4 DC and Marvel Superhero Horror Stories That Should Be Adapted Into Movies
With interest in superhero movies in doubt, more horror could provide a significant boost.
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I’m a lifelong fan of horror movies, but I also love superheroes. I’ve been reading comic books ever since I could read. When it comes to superheroes in modern cinema, they certainly have their ups and downs. I like a lot of the output from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe, and I’m very excited for the new direction James Gunn is taking with the DC movies, but superhero movies need more horror.
Marvel dabbled in horror with projects like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) and Werewolf by Night (2022). The Fox X-Men movies have The New Mutants (2020) which was okay, but it felt like an afterthought since it came out amidst Fox’s acquisition by Disney. DC has the Swamp Thing series from 2019. The current DCU also has the animated Creature Commandos show on HBO Max which is great, but it’s really an action series that happens to feature monsters. Clayface is also in its way, which is cool.
There are, of course, superhero horror movies outside of the MCU and DCU. Brightburn (2019) is among the best recent examples. But there’s plenty of room within the MCU and DCU for more horror stories. With the interest in blockbuster superhero movies and shows waning in recent years, shaking up the formula is key to reigniting interest and gaining new fans. I might be biased, but I think horror is the way to go.
Listed below are four of my personal favorite horror story lines that take place within the main continuity of some of Marvel and DC’s most popular comic-book titles. I believe all of these could work within the continuity of the MCU and DCU film and TV franchises.
Kraven’s Last Hunt
I’ve always been fond of Kraven the Hunter as one of Spider-Man’s adversaries. He’s different from most other villains in that he really just wants to beat Spider-Man to prove that he’s better. This is exactly what he does in the 1987 story “Kraven’s Last Hunt.” While contemplating the inevitable end of his life, Kraven sets out to hunt and defeat Spider-Man with a no-nonsense approach. He drugs Spidey with a dart, catches him in a net, shoots him, and buries him. Kraven wins. He then dons Spider-Man’s costume and sets out to prove that he’s better than Spider-Man at being a vigilante as well.
I won’t spoil the rest, but it’s an incredibly dark story with an unsettling atmosphere. It deals with some very heavy subjects, and it is one of the darkest times in Peter Parker’s history. To make this into a movie, it would need to be done with a Spider-Man actor who has tenure. It’s the dramatic shift from fun, quippy superhero antics to darkness and dread that makes the story work so well. With Tom Holland returning for a fourth Spider-Man movie, and with the potential of the film series taking a more mature direction, the time is right for Kraven’s Last Hunt. I could also see a parallel universe story in which Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man is featured in Kraven’s Last Hunt.
Blackest Night
“Blackest Night” is a story that can only effectively be told deep into the DCU’s existence. With the new continuity still just beginning as I write this, it will be years before they should think about adapting it. That’s because “Blackest Night” is built upon the notion of resurrecting dead heroes and villains.
“Blackest Night” is a Green Lantern story at its core, but it encompasses just about every DC hero in some way. Black power rings are sent throughout the universe, bringing dead heroes and villains back to “life” as members of the Black Lantern Corps. In effect, the Black Lanterns are a little like Deadites from the Evil Dead movies. They often look rotten, and they are practically unkillable. They also have the memories of the person they once were. The Black Lanterns torment living heroes with vicious personal attacks that often play on guilt. Plus, there’s a lot of blood and death in the story.
Even heroes who have previously died and were brought back to life, like Wonder Woman and Superman, are affected by the black rings. This idea could be used to amazing effect in a film franchise, because it would allow individual movies to kill off pretty much any character they want with the knowledge that they will be brought back later for another effective story. “Blackest Night” would definitely need to be one of the huge crossover movies if it were to be done in the DCU. They could even have a spinoff TV series to accompany it, just like the main comic book had multiple offshoots focusing on individual heroes.
Hearts of Darkness
With some of the characters brought into the MCU over the past few years, it’s drawing close to a time when they could adapt one of my favorite single-issue stories, “Hearts of Darkness.” It’s a rather straightforward tale of antiheroes and demons, and it could be a super-fun way to incorporate more horror into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The story is mostly focused on Danny Ketch, the host of Ghost Rider at the time. He travels to the small town of Christ’s Crown after receiving a letter promising to reveal “the secrets of the Ghost Rider.” Staying at the same boarding house as Danny are Mr. Logan and Mr. Frank, aka Wolverine and The Punisher. All three of them find out they were brought to town by Blackheart, the son of Mephisto. Blackheart offers them immense power if they help him kill his father. Naturally they refuse, which leads to lots of violence and demonic action-horror.
I tend to like my street-level heroes like The Punisher in more grounded stories, but “Hearts of Darkness” could find an awesome halfway point between fantastical and realistic. The story would probably have to be expanded for a feature length film, and that could include more overt horror elements like demon-worship and sacrifice (which is how Blackheart is brought forth in the beginning of the comic). It could be like the satanic/occult movies of the 1970s, mixed with the gore and action of the 1980s.
What Stalks the Gotham Night?
Batman stories often venture into Gothic and noir aesthetics, so the character is a perfect fit for horror. In fact, many Batman stories are horror, so there are lots of options when picking source material for a Batman horror movie. I want to stay away from Elseworlds stories and stick with something that takes place in the main continuity, so I choose the time Batman and Robin were turned into vampires in 1982.
Told in alternating issues of the Batman and Detective Comics ongoing series, the story begins with Robin acting like a creep and stalking a woman he has a crush on. After sneaking into her house, Robin is knocked out and tied up. To his surprise, the woman he’s been following is a vampire! She bites Robin, and under her thrall, Robin helps lure Batman into a trap. Batman becomes a blood-sucker as well, and he struggles against his new impulse to feed while seeking a cure.
With the new DCU seemingly willing to take chances on unique stories and horror influences (like Creature Commandos, Clayface, and Swamp Thing), I think there’s room for a Batman vampire movie. It would be amazing if it took place in the main continuity of the DCU as well. There are rumors and theories that Robert Pattinson’s Batman could be brought into the DCU. I doubt he would want to do another vampire movie even if it was also a Batman movie, but if the story is good, why not?
