With Black Adam set to open in theaters soon, it will not only mark the debut of the titular anti-hero but also introduce the Justice Society of America into the DCEU. The Justice Society of America, or JSA for short and sometimes just The Society, was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comics. They were the first team of superheroes in comic books and made their first appearance in All-Star Comics #3 by artist Everett E. Hibbard.

The team ceased publication in 1951 and during the Silver Age was replaced by the more popular Justice League as DC Comics’ premiere superhero team. However, the Justice Society has endured, and in the comics were in a parallel Earth to the Justice League with their annual crossovers being a major event. Over the years the team has been reimagined, with a vast roster of characters with the team mainly focused on classic Golden Age superheroes training newer legacy-based heroes.

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The Justice Society has appeared on Smallville, Legends of Tomorrow, and recently the hit CW series Stargirl where they are a major part of the series. They recently received their own animated movie Justice Society: World War 2 in 2021 and with their appearance in Black Adam it is expected they will be a major player in the ever-growing DCEU. The roster of members in the film is relatively small with it consisting of Dr. Fate, Hawkman, Cyclone, and Atom Smasher. With a wonderful cast of characters in the comics, these are the seven Justice Society members we want to see in future DCEU films.

Hawkgirl

     DC Comics

While typically associated as a member of the Justice League due to her appearance in the popular animated series, many of the various incarnations of Hawkgirl have also been members of the Justice Society. Reportedly she was considered for Black Adam, but due to an unspecified reason, they could not use the character, and instead, Cyclone filled in the role in the film. Whatever the DCEU has planned for Hawkgirl, her presence in the DCEU certainly would be one that would get audiences excited as she is still an extremely popular character.

Sandman

     Vertigo

The Sandman series on Netflix has been a major hit, yet the lord of dreams is not the only Sandman in DC Comics. Both the original character Wesley Dodd and his sidekick Sandy Hawkins have taken up the mantle of Sandman and served as members of the Justice Society.

While he has more in common with pulp heroes of hard-boiled detective fiction, it is that vastly different genre of story that makes him a great pick for the Justice Society. It shows how the team has a member for various types of missions, and they can tell multiple types of stories. While they need powerhouses like Hawkman and Dr. Fate, they also need street-level heroes to investigate standard crimes.

Shining Knight

Shining Knight has never been a member of the Justice Society in the comics, as both incarnations of the character are more closely associated with the Seven Soldiers of Victory. However, it feels more than fitting to have Shining Knight on the team as the character is associated with the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the round table, the JSA are often seated around a giant conference table.

The ideal candidate for future movies is the second Shining Knight, Ystina. Ystina is a transgender superhero and would not only be a great step forward in terms of diversity in mainstream superhero movies, but thematically the character could find a great home among the various Justice Society members. These are heroes that come from vastly different worlds with varying backgrounds, but together they form a surrogate family.

Amazing Man

There have been four different people to take up the mantle of Amazing Man, and the first three all have a family connection. The original is Will Everett, a Black athlete who competed in the infamous 1936 Olympics held in Berlin under Nazi Germany. He developed the superpower to mimic anything he touched, and spent his life as a superhero and advocating for civil rights. His two grandsons, Will Everett III and Markus Clay also took on the mantle of Amazing Man. Markus Clay made his debut in the comics by helping survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

All three of these characters have ties to uniquely Black experiences and that life experience would be both a much-needed boost in terms of diversity but also storytelling potential. Amazing Man could give DC a similar hero that Marvel has with Luke Cage, a hero who embraces his roots. They are the Justice Society of America, which means they should represent all walks of American life and have a hero who is looking out for the everyday person.

Jakeem Thunder and the Thunderbolt

Jakeem is a young latch-key kid who is given a magic pen that contains the powerful genie, Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt can grant any wish, but Jakeem needs to be careful with his wishes as he can only make it once and the Thunderbolt can interpret them literally. Jakeem was given the powerful pen by Johnny Thunder, the original wielder of the Thunderbolt, due to his declining mental health. Jakeem has been a long-standing member of the Justice Society.

This basic premise of what if a kid had a magic genie is such a homerun concept it is astounding to think Warner Bros. didn’t grab this concept years ago and turn it into a series of family films in the 90s. Putting a kid on a team of superheroes allows the young audience who tends to see superhero movies to see themselves on screen, and also provides a great opportunity for the older heroes to be role models and surrogate parental figures.

Power Girl

Power Girl is one of the most iconic DC superheroes but also one of the most complicated in terms of backstory. The simple explanation is she is a grown-up version of Supergirl from another Earth that becomes stranded in the main DC Universe. With the upcoming The Flash movie exploring the multiverse of DC, it might be the perfect time to bring in the fan-favorite Power Girl. Her status as a Kryptonian not only gives the team a heavy hitter but one that can go toe to toe with someone like Black Adam.

With Power Girl also comes the chance to feature a strong female leader for the team, and someone who is navigating being a stranger in a world that is different from her own. It is a spin on the Superman story, but here is a grown woman that is the last surviving member of an entire universe. That can be the dramatic arc of her story and audiences see how she integrates into a new universe. Power Girl is a great character with plenty of story potential that DC should not waste.

The Spectre

     Warner Bros. Animation

One of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe and one that has gotten little attention in terms of live-action adaptations in The Spectre. While many have held the mantle, the most iconic is Jim Corrigan. Corrigan was a cop that was murdered only to return as a spirit of vengeance who seeks out evil to kill and punish them. In many ways, he acts as DC’s version of both Punisher and Ghost Rider and is one of the most powerful beings in the DC universe.

The character would make a great addition to the DCEU, as both a heavy hitter in eventual showdowns with characters like Black Adam, but also the lead in a supernatural-themed horror franchise with the Spectre acting as a sort of slasher movie monster. The Spectre is one of those great characters with so much untapped potential and is finally time he got his spotlight.