Martian Manhunter is one of the core members of the Justice League but he has been missing from the big screen so far. This is severe underuse of the character with so much potential, but now it seems that Warner Bros. is looking to undo the mistake.
There are reports that WB is planning a movie starring Martian Manhunter. The studio is looking for a person of colour to play J’onn J’onzz, also known as Martian Manhunter, in the film and that it will be part of the DCEU. It is not a surprise that WB is looking for a person of colour as the shape-shifting alien generally takes the form of an American-African human.
Martian Manhunter may not have appeared on the big screen, but he has appeared in numerous DC shows before. Carl Lumbly voiced the hero in the Justice League animated series while Phil Morris played him in Smallville. Of course, David Harewood currently inhabits the role in The CW’s Arrowverse.
In fact, there has been a disguised appearance of Martian Manhunter in the DCEU, which was later confirmed by Zack Snyder. It was long theorized by fans that Harry Lennix’s General Swanwick from Man of Steel and Batman V Superman was the character in disguise. Eventually, Zack Snyder recently confirmed that this would have been revealed as the case in his cut of Justice League, adding to the long list of reasons why folks are desperate to see it released.
The calls for Zack Snyder’s cut are being ignored by WB studios, and it is improbable that Lennix’s will return for the role. Things have changed vastly for the DCEU with Ben Affleck dropping out as Batman and Henry Cavill leaving the part of Superman (almost confirmed apparently), so there is little chance of Lennix being invited back.
He may have appeared in animated shows and CW live-action shows in the Arrowverse, but the full potential of the character has never been revealed. We hope that the movie finds its way soon.
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