James Gunn Teases His Favorite Superman Villains (What Could It Mean For Superman: Legacy?)

With DC's newest cinematic revamp right around the corner, fans are starting to dig for as much information as they can find in order to get something to look forward to. With architect James Gunn not shying away from Twitter and actively interacting with fans' questions, comments, and concerns, we can get some pretty good nuggets to chew on occasionally.

Twitter user @ProfofEvil decided to take advantage of Gunn's openness when he put a question out in the Twittersphere about the upcoming "Superman: Legacy," which will kick off Gunn's new DC Universe. "Not trying to look for spoilers, but any underrated Superman villains you adore?"

In true James Gunn style, the director didn't disappoint; he simply said there were too many to count and posted pictures of Silver Banshee, Parasite, Ultra-Humanite, and Blaze. These characters are definitely underrated when compared to villains like Lex Luthor, Brainiac, or Doomsday; they could prove to be formidable adversaries for the Blue Boy Scout on the silver screen. Other suggestions in the comments pointed to Metallo and Bizarro, but Gunn quickly pointed out that these characters weren't, in his opinion, underrated. There is no word on any of these villains showing up in the film, but it gives us a little idea of what we can expect from Gunn's version of Superman.

Silver Banshee is an exciting addition to the group of underrated villains presented by James Gunn. She has been featured in multiple versions of live-action and animated Kryptonian stories. An early appearance in an episode of "Smallville" saw her retconned as a deceased Gaelic heroine who needed to possess a body. Played by Odessa Rae ("Rizzoli & Isles"), this iteration was closer to the original character.

She was then featured again in the animated universe as she appeared in "Justice League: Unlimited," "DC Super Hero Girls," "Batman/Superman: Public Enemies," and "Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay." Her most notable appearance was in the "Arrowverse" as she was a primary villain to Supergirl (Melissa Benoist), this time played by Italia Ricci ("Designated Survivor").

Armed with superhuman strength and invulnerability, she is a close physical match to Superman, and her supersonic scream can put him out of commission for a short period. Her original incarnation involves a book of the occult being leveraged by the demon that gave her the powers she possesses. This origin story could add another level to the "Gods & Monsters" phase Gunn is beginning his universe with, and could even go so far as teasing other characters that deal in the occult or Satanic oddities, John Constantine and Zatanna. Knowing Gunn, if he does decide to use her at any point, it won't be without a deeper meaning.

Superman can sometimes be the kind of hero that is overpowered. This can make it difficult for writers to create new obstacles for him to overcome. Raising the stakes becomes challenging when someone is basically a living god with no real danger of being defeated. That is unless you have a villain that can absorb Superman's powers and go on to wreak havoc on the world while Clark Kent watches helplessly.

This could very well be a path James Gunn could take if he decided to bring Parasite on board to battle with Krypton's last son. Rudolph Jones, a janitor sometimes at the Daily Planet and sometimes at S.T.A.R. Labs, is the victim of a freak accident that turns him into a monster that hungers for energy and, therefore, must absorb the energy of all those around him to survive. He has been a member of villainous groups such as the Injustice League, the Secret Society of Supervillains, and the Suicide Squad.

"Superman: Legacy" is said to be about the dynamic the hero faces living as both Superman-Kal El and Clark Kent. Having the story's villain steal one of these personalities away and turn him into just another Metropolite watching the destruction at the hands of a supervillain could put his existence into perspective and reinvigorate him as Superman. It also allows Gunn to potentially create the kind of villain that doesn't mean to be evil, just afraid and trying to survive. Also, does anyone else think Gunn would write this role specifically for his long-time collaborator Nathan Fillion...?

Superman is a powerful being; therefore, some of his most iconic villains are equally powerful. General Zod, Mongul, Bizarro, and Doomsday are all characters who are unafraid to go toe to toe with the most powerful superhero in the universe. However, his most iconic villains are not those powerful foes that match his strength but instead are the adversaries who are his antithesis—intellect over power, mind over muscle. While Lex Luthor is the most famous of these villains, one other preceded Superman's most notorious arch nemesis, Ultra-Humanite.

While his intelligence is said to rival even Luthor's, Ultra-Humanite also possesses superhuman abilities like strength and stamina and powers like telekinesis, telepathy, and mind control. All of these together inside of a mind that rivals that of Superman's arch nemesis, and you could expect him to be one of the most formidable adversaries in the DC Universe.

Using Ultra-Humanite as the antagonist in "Superman: Legacy" would set the bar high for villains across the franchise, but it could also introduce a character that could pull the strings as a Thanos-level villain. He could not only hold his own against the Man of Steel but also be the architect behind the entirety of the DCU.

Last but definitely not least is the nefarious Blaze. James Gunn is known for taking unknown characters like the Guardians of the Galaxy, Polka Dot Man, and Peacemaker and making them well-known entities. Blaze is one of those characters that could find herself at the center of some universe-shaping events. As a demon who works behind the scenes, creating villains and stealing the souls of humans, Blaze could be one of the big bads pulling the strings of other maniacal characters.

Two characters that Blaze is connected to specifically that could have a far-reaching impact on the universe are Silver Banshee, an installment on this very list earlier, and Shazam. If Banshee is, in fact, a villain that Gunn wants to use in the first Superman outing, Blaze could be the one behind the scenes and acting as the catalyst for the occult in the DCU. The wizard Shazam is her father, and she is the one who initially corrupted Black Adam, meaning she could also play a part in the wider DCU by introducing a wide variety of characters such as the Shazam family, Constantine, and Zatana. Or, to keep with the demonic and Hellbound characters, Etrigan, Trigon, and Raven could also be on the docket.

Gunn continues to show that he is open to treading off the beaten path to find characters we are not used to seeing. And with this list of possible villains in the future for the Man of Steel, we could be in store for some pretty epic showdowns.