3) The Phantom
Yet another early superhero who endured a disappointing movie outing is The Phantom. Billy Zane donned the character’s tight-fitting purple suit for 1996’s The Phantom but, though it has built up a cult following in the years since, it didn’t make much of an impression at the time. He deserves another adaptation, however, as there is so much more material to mine.
Debuting in 1936, The Phantom was the very first fully-costumed superhero – complete with the now stereotypical ‘underwear on the outside’ look. Like later characters such as Black Panther, The Phantom is a legacy hero whose mantle is passed down from father to son, going right back to the first Phantom who was a cabin boy on Christopher Columbus’ ship. There is surely a good film to be made from the idea of a family of superheroes protecting the United States right through its history, and we’re confident that if put it the hands of the right director, another Phantom film could do extremely well.