With James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DCU about to soft-reboot the universe, there's never been a better time to introduce the Justice Society of America. The Justice Society of America, or JSA for short and sometimes just The Society, was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comics. They were the first team of superheroes in comic books and made their first appearance in All-Star Comics #3 by artist Everett E. Hibbard.
The team ceased publication in 1951 and, during the Silver Age, was replaced by the more popular Justice League as DC Comics' premiere superhero team. However, the Justice Society has endured, and in the comics were in a parallel Earth to the Justice League, with their annual crossovers being a major event. Over the years, the team has been reimagined, with a vast roster of characters, with the team mainly focused on classic Golden Age superheroes training newer legacy-based heroes.
Update August 14, 2023: This article has been updated regarding the changes from the DCEU into the DCU and includes even more Justice Society characters that should make their way into the films.
The Justice Society has appeared on Smallville, Legends of Tomorrow, and recently the hit CW series Stargirl where they are a major part of the series. They recently received their own animated movie Justice Society: World War 2, in 2021 and made their first live-action appearance in 2022's Black Adam. The roster of members in the film is relatively small with it, consisting of Dr. Fate, Hawkman, Cyclone, and Atom Smasher. With a wonderful cast of characters in the comics, these are the ten Justice Society members we want to see in James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU films.
Hawkgirl
While typically associated as a member of the Justice League due to her appearance in the popular animated series, many of the various incarnations of Hawkgirl have also been members of the Justice Society. Reportedly she was considered for Black Adam, but due to an unspecified reason, they could not use the character, and instead, Cyclone filled in the role in the film.
With Hawkgirl finally making an appearance in Superman: Legacy, it's possible that this could lead to a version of the JSA on the silver screen. Rumors have already started to circulate that characters like Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, Guy Gardner Green Lantern, and Mr. Terrific will be the Justice Society in Superman: Legacy. Isabela Merced has been cast as Hawkgirl in the DCU.
Hourman
A founding member of the JSA, Hourman has never had his time in the spotlight on the big screen, although a film version of the character was in development at one point. The original Hourman, Rex Tyler, was visited as a child by his future self and gifted an hourglass, which his future self would ask for back in his final hour. As a chemist, Rex discovered the miraculous chemical "Miraclo", which enhanced his strength, vitality, and speed. The problem was that this only lasted for one hour before the body needed 24 hours to recover. Thus, he became the hero Hourman and joined the JSA as one of the original members. His son, Rick, would also pick up the mantle one day after his retirement due to the drug's addictive side effects.
Regardless of who's wearing the hourglass, Hourman has been a mainstay on the superhero team. It would be a mistake to forgo his inclusion and skip out on one of the pillars of the group. He brings a unique perspective to the team as someone with limited usage of powers, and that could be interesting to watch play out. The Hourman mantle has tons of storytelling potential and would make a great addition to the new DCU.
Doctor Mid-Nite
Another frequent member of the JSA, Doctor Mid-Nite, is a blind crime fighter capable of seeing in the darkness. Charles McNider, the first Doctor Mid-Nite, was blinded by an explosion when shards of glass took out his eyes. With his medical career over, McNider put himself under intense therapy to train his body in new ways, finding that he can fight better at night. Soon discovering he could see perfectly in the dark, he created goggles to see in the daytime and blackout bombs that would emit clouds of smoke to blind his adversaries.
With his pet owl Hooty by his side, McNider would join the JSA. As an original member of the team, it only makes sense for McNider to join the DCU's version. His powers can make for some creative combat, and would be a great character to bring to live action for the first time.
Sandman
The Sandman series on Netflix has been a major hit, yet the lord of Dreams is not the only Sandman in DC Comics. Both the original character Wesley Dodd and his sidekick Sandy Hawkins have taken up the mantle of Sandman and served as members of the Justice Society.
While he has more in common with pulp heroes of hard-boiled detective fiction, it is that vastly different genre of story that makes him a great pick for the Justice Society. It shows how the team has a member for various types of missions, and they can tell multiple types of stories. While they need powerhouses like Hawkman and Dr. Fate, they also need street-level heroes to investigate standard crimes. Sandman being a detective could lay the foundation for crossovers with Batman or even hint at the supernatural side that will be explored in Swamp Thing.
Shining Knight
Shining Knight has never been a member of the Justice Society in the comics, as both incarnations of the character are more closely associated with the Seven Soldiers of Victory. However, it feels more than fitting to have Shining Knight on the team as the character is associated with the legend of King Arthur, and the knights of the round table, the JSA, are often seated around a giant conference table.
