By David Wharton | 6 years ago

At this point, the success of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is just getting ridiculous. It seems like each passing day brings word of some new box office record James Gunn’s superheroic space opera has conquered. That’s just another jewel for the crown of Marvel’s massively successful Cinematic Universe, so it’s no surprise that their rivals at DC want a piece of the action. They’re setting up their own interconnected big-screen universe on the back of Man of Steel, and now it turns out that DC’s movie plans may include their own sci-fi superhero franchise to challenge the Guardians — the Legion of Super-Heroes.

The folks at Latino Review have a pretty solid reputation when it comes to rumors, and now they’re reporting that DC is actively seeking Legion of Super-Heroes pitches, sending out copies of the comic to various screenwriters to solicit their take on the material. This doesn’t mean that a Legion of Super-Heroes movie is anything near a sure thing at this point, but given the victory laps currently being taken by James Gunn and Marvel’s Guardians, it’s not surprising to think that DC is looking into adapting one of its most beloved sci-fi/comic properties. And I definitely think Legion has huge potential if done right, although frankly I’d rather see it as a TV series than a movie.

If you’re not familiar with the Legion of Super-Heroes, they were first introduced in Adventure Comics #247, way back in April 1958. Created by Otto Binder, they were essentially a 30th century version of the Justice League or Avengers, but with a membership that tended to skew younger. Inspired by the heroic exploits of Superboy, the Legion amassed a massive roster of humans and aliens gifted with just about every type of power you could imagine. Over the decades, the Legion’s stories have encompassed a variety of tones and styles, from lighthearted adventure to darker tales such as the acclaimed “Great Darkness Saga” from the early ’80s. The team has also been rebooted and re-imagined many times, so any potential Legion of Super-Heroes screenwriter will have plenty of options when deciding what a big-screen Legion movie should be.

In spite of its grittier moments, however, a Legion movie would ideally be a chance for DC to show their burgeoning Cinematic Universe doesn’t have to be as gloomy as Man of Steel. Even in its darkest moments, the Legion has always occupied a more fun-loving corner of the DC universe, filled with fantastic adventures across the cosmos and a roster of crazy characters like Matter-Eater Lad and Bouncing Boy. So what will a Legion movie look like in light of DC’s alleged “no jokes” policy? I’m not sure I want to find out, but I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that DC gets this one right.