(SPOILERS FOR JUSTICE LEAGUE)

The newest film in the DCEU, Justice League, has been out for a while now, enough time for most to come up their thoughts on it. The general consensus on the film isn’t great, but it’s not that bad. While most critics didn’t find too much enjoyment in the film, a large amount of the fans and general audience have had a much more positive reaction to it. The box office for the film hasn’t been exactly what Warner Bros. was hoping for though, with it only going just over 90 million for the domestic opening weekend. Although it seems like the international box office may make up for its shortcomings in the U.S, it’s certainly not the studio was expecting for one of the biggest team-up films of all time.

The future films of the DC film universe might be shaken up soon due to Justice League‘s, or maybe not. Either way it’s too early to say for sure, but there is doubt from fans and critics alike. The slate of the DCEU has always been something that comes and goes, but here is what it looks like as of right now.

Justice League

Aquaman

Shazam

Suicide Squad 2

The Batman

Justice League Dark

Batgirl

Green Lantern Corps

Flashpoint

Wonder Woman 2

The original slate of films announced all the way back in 2014 looked quite different, with films such as Justice League sequel and Cyborg not on the current slate. The reason why a sequel to Justice League isn’t going to be out in the next couple of years can be guessed by many, but a solo film based on one of the founding members of the League itself not being on there is questionable. We know Warner Bros. is developing multiple films outside of their slate including Deathstroke, Nightwing, Gotham City Sirens, and more, but we haven’t heard rumblings about a Cyborg movie.

At first glance, a film being announced centered around the least popular member of the Justice League doesn’t sound likely, especially after what Warner Bros. has gone through with Justice League. Looking into what makes Cyborg as important as the rest of the League however, is something I very much believe is worth their time. Yes, Victor Stone isn’t as popular as the Flash or Batman, but it doesn’t mean he can’t be.

In Justice League, actor Ray Fisher portrays Victor Stone aka Cyborg. Fisher does a fantastic job displaying the struggle that Stone has with being half-machine, half-human. He’s the heart of the movie with not only playing a very important role in taking down Steppenwolf, but also having the best and most complete arc. This is something many critics and fans have noticed upon watching the latest DC film, the character of Cyborg not only resonates with them but also brings out most of the emotion.

Being a less popular character helped in some ways by making the anticipation for his role in the movie less than the rest. A lot of people were surprised how much they liked Cyborg, and to be honest me too. I was a fan of the character before hand so I had some anticipation but I was very surprised how much the character stuck with me after the first viewing. This article is proof of how much Cyborg made in impact in the film for me, and I very much hope to prove to you (the reader) of the same. I believe that Victor Stone aka Cyborg full deserves his own solo film within the DCEU, here are the reasons why.

Victor Stone is the heart of Justice League

As I briefly said previously, Cyborg is the heart and soul of the Justice League. His link with the main story line in the film is important to not only the development of his character, but to the rest of the League as well. In the movie, he’s recruited to the team because he has the most knowledge on what the Mother Boxes can do. This is because his new body was created by one, so it makes him a direct link in the plan to save the earth from Steppenwolf and his parademons. Cyborg is the one that is able to connect to the boxes and separate them, with the help of Superman at the end.

Without Cyborg, Earth is doomed. That isn’t to say the rest of the characters aren’t as important, in fact, every member of the League is as important as the rest. That’s something I really think the film did very well with; making each character necessary for the team. Which brings me to believe that Cyborg deserves his own chance in a solo film, just like the Flash or Aquaman. His importance to not only Justice League, but also the DC universe has been raised exponentially with Warner Bros’ latest flick.

He’s relatable yet mostly machine

It’s revealed in Justice League that Victor Stone suffered horrific injuries in a car accident, losing most of his body. In the same accident, his mother Elinore died. The incident occurred after Victor’s football game, and while driving home with his mother he was mad at the fact his father Silas wasn’t present at the game. He blames his Father for what happened, and an already rocky relationship got at an all time worst.

He’s one of, if not, the most relateable character in the film. His relationship with his father is something a lot of people can find similarities within their own lives. Silas Stone never approved of Victor taking up football, he has always thought more of his son. This puts a lot of pressure on Victor, always trying to get the approval of his father despite their indifference. We know Silas loves Victor more than anything, and was willing to risk everything to bring his son back to life after the accident. To Victor however, he made once again ruined his life by making him what he is now. One of the best lines from the film is when Victor talks about the world seeing the monster he is, then he reveals he actually talking about Silas. By the end of the film, it’s clear he’s moved on from this somewhat, but that road to self acceptance and forgiveness is still there. That could/should be something further explored in his own solo film.

Representation matters

Victor Stone aka Cyborg is missing a lot of his former body, and he is enhanced with an almost completely new body. That isn’t what defines him though, it’s his ability to overcome the obstacles put at front of him. This is something that I think kids and those who have similar disabilities would find relateable. They would have a hero with his own solo film that they could look up because of it, and I think that’s priceless.

Having a black superhero character in the forefront of his own film is something DC has right at front of them. With Marvel doing Black Panther I’m sure that film will be making lots of money, so having another superhero film starring a colored person soon rather than later would be fantastic too. We are in the “Golden Age” of superhero films in the last couple of years, yet I can only name a handful with a colored person in a starring role from the past two decades. Once again, the possibilities are truly there for a Cyborg film, and exploring a black person’s experience in the world is definitely one of them. One of my fellow writers, and good friend, wrote an article about a very important and powerful scene in Cyborg’s recent comic run, I implore you to read it here.

He’s an epic character

One of the simplest yet coolest reasons why he should have his own solo flick is because he’s just epic. His power set is beyond awesome; he has the ability to interface with any type of technology, flight, super-strength, and a very extreme weapon’s system. That’s only what he’s able to do now, as his powers evolve over time just like we see in the film when he has the ability to fly all of the sudden. Being able to interface and control pretty much any form of technology can be pretty handy, the possibilities for exploring this power are endless. Beyond the fact he’s very powerful, his character can also be a gateway for others to be introduced to the DCEU.

Before becoming one of the founding members of the Justice League in DC’s New 52 run, Cyborg is also known to many as a key member of the Teen Titans. Comic book writer Marv Wolfman originally created his character back in 1980, he joined the Teen Titans shortly there after. He slowly became one of the lead heroes from the team, he was even featured in the animated series of the same name. DC’s New 52 launch really revitalized the character though, bringing more in the forefront as part of the Justice League (he’s currently still is). With a Cyborg solo film, Warner Bros. could possibly tease/setup a future Teen Titans film. Whether or not they are planing to go that route with our without his own film isn’t certain, but the possibilities are there.

Ray Fisher is Cyborg

My final reason as for why the character deserves his shot in a solo film is because of Ray Fisher’s performance in Justice League. Other than the fact his character was written very well, Fisher brought a lot of humanity to Victor. His progression in his journey finding his old self is slow but noticeable in his performance. I was quite surprised how much he killed the role, having never even seen him in anything else. He’s a relative newcomer compared to the rest of the cast, but something tells me his future is very bright in acting. Having him star in a Cyborg film would be a bit risky since he isn’t a big name, his portrayal of the character however tells me he’s more than ready for one.

What do you guys think? I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts and opinions on the matter. Be sure to tweet at SuperBroMovies, or you can even tweet me by clicking here; Marcos Melendez.

You can catch Cyborg in Justice League in theaters right now.

– Marcos Melendez

Justice League unites its way into theaters November 17, 2017.

Justice League – Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.