In 1971 comic book history was made when comic legend Jack Kirby created New Gods #1. With Kirby’s creation a plethora of characters, storylines and myths arose. The New Gods are depicted as nearly immortal beings of great power. They reside on twin planets in another dimension these planets are collectively known as the Fourth World. These worlds a completely different from each other. One planet is a perpetual paradise, this is New Genesis. New Genesis is inhabited by the good Gods these include Highfather, Orion, Lightray, and Mister Miracle. New Genesis’s dark twin is a horrific, fire pit covered, technological strewn wasteland, this is Apokolips. The Gods of Apokolips are far from good and they are the focus of this editorial.
They gods of Apokolips are evil in every since of the word. They have been seen in many media, except film. Shaman recently casted his pick for the Justice League movie, in his version the League faces the greatest threat to the universe Darkseid ruler of Apokloips. To play Darkseid Shaman made the brilliant choice of Michael Clark Duncan.
There are many other villains on Apokolips that have yet to be brought to the big screen here are a few.
You can’t have a movie featuring Darkseid without including his majordomo Desaad. Desaad is a sadist who enjoys inflicting pain on others. He is naturally treacherous, and his treachery is partly responsible for Darkseid being absolute ruler of Apokolips. He is a cunning, ruthless inventor, and extremely intelligent. His long life span is only met by his cruelty. To play such a cunning and dark role an actor with an extreme measure of skill is needed. The actor I chose is known for diverse and dramatic roles. He has starred in films such as Event Horizon, and a powerful performance in the Patriot, I give you the great and talented Jason Isaacs as Desaad.
The next character that is essential to the story of Darkseid is his brutish, hulking eldest son Kalibak. While dim witted he is often placed second in command to Darkseid. He holds a fierce grudge with his half brother Orion. Kalibak is short tempered, and a fierce combatant. His abilities include high levels of superhuman strength and durability. His weapon of choice is the Beta-Club, a weapon that fires energy blasts. To portray Kalibak an actor is needed with an incredible, strong voice. The actual appearance of the actor is not necessarily important since he would most likely be portrayed through CGI. The only actor with a powerful enough voice is a man whose voice is well known to many, he is well versed in such works as Shakespeare you may recognize him from Pitch Black, or as Goliath from Gargoyles. I give you the talented Keith David.
This next character is a master manipulator of the masses. He was able to turn public feeling against the Justice League. He is an eloquent speaker, a talented persuader, this is Glorious Godfrey. To play Godfrey an actor with enormous talent is needed. The actor I have chosen has delivered some of the most powerful performances I have ever seen. He was my initial choice for Desaad, and could easily perform that part. I felt his amazing oratorical skills could be more suited for Godfrey. This man has performed what is, in my opinion, the most riveting and intense performance of Iago in the 1995 adaption of Othello. You may know him as professor Lockheart from Harry Potter, or Dr. Loveless in Wild Wild West. I give you Kenneth Branagh to play Glorious Godfrey.
The next member of Darkseid’s forces is also his uncle, the timeless, the mighty the ageless, Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is the leader of Darkseid’s armies and one of the best combatants in the universe. To play him the actor should be able to do action roles and dramatic roles. For these reasons I feel Colin Farrell is suited for the role.
Now we start getting to some of the lesser known Gods of Apokolips. This God is Darkseid’s favorite assassin; he is proficient with nearly all imaginable weapons. He has a flair for the Renaissance, but don’t let his looks fool you he is deadly. This is Kanto Darkseid’s master assassin. He is a master swordsman and fighter; he considers killing to be an art. The actor who plays him has to be capable of being serious, yet flamboyant. I chose an actor you may recognize from October Sky, Brokeback Mountain, Jarhead, and the Day After Tomorrow. I give you Jake Gyllenhaal as Kanto
The next monster is a monster even compared to the likes of Kalibak. This creature is one of Darkseid’s elite, this s Mantis. Yeah I know a lot of these guys have weird names, but this guy has some cool powers. Darkseid gifted him with enormous strength, the ability to fly and energy manipulation. That means he could absorb and project energy and generate heat, cold and anti-matter energy. He is a strong combatant so it is only natural that a good action star play his role. For the role of Mantis I chose Jason Statham.
The next character was once considered to be Darkseid’s greatest warrior Devilance the Pursuer. He was a hunter and tracker for Darkseid. His abilities include super strength, and being able to alter his bodies’ density at will. He carries a powerful energy lance. He is another character that needs a powerful voice to portray. I chose an actor that has a powerfu l voice and screen presence. I first noticed him opposite Kenneth Branagh in Othello. He is best known for the role of Morpheus in the Matrix. Only Laurence Fishburne could be Devilance the Pursuer.
I know what you are all thinking, why do I only have men up here. Don’t worry I’m not gay here come the ladies now, starting with a very fine little number. This woman has literally raised armies for Darkseid with her own “loving” touch I give you one of Darkseid’s most valued minions Granny Goodness. Granny lovingly runs the "orphanages" on Apokolips and is the leader of the Female Furies. There is one actress who is definitely qualified to play Granny. She has played everything from an obsessed fan to a crazy house wife with menopause. I give you the one and only Kathy Bates.
And now to the all girl team Darkseid’s elite, the Female Furies
Ok, well we should start out with the original leader of the Furies, the beautiful Big Barda. She was the original leader of the Furies possessing enormous strength and endurance. She abandoned the Furies to live with Mister Miracle. The person who plays her would have to be a strong woman, tall, with a commanding screen presence. I admit I am torn on this one; I would have to go with either Lucy Lawless or Megan Gale.
The next lady is the current leader of the Furies. She is a skilled fighter wielding energy whips I give you Lashina. Picking an actress for her was difficult she needed to be attractive, and aggressive. So to fill her shoes I chose the sexy Megan Fox.
The next woman is the second in Command of the Furies. She is twisted and evil. She is as much a sadist as her brother Desaad, She is Bernadeth. This honestly was the hardest pick of all, but I think it was a good choice. She is a good actress, her performance as the White Witch was great, and I chose Tilda Swinton for Bernadeth.
Mad Harriet is the insane manic fighter of the Furies. Since she is unusual in temperament, I felt an actress with unique talents was required. To play her I picked the amazingly talented Helena Bonham Carter.
Stompa, another poorly named character, is one of the strongest Furies. She is a deadly combatant. She can create seismic wave by stomping the ground. The actress playing this part would have to be taller than average. I chose Elle Macpherson, even though she hasn’t acted in too many big movies she can still pull off a good Stompa.
The next girl is the youngest of the original Furies. She has proven herself to be a strong and deadly combatant. I’m talking about Gilotina, as her name suggests she can cut through and object with her bare hands, though she usually wields swords. Now the actress I chose to play her was based on a recommendation by a friend. I have never seen Twilight, but I am told she can act. I’m talking about Ashley Greene as Gilotina.
Well that’s all for now, and hey I know I missed at least a dozen villains on my list. If you have any suggestions let me know. Well thanks for viewing. HAWK out.