We've reached a point in superhero film and television where virtually every major character has graced either the big or small screen, which opens things up for the oddball heroes. Welcome to the age of the obscure.
I can argue that it all started with Guardians of the Galaxy.
They're household names now, sure, but not before that first movie. Growing up a Marvel fan, even I wasn't familiar with the likes of Drax, Gamora, or even Starlord, for that matter. I had heard of Rocket and Groot, but I knew little about them. Out of all the comic shops and conventions I recall setting foot in, I don't recall ever hearing someone broadcast their fandom for the GOTG. Now it seems everyone is a fan, including myself.
That's the age of superheroes that we have entered, one where the obscure and unconventional can find stardom. The time when mostly serious, established characters (Batman comes to mind) got their own movies and shows has transitioned toward the quirky, lesser-known faces of comics. After the success of GOTG, Marvel began taking a more lighthearted approach to their characters. They even transformed Ant-Man and Thor into comedy routines despite their comic versions being more on the serious side.
This transition has opened the door for such characters as Lobster Johnson. If you haven't seen the revamped Hellboy (which I recommend despite critics slaughtering it in the reviews), the Lobster has basically an extended cameo role in the film. Although he doesn't use up much screen time, he is prominently featured during the exposition and the post-credits scene. He gets so much attention that I am led to believe that he may be in line for a film or at least more cameos. Now that Netflix and Dark Horse Comics have inked a deal for character rights, I feel even more strongly that Lobster Johnson will make it to the streaming service.
We're also seeing more of this shift on the small screens. Marvel announced that Howard the Duck, Hit Monkey, and MODOK would be featured in their own cartoons on Hulu. As much as I love Marvel and comics in general, even I needed to research Hit Monkey. Howard the Duck and MODOK aren't necessarily obscure (at least not to comic fans) but they fit this trend of off-beat characters. Speaking of off-beat and obscure, lets not forget about Negasonic Teenage Warhead from the Deadpool franchise, not to mention Hydra Bob.
DC Comics introduced some of their less-famous faces in Teen Titans Go to the Movies. We saw the Challengers of the Unknown given prominent cameo treatment on the big screen. Of course, DC did this years ago with the tongue-in-cheek tribute to its golden and silver age with Batman: the Brave and the Bold cartoon, which introduced many such characters.
By and large, all of these characters are hits because it's unexpected. When it comes to the lesser known members of comicdom, filmmakers have more freedom because audiences have no preconceived notions of how they should be portrayed onscreen. As long as fans keep enjoying these types of characters, then we'll continue to see more of them.
My questions is this: when will Matter-Eater Lad make it to the silver screen?
