The star of one of the best sci-fi shows currently on TV, who previously had a part in the MCU – but was probably underused – has thrown his hat into the ring to join the DCU’s Justice League. As of yet, DC’s flagship hero team is not established in James Gunn’s rebooted timeline, with only the Justice Gang and the Creature Commandos established as real hero teams (and it’s a somewhat loose definition for the latter), but it’s inevitable we’ll see them. The DCU probably needs to move more pieces into place, including introducing its own Batman, and to seed Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash, assuming they’d take roles in the team-up. Now, if one actor has his way, the DCU at least has a willing star to step up and play Martian Manhunter.
The alien Justice Leaguer was intended to have a prominent part in the Snyderverse before fate stepped in, and we got Joss Whedon’s version of Justice League. Played by Harry Lennix, his plot-twisting reveal was readded to the movie’s Snyder Cut, of course, but it’s fair to say he’s been underserved in live-action, despite being both popular and incredibly powerful. But if Paradise and Black Panther star Sterling K Brown has his way, J’onn J’onzz will return in the new version of the Justice League, and he’ll be playing him. Brown responded to a fan casting video by TwistedGodInsta that suggested him for the role, with an effortlessly cool “I’m in!” prompting widespread realization that he’d be great as the hero.
Sterling K Brown Was Underused in the MCU (& That’s Good For His Martian Manhunter Casting Claim)
As great as he was as N’Jobu in Black Panther, it remains a shame that someone of Brown’s immense talent was limited to a supporting role. Yes, he was key to the narrative of Ryan Coogler’s instant MCU classic, but, crucially, he was key to the narrative of someone else’s story, thanks to how his death forged Michael B Jordan’s Killmonger into the vengeful angel he became. Brown has since proved in Hulu’s exceptional Paradise – as well as pretty much everything he’s in, let’s be honest – that he is someone you give lead billing to. That said, the MCU’s loss can be the DCU’s gain if Gunn and his creative team choose to bring him in, not least because he has less existing superhero baggage than if he’d played a more prominent role in multiple projects.
Martian Manhunter deserves to play a big part in whatever main Justice League story we eventually get, and Brown’s balance of theatrical poise and capacity for subtle emotional depth would be a great combination. Interesting, scooper Daniel Richtman claims that Martian Manhunter may even be cast as early as Man of Tomorrow: “In a casting grid…it said they were casting Martian Manhunter, so I believe the recent casting was for that. That being said, [James] Gunn likes to call characters by other names on his grids, so we’ll see.” An intergalactic threat like Brainiac would be a good way to justify calling in another big gun, and Gunn has previously referenced Chocos – J’onn Jonzz’s favorite snack – in social media posts. So maybe we’ll all get this perfect casting soon?
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