The ideal candidate for future movies is the second Shining Knight, Ystina. Ystina is a transgender superhero and would not only be a great step forward in terms of diversity in mainstream superhero movies, but thematically the character could find a great home among the various Justice Society members. These are heroes that come from vastly different worlds with varying backgrounds, but together they form a surrogate family.
Amazing Man
There have been four different people to take up the mantle of Amazing Man, and the first three all have a family connection. The original is Will Everett, a Black athlete who competed in the infamous 1936 Olympics held in Berlin under Nazi Germany. He developed the superpower to mimic anything he touched and spent his life as a superhero advocating for civil rights. His two grandsons, Will Everett III, and Markus Clay, also took on the mantle of Amazing Man. Markus Clay made his debut in the comics by helping survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
All three of these characters have ties to uniquely Black experiences, and that life experience would be both a much-needed boost in terms of diversity but also storytelling potential. Amazing Man could give DC a similar hero that Marvel has with Luke Cage, a hero who embraces his roots. They are the Justice Society of America, which means they should represent all walks of American life and have a hero who is looking out for the everyday person.
Jakeem Thunder and the Thunderbolt
Jakeem is a young latch-key kid who is given a magic pen that contains the powerful genie, Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt can grant any wish, but Jakeem needs to be careful with his wishes as he can only make it once, and the Thunderbolt can interpret them literally. Jakeem was given the powerful pen by Johnny Thunder, the original wielder of the Thunderbolt, due to his declining mental health. Jakeem has been a long-standing member of the Justice Society.
This basic premise of what if a kid had a magic genie is such a homerun concept it is astounding to think Warner Bros. didn't grab this concept years ago and turn it into a series of family films in the 90s. Putting a kid on a team of superheroes allows the young audience who tends to see superhero movies to see themselves on screen and also provides a great opportunity for the older heroes to be role models and surrogate parental figures.
Power Girl
Power Girl is one of the most iconic DC superheroes but also one of the most complicated in terms of backstory. The simple explanation is she is a grown-up version of Supergirl from another Earth that becomes stranded in the main DC Universe. Her status as a Kryptonian not only gives the team a heavy hitter but one that can go toe to toe with someone like Superman.
While the DCU will already have Supergirl with her own solo film set in the franchise, there is still plenty to distinguish Powergirl and Supergirl to make each worthy of existing in the same universe. This could be the way they bring back Sasha Calle, who played an alternate version of Supergirl in The Flash, who arrives in the new DCU.
With Power Girl also comes the chance to feature a strong female leader for the team and someone who is navigating being a stranger in a world that is different from her own. It is a spin on the Superman story, but here is a grown woman that is the last surviving member of an entire universe. That can be the dramatic arc of her story, and audiences see how she integrates into a new universe. Power Girl is a great character with plenty of story potential that DC should not waste.
Starman
There have been a handful of people to take up the mantle of Starman. From Ted Knight in the Golden Age to his children Jack and David at different points, Starman has been a constant in the JSA. The Cosmic Staff, created by Ted Knight, is a powerful weapon that absorbs stellar energy and a range of different abilities to fight crime. From flight to energy manipulation, it's a very capable tool that becomes linked with the user, making sure that nobody else is able to wield it. The most famous wielder of the Cosmic Staff is now Stargirl, thanks to her popular series on The CW.
While Ted Knight may have been the original, his son Jack is the most famous version of the character. After his father retired and the death of the current Starman, his brother David, Jack reluctantly took up the mantle. Jack grew up idolizing his father, but as he got older, he started to resent him and wanted nothing to do with the Starman legacy. Forced to take a life, he swore never to do it again and attuned to the Cosmic Staff in hopes to use his powers to help humanity.
With the idea of legacy looking to be a big theme in the new DCU, there's no better character than Starman to embody that. As the DC character most associated with it, there's a world of storytelling to be explored in this family. A complex character with a unique power set that hasn't been shown onscreen, the JSA could be built around him. From Ted's time in the Golden Age to Jack reluctantly joining the JSA, Starman is a must-have character in the DCU.
The Spectre
One of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe and one that has gotten little attention in terms of live-action adaptations in The Spectre. While many have held the mantle, the most iconic is Jim Corrigan. Corrigan was a cop that was murdered only to return as a spirit of vengeance who seeks out evil to kill and punish them. In many ways, he acts as DC's version of both Punisher and Ghost Rider and is one of the most powerful beings in the DC universe.
The character would make a great addition to the DCU, as a heavy hitter, but also the lead in a supernatural-themed horror franchise with the Spectre acting as a sort of slasher movie monster. The Spectre is one of those great characters with so much untapped potential, and is finally time he got his spotlight.