Zatanna: magician extraordinaire. With an apparel of magic up her sleeve, she’s an underappreciated DC hero. She’s complex, interesting and has awesome powers – so why hasn’t our girl got her own DC movie?

We’ve had a million Batman movies, a slew of half-baked Superman films and a surprisingly wonderful Wonder Woman flick. Now that DC’s laid some groundwork, I think it’s high time they showed the Mistress of Magic some big screen love.

Who is Zatanna?

A badass witch bitch, that’s who! She was a stage illusionist first, then discovered her actual magical abilities while searching for her lost father. I smell an amaaaaazing back story! She knows anything and everything to do with the occult, leading to the Justice League recruiting her into their ranks in the comics. With magical powers flowing through her blood she performs stage magic, illusions, mystical arts and, y’know, magic magic.

Earning money from performing spectacular stage shows, Zatanna only throws in a spice of real magic to keep the audience on their toes. A magical, sassy lady putting on a sick show is something that’s begging to be shown on the glory of the big screen.

I first came across Zatanna while playing Injustice: Gods Among Us with my best friend, kicking each other’s asses while repeatedly choosing to play as this badass magic lady time and time again. Since delving into all things Zatanna, and the more I’ve learnt about her, the more I need her to have her own movie. C’mon, how sick would it be? Magic is something that’s highly under-utilised in the DC Universe, opening the door to some sick CGI effects and storylines that offer something a little different from the standard superhero line-up. I mean, it’s not secret: I love superheroes. I even got Spider-Man to sign a bag of Uncle Ben’s rice, for goodness sake! But I feel Zatanna would add something truly special to the big screen.

She’s capable of a wide array of magical feats, though she’s known for her famous vocal incantations – whatever she wills, she simply says backwards, and it comes to pass. That’s pretty sick (s’taht ytterp kcis). I could totally see her on the big screen, her iconic top hat and fish-net tights, embarking on some ‘Doctor Strange’-esque adventure into the mystic world. Yes. Please.

Zatanna is the daughter of a human sorcerer and a Magic sorceress, meaning that she’s not one to mess with. In fact, she’s one of the most powerful sorceress in the entire DC Universe! Move over, Superman, there’s a new kid on the block.

She also owns her own mansion called Shadowcrest, that exists in another dimension, filled with books and knowledge on just about anything you’d want to know. Sorry, but that’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard. Sign me up to journey to a magical dimension filled with endless knowledge.

Zatanna appearances?

Created by Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson, Zatanna’s been in our DC-filled media for over five decades – but I still can’t get enough of her. She first appeared in ‘Hawkman #4’, waaaay back in 1964, depicting Zatanna searching for her mysteriously missing father. Since then, she’s been in a slew of DC comics, animated TV shows, video games and more.

She’s been in the Batman Animated Series, Neil Gaiman’s ‘Books of Magic’, ‘Justice League’ comics, and even live-action episodes of ‘Smallville’, so it’s high time she got her own stage. (Get it?)

She’s also had her fair share of run ins with established DC characters. Our magical girl has had adventures with Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, The Flash, Catwoman and so many more. They’ve all had their moment in the spotlight, so it’s about time that the Mistress of Magic does, too.

So… about that movie?

Nothing’s actually been confirmed about a Zatanna movie, unfortunately. Back in 2018, Warner Bros and DC were “in talks” about producing a movie, whatever that means. It’s likely that they’ve just been kicking about the idea, rather than coming up with anything concrete. So, if there is a Zatanna movie, it’ll be a long way off.

However, I think they will eventually make a solo Zatanna film. With the roaring success of ‘Wonder Woman’, DC have realised just how popular female-led superhero movies can be (well duh, they’re awesome).

‘Captain Marvel’ solidified this ideal, ranking as the most successful opening week for a female-led movie of all time. With rumours of ‘Batgirl’ and ‘Supergirl’ movies moving forward, there’s a slew of female-led badasses soon to hit our cinemas, meaning that Zatanna is likely to follow suit. Here’s hoping!

Who could play her?

There are so many amazing actresses to star in a Zatanna live-action movie, but my perfect choice would be Katie McGrath. She’s already a part of the DC Universe, starring as Lena Luthor in the ‘Supergirl’ TV show, but the DC shows seem to exist outside of the movie franchise. She’s got the acting chops, the look, and the perfect balance of wickedness and charm that Zatanna possesses.

I mean, Katie would be perfect for the role! She’s got that magical vibe down. She even rocks that top-hat, god damn it! I could also picture Lucy Liu killing the role, along with Candice Patton – who’s starred in ‘The Flash’ TV show. And, of course, Serinda Swan did a sick job of portraying the sorceress in ‘Smallville’, too. Whoever ends up playing the magical muse, though, would be fine with me – so long as we finally get a Zatanna movie!

While there’s nothing to confirm a Zatanna film is in the works, I’m still going to hold out hope. Maybe I can magic it into reality. To put it in Zatanna Zatari’s own words: “Hey, pay attention to me! I’m fascinating!” Let’s just hope that DC listen.

What do you think? Will Zatanna get her own movie, or is it just a pipe dream? If there is a Zatanna movie, who would you like to see play the mysterious magician? Let me know in the comments below!

For more on tough women in media, check out why Nancy Wheeler is my favourite character in ‘Stranger Things’. Or, if you need more magic in your life, check out why I loved Amazon’s ‘Good Omens’.