James Gunn has already announced most of the projects that fans can expect to see in the first chapter of this universe. Aptly named Gods and Monsters, this chapter has already promised appearances from characters like Superman, Batman, and Swamp Thing. However, DC has access to a lot more characters who would fit well into this proposed theme.

7Killer Croc

• Debut Comic: Detective Comics #523
• Creator: Gerry Conway, Don Newton, Gene Colan

One of the first movies to be released as a part of the new DCU is the Batman project titled Brave and the Bold. James Gunn has already teased that fans will once again get to see Robin on screen, but no villain has been mentioned as yet.

Since Matt Reeves’ The Batman Universe is continuing with its grounded approach to the character, perhaps this new version should feature a more supernatural Batman nemesis. Killer Croc is part crocodile and super strong. Also, his powers make him somewhat of a cannibal. This makes him the perfect fit for a chapter of films looking to explore some monstrous DC characters.

6Lex Luthor

• Debut Comic: Action Comics #23
• Creator: Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster

With Superman being the pinnacle of good for this new DC Universe, it makes sense that this all-powerful hero will be viewed as a god by many. That means the filmmakers will need to look for a more monstrous enemy for him to face in the film.

Although Superman has a lot of literal monsters in his Rogues Gallery, none are quite as evil as Lex Luthor. The evil genius has no real superpowers but has proved to be more than a match for Superman on more than one occasion. Having this mortal man posing as a villain in this chapter of the DCU could serve to prove that not all monsters are beasts.

5Ares

• Debut Comic: Wonder Woman #1
• Creator: William Moulton Marston, Harry G. Peter

There was no mention of a solo Wonder Woman project in James Gunn’s first DCU announcement. However, the announcement of a TV show called Paradise Lost has hinted at a story focused entirely on Themyscira. That means fans will get to see the Amazons in some form, and their biggest rival is Ares.

The God of War, Ares has posed as a threat to Wonder Woman on many occasions. Although this menace is more of a villain to all life on Themyscira, it would make perfect sense for this god to show up in this series first. His meddling in the show could even be the cause for Wonder Woman to show up in the first place.

4Atrocitus

• Debut Comic: Green Lantern vol. 4 #25
• Creator: Geoff Johns, Ethan Van Sciver

The Green Lantern Core is a peacekeeping force in the DC Universe that is getting its own series in the first chapter of the DCU. This does not necessarily mean that fans will get to see big names like Hal Jordan or Jon Stewart, but it does mean that they will get to experience some of the lore of the Lanterns.

The Green Lanterns get their powers from willpower, but there are other Lantern factions in the galaxy who power themselves with other emotions. None of these villains are more monstrous than Atrocitus, the leader of the Red Lanterns. This behemoth powers himself with anger, something that could pose a problem for the more hopeful gods of the DCU.

3The Flash

• Debut Comic: Flash Comics #1
• Creator: Gardner Fox, Harry Lampert

With James Gunn announcing the return of many fan favorites to the DCU, there was one big name missing. The Flash is a founding member of the Justice League, and his absence will be felt if the universe seeks to bring this team together, especially when he has an array of great villains.

The fact that the scarlet speedster has godlike powers also makes him perfect for this first chapter. Not to mention there are so many perfect platforms coming up to re-introduce the character. He could pop up somewhere obvious like in Superman Legacy or Booster Gold, or James Gunn could surprise fans with an unexpected appearance in something like Swamp Thing or Creature Commandos.

2Cyborg

• Debut Comic: DC Comics Presents #26
• Creator: Marv Wolfman, George Perez

Cyborg is one of the more interesting characters within the Justice League. He wasn’t gifted godlike powers at birth, and he never trained to be a hero. Instead, Cyborg was part of an unfortunate accident that forced him to live as an outcast and view himself as a monster.

Such a tragic character could be a great point-of-view character for audiences and give filmmakers a chance to explore another term for a monster. Cyborg doesn’t have to show up in the DCU straight away, but fans would prefer to see him sooner rather than later.

1The Grid

• Debut Comic: Justice League Vol 2 #23
• Creator: Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis

The Grid may not be the most well-known or powerful villain in the DC Universe, but he is capable of doing so much damage to the Justice League. As a corrupted version of the program keeping Cyborg alive, The Grid could toy with this character’s notion of what it is like to be a hero and feel like a monster.

On the flip side, The Grid can also prove challenging for the rest of the Justice League. After all, The Grid is still one of their members. Dispatching of such a dangerous villain could prove difficult even for a team made up of gods and monsters.