The new cinematic DC Universe is currently primed to have its own versions of familiar Justice League heroes, from Superman and Batman to multiple members of the Green Lantern Corps. There will also be some more obscure characters around, with the Creature Commandos being a few of them. This leaves room for other lesser-known DC icons to appear in this shared universe, namely one with the potential to cast a spell on viewers around the world.

, but the magically-inclined performer definitely has her fans. While her potential is rarely met in the comics, a big push through the DC Universe can organically change that and appeal to those beyond the usual superhero fandom. Most importantly, this could see James Gunn fix a major Marvel mistake and steal one former Avenger's ruddy thunder.

Debuting in Hawkman #4 by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson in 1964, . Of course, she hasn't always been a major player and has rarely had ongoing comic book titles of her own. Nevertheless, she's been a significant part of the DC Universe and a member of the Justice League. This came after her initial appearance, where she was searching for her missing father, Giovanni Zatara, who had actually debuted decades before in the same comic book as Superman.

By the Bronze Age, she was inducted as a member of the Justice League of America, having become the team's resident magical whiz. In her civilian identity, she was a stage magician, but her powers (unbeknownst to the crowds) were in fact real. She, her father and her younger cousin, Zachary Zatara, are all members of the Homo Magi species, which is a subspecies of humans in the DC Universe that are born with an affinity for magic. Besides the main Justice League, .

Among the other teams that Zatanna has been a part of include the Justice League Dark (a magical offshoot of the primary superhero team), as well as the similar Shadowpact and the Sentinels of Magic. Her ties reach wide, be they the gritty street-level hero Batman or the mystical Hellblazer, John Constantine. Despite her prominence and the fact that she's one of the premiere magical characters in the DC Universe, she's usually more of a team character or one who gets the occasional miniseries more than anything. In fact, Constantine, despite debuting decades later, has a much more consistent publication history.

Thankfully, this is finally beginning to change, with the recent Zatanna: Bringing Down the House comic book miniseries being coupled with an ongoing Zatanna comic that has just begun. It appears that DC is finally taking advantage of the character's popularity and pushing her more, and this can hopefully be matched in the new cinematic and television DC Universe, where she has even more potential.

While she might be a member of the Justice League, , and this is reflected even in her wardrobe. For most of her publication history, Zatanna's "costume" is merely a typical female stage magician's outfit, complete with a wand, fishnets and a top hat. In terms of the scope of her stories, she fits in well with either noir murder mysteries or, of course, more mystical adventures. These can be full-on urban fantasy where magic is out in full force, or tales where the magic is somewhat subdued, yet still heavily present.

This is just how things are in the comics, but in other mediums such as movies and TV shows, the sky is the limit to what can be done with the Mistress of Magic. After all, she embodies her fantasy aspects in a less "superheroic" manner than characters such as Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Captain Marvel/Shazam and even Dr. Fate, and this could be used to the heroine's advantage in the DC Universe. , making it right on time as far as these films go.

With all the talk of "superhero fatigue," a movie that plays more to fans of witch and supernatural fiction wouldn't be a bad idea. The comic book fans who are familiar with Zatanna will likely already be on board for the ride, while the nature of the project will attract more than just those who typically seek out superhero blockbusters. This could curtail a big budget, as well, as there's no real need for a Zatanna movie to have a massive budget in the vein of Avengers or even The Batman, the latter of which had a rather beefy budget due to COVID protocols, among other reasons.

A closer comparison in scope and tone might even be the recent hit movie Wicked, though it hopefully wouldn't be a musical to avoid the same egregious mistakes of the now infamous 2024 flop Joker: Folie à Deux. It's the perfect way to keep the DC Universe itself feeling fresh and not stagnant for years to come, especially since this was a mistake that the Marvel Cinematic Universe made with its constant array of movie and TV show content.

and the downturn in the quality of Marvel Studios' movies has only furthered the idea of superhero fatigue. Characters whose movies should have been fairly different still felt in the "house style," and given that the MCU is now almost 20 years old, it's made the shared universe and the genre as a whole seem somewhat long in the tooth. On the other hand, James Gunn is planning for the DC Universe to be very different, especially when it comes to making these movies different from each other.

For instance, the James Mangold Swamp Thing movie and likely the DCU Clayface movie will be lower-budgeted horror movies that don't at all feel like typical superhero movies. This is exactly where a Zatanna film can fit in, especially since Swamp Thing will help open the magical side of the DC Universe. Ironically, doing so might also be a way for the DCU to curtail another major mistake that the Marvel Cinematic Universe made, namely with one of its most popular and powerful heroines.

Debuting completely in Avengers: Age of Ultron after a post-credits scene cameo in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, . This was due mainly to her appearances in the third and fourth Avengers movies, which showcased just how powerful the magic-wielding Sokovian could be. As in the comics, her real name was Wanda Maximoff and her brother was Pietro/Quicksilver, though their potentially being a mutant (and the children of iconic X-Men enemy Magneto) was eschewed. This didn't keep her from becoming a fan-favorite, especially since her incredible reality-altering powers were far different from those of the other Avengers.

After the release of Avengers: Endgame, Wanda went on to star in the first Disney+ Marvel Cinematic Universe streaming show, WandaVision, which only increased her popularity. This 2021 TV series was followed up in 2024 with the TV series Agatha All Along, but unfortunately, Scarlet Witch was not in that series. After all, she had been killed off in the controversial 2022 MCU movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and her characterization there was one of many issues that fans had with the film. Not only did it signal a downward spiral in the MCU's quality, but it also killed off one of the few characters that could have moved the proverbial needle for the brand.

There are no clear indications that Scarlet Witch will return to the MCU, and while it's likely to happen in some capacity in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars crossovers, it remains to be seen how it will manifest. Thus, it's inarguable that Marvel made a huge mistake in not building upon her popularity, especially since she could have been tied to the X-Men in some way. This presents the perfect opportunity for the DC Universe to step in and cast a spell upon moviegoers with another character who can fill a similar role. , especially since Wanda has been gotten rid of in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

With no competition and a role that she's perfect for, Zatanna's rise to prominence might actually be a bit more organic. After all, Wanda was radically changed from the comics, and it didn't help that one of her most defining elements (her being a mutant) had to, at the time, be completely avoided due to legal reasons. Zatanna requires no such changes, and while she might lack a must-read iconic story, she's also usable in any magical avenue of the DC Universe. Even her Justice League membership is still more independent than Wanda's ties to the X-Men, the Brotherhood of Mutants, the Avengers or Vision, making her all-around more malleable. This could not only raise the magician's profile as a brand, but also give the DC Universe a marketable leg up, given the fact that the MCU has cut off one branch at the knees.

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  Marvel Cinematic Universe