badass skills (as well as emotional baggage) to easily carry her own story. The daughter of a Gotham City crime boss, Helena Bertinelli witnessed her parents getting murdered before her very eyes in a vicious mob hit. However, unlike The Caped Crusader, Huntress committed herself to a war on crime that would take whatever steps necessary to bring these men to justice. She's handy with a crossbow and willing to kill her enemies in combat if forced to -- which often brings her into conflict with other heroes.
Katana
Despite the fact that she barely uttered a word throughout the entirety of Suicide Squad, Karen Fukuhara's Katana nonetheless proved herself as one of the film's most intriguing and engaging characters. She has a fascinating backstory centering around a quest for revenge against the men who murdered her husband, and her connections to numerous other DC characters could allow her to go almost anywhere within the greater DCEU. Besides, as Rick Flag astutely points out in Suicide Squad: her sword traps the souls of the victims. How could you not want to see more of that on the silver screen at some point?
Ms. Marvel
While Captain Marvel will receive her own solo movie in 2019 when Brie Larson steps into the titular role, that opens up an exciting new avenue for a Ms. Marvel movie as well. Real name Kamala Khan, the new incarnation of the classic Marvel hero is a teenage Muslim Inhuman from New Jersey who receives polymorphic abilities (mainly the power of elasticity) from a Terrigen Bomb. The MCU has only just begun to tap into the potential of teenage heroes with Spider-Man, and Kamala would bring a fascinating degree of diversity to the Marvel films that we simply haven't seen yet.
Zatanna
Suicide Squad firmly established that magic exists within the DCEU, and few mystic DC characters have become more popular over the years than Zatanna. The daughter of a renowned magician named Giovanni Zatara, Zatanna possesses nearly limitless power and her abilities have often made her a valuable asset to the primary team in Justice League stories, as well as Justice League Dark stories. A story focusing solely on her would undoubtedly be weird, but DC has seen the benefits of taking chances, and there's clearly no upper limit to the bizarre stories and visuals that audiences will accept -- as long as the story is told properly.
Kitty Pryde
The X-Men movies have prominently featured Kitty Pryde over the years (with Ellen Page playing the most common incarnation of the role), but there's quite a bit of potential for her as a central hero that has often gone unnoticed. Ms. Pryde -- who can phase through solid matter -- often finds herself as the focal point of many of the X-Men team's most iconic stories, making her well suited for a movie of her very own. She has a unique power set compared to other heroes, so a story focusing on her could set itself apart and offer up some trippy effects.
Power Girl
Kara Zor-El is already doing some phenomenal things on the small screen with The CW's Supergirl, and it would be hard to argue that the DCEU needs another version of that character right now. That said, there's an equally valid argument to be made that her Earth-2 doppelganger Kara Zor-L could make a perfect fit for the DCEU. She's ostensibly the same character, but she's often depicted with slightly different powers and an older and wiser sensibility. If nothing else, a DCEU film focusing on Power Girl could add another heavy hitter to the DCEU roster while also putting increased emphasis on the multi-verse.
Batwoman
Real name Kate Kane, Batwoman is one of those "fringe" members of The Caped Crusader's Bat Family who often has a hard time playing with others. Like Red Hood, she sometimes uses guns and lethal force to achieve proper justice on the streets of Gotham, and her violent tactics (not to mention her badass costume) would feel like a perfect fit for the tone and style of the DCEU. It's also worth mentioning that Kane is one of the most high-profile LGBT characters in comics, so her inclusion on the silver screen could open up some compelling doors for storytelling.
This poll is no longer available.
