In the last 20 years, superhero movies have become ubiquitous in pop culture. It would be a lie to say that most of these films have a lot of entertainment value, but the constant stream of superhero content can lead to audience fatigue. Look at Ant-Man: Quantumania dropping 70% at the box office in its second week at theaters.

Public domain characters are a risky venture. Most of these characters have been forgotten over time, but there's a lot of untapped potential to reinvigorate a lagging industry. Companies or individuals don't own public domain characters. Their stories can be used as the basis to create something new, which in turn can offer a fresh alternative to the superhero movies we've become used to.

Some of the names of these characters are not exactly the pinnacle of originality. Many unique abilities are ripe for exploration. By reading the backstory of obscure characters like Butterfly, Black Condor, Master Mystic, and others, a competent filmmaker can introduce his take on a brand-new hero with new perspectives to audiences. Most public domain characters need to be more developed, so there's room to create compelling backstories and offer something new to audiences. Overall, this list aims to share a compilation of public domain characters with a few ideas of our own.

The goal is to present new opportunities to explore the superhero genre while providing a welcome break from the familiar superhero tropes we've seen so much already. Alejandro González Iñárritu already did so with Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), one of the most significant twists in the superhero genre. By bringing these characters to the big screen, filmmakers have a chance to reinvigorate the landscape and offer audiences something new and exciting. With that said, on we go with our list:

Butterfly

The Butterfly by Ross Andru (1941)
MR Publications

Butterfly was the first ever African American superheroine in comic history, which has been unfairly overlooked in the comic industry and Hollywood. A modern film adaptation of Butterfly would resonate pretty well with modern audiences, given her backstory of fighting white supremacists in a scantily clad butterfly costume with the ability to fly and fighting skills to rival Shang Chi.

Her alter ego Marian Michaels is a singer by trade and trained in military tactics by the Hell Rider. This is an excellent setup to explore the struggles of working artists and other relatable aspects of life.

Black Condor

Black Condor by Will Eisner (1940)
DC Comics

Black Condor is the alter ego of Richard Grey Jr. The character debuted in 1940 and was created by Will Eisner. The man learned to fly by creating a harness based on the flying of condors. A new take on this character could make him a Native American superhero, someone able to summon the ability to fly and superhuman strength from the spirits protecting his tribe.

A modern film adaptation of Black Condor can also highlight important issues faced by Native American communities while providing a platform for Native American actors and filmmakers. By focusing on cultural identity, filmmakers can tell a story using a unique perspective to explore themes related to representation and diversity.

Master Mystic

Master Mystic in Green Giant Comics #1 (1940)
Pelican Publications

Master Mystic debuted in Green Giant Comics #1 in 1940, but there's no information about who's responsible for his creation. This mystical superhero offers the best canvas to explore possibilities. He debuted with established abilities, manipulating matter at will to turn objects into anything he wanted.

A fresh take could make for an exciting story about a man with great power and the moral dilemma presented by how to use his skills to help others or for personal gain. We rarely see good superheroes exploring their selfish nature, so a story going for an in-between take could be interesting (and no, Homelander doesn’t count, he’s a bad guy).

Amazing Man

Amazing Man
Centaur Publications

Amazing Man debuted in Amazing Man Comics #5 in 1939 and was created by Bill Everett (the co-creator of Namor and Daredevil). His alter ego is John Aman, who Tibetan Monks train to become the perfect warrior. John eventually gains super speed, great strength, and the ability to turn himself into a green mist to have great stealth.

Related: Why This Western Superhero Needs a Movie

A modern film adaptation of this character could easily switch gears to make him an Asian warrior rivaling Marvel’s Shang-Chi, who dives deep into a fast-paced adventure, exploring the nature of the character from an established POV while using his skills to explore themes of corruption and other forms of social commentary about the state of the world and the need for adaptability in the face of adversity.

Captain Battle

Captain Battle
Lev Gleason Publications
Image Comics

Captain Battle debuted in Silver Streak Comics #10 back in 1941. Jack Binder and Carl Formes created him. The character poses a unique challenge since he's suffered through the horrors of the first world war and makes it his life mission to avoid any war from ever happening again.

To achieve his goal, he trains his mind and body to become incredibly intelligent and create devices to foil the plans of warmongers across history. Captain Battle is best suited for an anthology show exploring imaginative approaches to avoid some of the worst armed conflicts in history, similar to Tarantino's approach with Inglourious Basterds.

Miss Fury

Miss Fury
Bell Syndicate

Miss Fury is a wealthy socialite named Marla Drake. The character was introduced in the Black Fury newspaper strip in 1941 and was created by June Tarpe Mills. She was, for all intents and purposes, a female Batman.

Rich, trained in martial arts, and with cat-like acrobatics, Miss Fury relies on essential gadgets to get things done. She's seen several revivals by the comic book industry, but the character has yet to be explored in other media. A film adaptation of Miss Fury could create a more empathic story about superheroines since the character relies on her insight and intelligence to solve most cases she's involved with.

Spirit Man

Spirit Man in Silver Streak Comics #1
Lev Gleason Publications

Spirit Malcom is a man tormented by sights of the future that lead him to create unique technology to fight crime in the present. This man can imagine anything to make functional appliances with it.

Spirit Man debuted in Silver Streak Comics #1 in 1939. A film adaption of this character could take an outstanding narrative route by having a tidy gentleman come in to disrupt the plans of evildoers by using his devices to show them the consequences of his actions. The dreams plaguing Spirit Man could lead his path, and he could embody higher forms of intelligence bent on helping humankind.

Blackout

Blackout in Captain Battle #1 (1941)
Lev Gleason Publications
Image Comics

Blackout debuted as a secondary character in Captain Battle #1 in 1941, and Lev Gleason created him. His real name is Basil Brusiloff, a Yugoslavian scientist affected by a terrible lab accident that grants him the power to become a shadow-like creature with super strength and the ability to fly. He also can travel through shadows, making for a compelling visual exploration of his powers using CGI.

Related: The Earliest Superheroes: Should They Be Rebooted?

The European nature of the character is a great background to explore untold stories about the WWII era. A modern setup is even more intriguing by mixing contemporary issues such as corporate espionage and secret government agendas.

The Hangman

The Hangman in Black Hood Comics #9
MLJ Magazines

The Hangman is likely to be the darkest character on our list. It begins with Bob Dickering, the brother of a cheery superhero named Comet (real name John Dickering). A street shootout occurs, and Comet is killed trying to save Bob. After revealing his secret identity, Bob swears to become The Hangman to all evildoers.

The premise sounds close to The Punisher since there's no altruism in Bob's motivations, only revenge. A modern take could see a darker twist, with the character turned into a serial killer hunting down criminals while exploring his inner struggle for all the killing he's doing.

Moon Girl

Moon Girl by Gardner Fox (1947)E
EC Comics

No relation to the upcoming animated Marvel show, Moon Girl has lingered in the public domain for years without someone taking notice of the excellent potential for world-building with this character. With a few twists and turns, this could become an anthology show for the ages!

Princess Moon is raised in the kingdom of Samarkand, where she becomes the fiercest fighter in the realm and vows to take no husband until someone proves to be a superior warrior to her. She vanishes from her world in search of Prince Mengu, the only suitor she likes, who turns out to be a prince from Earth.