Why Martian Manhunter movie would not work.

@Jnr6Lil: There are infinitely more people who aren't comic book readers, so surely it makes more sense to create a film for the larger market.

@FullmetalChobit: Of course.

Who ever suggested the idea of J'onn being a Nick Fury type character where he'll make cameo's in all the League Members movies trying to form a team in some format has the right idea going. That would be the only successful way to promote Martian Manhunter into a known mainstream media.

@ArturoCalaKayVee said:

Who ever suggested the idea of J'onn being a Nick Fury type character where he'll make cameo's in all the League Members movies trying to form a team in some format has the right idea going. That would be the only successful way to promote Martian Manhunter into a known mainstream media.

It's crazy to say it wouldn't work as a film, people don't need to know a character for a film to be succesfull as long as the movie is good people will see it, I think a film based on the solo series from the late ninties/early two thousands (I think it was the ostrander run) would be amazing. He is one of the saddest and best characters in all of the DCU and has so much cinimatic potential it's crazy. Just make a sci-fi drama and it would work.

Duncan jones should direct it!

I have several friends who have seen the old Justice League cartoon heard his background and asked me to notify them when he gets a movie...What are you talking about saying He couldn't hold one? A lot of non-comicbook fans who have seen him want him to have a movie.

I don't think that would be too important. I just think that they need to approach it the right way. If they approached it like the did in Justice League: The New Frontier, I think it would be a pretty damned good movie.

I say go the completely opposite direction with J'onn. Instead of having him be the Nick Fury of the Justice League, I say give him two movies prior to a Justice League movie, both taking place entirely on Mars, a hundred years before the events of the Justice League. Have the first set up him growing up alongside his brother Malefic, setting up the relationship between the two, that J'onn loves his brother, while Malefic is at best cold, and at worst, actively hostile to his brother, setting up the Martian culture, their lives, etc. Show J'onn growing up and training to be a Manhunter, meeting a fellow Manhunter, M'yri'ah, who he starts a relationship with, just in time for his planet to make contact with another dimension, and invite over the denizens, individuals who call themselves 'Gods', and hail from Apokolips. After his brother and several others are kidnapped, J'onn travels to Apokolips, seeking to rescue them. He succeeds, though in doing so, discovers his brother worships the ruler of Apokolips (who is never shown), and sacrificed the other Martians to worship Darkseid. J'onn is forced to hand him over to answer for his crimes. While they initially want to kill Malefic, J'onn convinces them instead to wipe his mind and let him be free as a new person, despite Malefic's swears of eternal hatred and vengeance.

J'onn mourns the 'loss' of his brother, as with his memory wiped, they are no longer brothers. M'yri'ah comforts him, and end the movie with the two of them getting married, etc.

After credits teaser is Malefic muttering in his sleep about worshiping Darkseid.

Second movie takes place a few years later, J'onn and M'yri'ah now have a daughter, etc. J'onn is called in to take care of a case that has caused a scientist to be burned alive from within, for no apparent reason. J'onn finds traces of a strange substance in the ashes, and theorizes a virus of some sort. Long story short, mystery takes place over the course of the movie, at some point during the movie, Malefic is brought forth under suspicion for developing the virus, J'onn defends him, and he and Malefic seemingly become friends.

The final battle is J'onn finding out where the virus is being developed, and taking a fellow Manhunter with him, goes to the facility. The Manhunter is exposed to the virus, and J'onn sends the Manhunter back to the city for medical attention. J'onn confronts the designer of the virus, surprise, it's Malefic. They duke it out, Malefic reveals that Darkseid contacted him in his dreams and explained everything that happened. Then Malefic reveals that the virus is spread through telepathy, and that by sending his ally back to the city, the virus will spread through the populace like wildfire, and from the telepathic screams generated by all that death, will spread to the entire race.

J'onn tries to return to his family, Malefic restrains him, J'onn finally kills him and flies back to the city, just in time to watch his wife and daughter burn to death in his arms, having cut himself off telepathically from the rest of his race as they die.

Rather than having a definitive end or an after credits thing, instead have the credits roll as J'onn buries every member of his race one by one, speeding up time and slowing it down as J'onn frequently breaks down over the years. Once the credits end, have him teleported to Earth, his appearance startling the guy who teleported him there, and him finding himself in a new world, still alone.

Also, to highlight the Martian culture better, specifically, their 'Great Voice' the constant telepathic repartee the Martian species engages in, rather than have a soundtrack like most movies, have a low hum always going on through the movies, too low to be annoying, but just high enough to be noticed, like music. Have it rise and fall to match the moments of the movies, somber during sad moments, etc. For those credits where J'onn buries his race, basically, after his race dies, have this hum vanish, leaving only silence save for J'onn, to show just how alone he is now.

I figure if Thor can pull off a superpowered alien movie, so can J'onn.

... I really need to get my ranting under control.

I've really tried to like MMH's solo titles, but I'm not really a fan of them...I like him more as part of a team

It's because DC never tries to put the effort into revitalizing J'onn's history.

BTW, have you tried Ostrander's run?

No. I've been trying to find some TPBs...I recently read 'American Secrets' and didn't like that too much...

I agree that maybe an entire movie revolving around martian manhunter might now work/ earn enough money but I don't agree that he should be the nick fury kind of hat acted in a justice leave movie, I think he could play as the link to them all, but I think since in my opinion martian manhunter has some of the most interesting/ badass powers and would be very disappointed if we didn't get to see martian manhunter kick ass and walk through walls and read peoples minds and morph into a million different things

I disagree as there was that Spawn movie. If Spawn can be done so can Martian Manhunter.

While I agree that he's not a well-known character in the mainstream world, I do think a good movie could be made about him. You'd need people who understood the character and who would treat him and his mythos with respect. Strong writing and creative vision would be key. Good thread, btw.