5 Superman Villains Who Can Never Be in Live Action

by

Superman boasts an extensive collection of formidable villains among comic book characters, a testament to his pioneering role as the first superhero and influencer of what a supervillain’s image and storyline could be. Although Batman’s rogues gallery may be more renowned, Superman’s is no less exceptional and arguably underappreciated. As the new Superman film approaches its release in cinemas, fans eagerly anticipate which iconic villains will appear on the big screen. However, while there are many beloved Superman villains we hope to witness in live action, there are some that should never be adapted. For various reasons, ranging from practicality to ethics, these five villains must never grace the screens of any movie theater.

1) Mister Oz

Mister Oz, a more recent adversary of Superman introduced in issue #32 of Superman (2011), seems older in the Superman universe’s lore, having made an appearance long before that. This enigmatic figure observed Clark Kent’s dual life from some unknown extraterrestrial realm and was eventually unmasked as Jor-El, Superman’s deceased Kryptonian father. Instead of perishing with Krypton, Jor-El was saved by Doctor Manhattan at the moment of Krypton’s destruction and used to manipulate Superman’s timeline and that of the entire DC Universe.

The challenge in bringing Mister Oz to live-action is that his survival storyline is too complex for anything outside the DC comics. Introducing him into movies would prompt questions about who he survived, why he didn’t raise Clark Kent, and how he managed to survive at all. Integrating Doctor Manhattan and his plotline would be impossible, leading to drastic changes in Mister Oz’s character that would effectively transform him into a different version of Jor-El.

Moreover, keeping Jor-El alive complicates Superman’s origin story, which should be avoided given its iconic status and wide recognition. It is best to keep Jor-El as an inspiring figure from beyond the grave rather than introducing him as a living character in live-action adaptations.

2) Hfuhruhurr, the World-Bringer

the removal of their brains and placement in tubes that keep them alive indefinitely. In his first appearance, Hfuhruhurr extracted the brains of all inhabitants of Trudeau, South Dakota, causing widespread terror. Despite his intriguing nature, Hfuhruhurr’s methods might be too gruesome for a big-screen adaptation, as they involve countless human brains and could potentially be distressing to viewers. Although he is an interesting villain, the depiction of his actions may be too extreme for a Superman movie.

3) The 100

Initially known as El Ciento, this ancient group of wealthy criminal masterminds united to establish a formidable criminal empire. Despite being only seventy-one in number, they named themselves after the twenty-nine companions who perished before they discovered a means to achieve limited immortality. To maintain their longevity, they fed on the negative emotions of people working on land they owned, which fueled their malevolent behavior towards their workers. Moreover, this enabled them to assume energy forms and possess others. While the notion of immortal elites who thrive on the suffering of the lower class could make for compelling movie villains, especially in a Superman film that emphasizes his stance against oppression, I question whether the 100 are the best choice. Primarily, their sheer number makes it challenging to concentrate on individual storylines, potentially limiting the focus on conventional superhero action. Superman should confront oppression in live-action adaptations, but a movie centered around the 100 might not appeal to audiences due to an absence of sufficient comic book action. As much as I’d enjoy seeing them adapted, there are other villains who fulfill similar roles with fewer complications.

4) Sleez

The main issue preventing Sleez from appearing in live-action is that his character would automatically elevate the rating to R, which isn’t suitable for a Superman blockbuster. For those unaware, Sleez first appeared in Action Comics #592, using his mind control powers to try and force Superman and Big Barda into filming an explicit movie together. This character is deeply inappropriate for a superhero movie due to his disturbing nature. To emphasize how despicable he is, Sleez served as an advisor to Darkseid but was deemed too depraved even for him, getting kicked off Apokolips. It takes a level of insanity to be considered too evil for Darkseid, the embodiment of evil itself. Essentially, Sleez isn’t a comic book villain; he’s just a sexual predator who doesn’t deserve a role in any Superman movie due to his repugnant nature. No executive would approve a film with him as the antagonist, and for good reason. Comic books have long forgotten about this character, and movies should follow suit by avoiding him altogether.

5) The DNA Diktators

Mister Oz, Sleez might not cut it, but the DNA Diktators are far too dim-witted to play villains in a serious movie, let alone a comic book one. They are arguably the most idiotic villains ever created, and that’s saying something. Why are they so bad? Well, these twin antagonists were the brains behind the disastrous events of “Superman: At Earth’s End,” an apocalyptic story where a weakened Superman used a colossal gun to battle hordes of mutated beasts. The DNA Diktators, the main villains of one of the edgiest tales ever spun, are two Hitler clones who aimed to create an unlimited army of human-animal hybrids and take over the devastated Earth after they assassinated their creators. The story they originate from is a hallucination, and it’s easy to see why twin Hitler clones wouldn’t work as villains in a Superman film. A movie featuring them would never be good, but I’d still love to witness them on the big screen to see how ridiculous and chaotic it could get. It would be terrible, but hopefully in a fun, entertaining way.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/best-superman-villains-never-in-movie-dc/embed/#

Read More

2025-07-13 15:40