The DC Universe by James Gunn and DC Studios will be hitting the ground running by introducing classic DC characters in a semi-established shared universe in its first several projects. This opens the door for various DC teams and groups to appear, including the Justice League, the Justice Society and the Teen Titans. The latter is poised to have a movie project of their own.

This sense of legacy will be strong in the DCU, and it already is in the comic books. While there are several great young heroes in the DC Comics universe that might work well in its cinematic counterpart, there are others that likely might not fit as well. For this reason, James Gunn and Peter Saffron could still be selective about which young heroes fight alongside the most iconic superheroes in upcoming projects.

10 Need: Donna Troy Deserves a Great Adaptation

Debut: The Brave and the Bold #60 by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani

Donna Troy was the original Wonder Girl, but sadly, this role isn't quite as illustrious as it might sound. She's rarely benefited from being Wonder Woman's supportive sister, as almost all of her appearances as Wonder Girl were in Teen Titans comic books. Add in a convoluted backstory that keeps changing with the patterns of the wind, and it's not surprising that she's struggled to have a major, well-known adaptation.

The DCU can finally fix this by making her a prominent part of both Wonder Woman's world and the Teen Titans team. The latter might only be in flashbacks in the initial movie, but it will establish that she's just as important to the team as Robin. This portrayal is necessary to finally making her a mainstream hero, and it could be a chief improvement over her previous adaptation in the fairly criticized Titans TV series.

• Donna Troy's status as Wonder Girl was the result of an editorial error that mistook a young Diana for a separate character.

Debut: Justice League of America #116 by Cary Bates and Dick Dillin

Golden Eagle was the Bronze Age sidekick of Hawkman, but even that's somewhat questionable. He barely fought alongside the Thanagarian hero, and he was mostly just a Titan for a brief period of time. Even when he was brought back in the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity, he was confusingly made into a retroactive villain.

There's sadly little reason to even acknowledge Golden Eagle, especially with how little the basic Hawkman mythos is usually established. The DCU may finally give Hawkman his due and flesh out his many times disastrous origins, and that needs to be the sole priority for the character. Thus, overlooked sidekicks should be the last thing that the Winged Warrior and his story focus on.

• Northwind, a member of the Feitheran race, was another forgotten Hawkman ally.

8 Need: Roy Harper Was the Most Conflicted Sidekick

Debuting in the Golden Age of Comics, Roy Harper/Speedy was Green Arrow's equivalent to Robin. Things changed forever for him in the Bronze Age, where he briefly became a heroin addict and cut ties with Oliver Queen. Growing into the new role Arsenal, he showcased a somewhat darker side to legacy, with him and Ollie begrudgingly repairing their relationship. He also had a daughter with the criminal Cheshire, making his role as a superhero more difficult than ever.

The evolution of Roy Harper is one of the best and most interesting in all comics. His rise, fall and matured relationship with his mentor is something that would play out well on the big screen. That's especially the case given that the TV series Arrow didn't really utilize these elements. While not quite as cozy as the Batman Family, the Green Arrow clan -- namely its first two members -- definitely deserve a spot in the new DCU.

• Roy's adult mantle of Red Arrow from the Kingdom Come Universe was later adapted into the mainstream DC Comics Universe.

7 Pass: Jackson Hyde Hasn't Had Much Development

Debut: Brightest Day #4 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis

Jackson Hyde is the second Aqualad and based mainly on the iteration seen in the cartoon Young Justice. While that version was initially quite popular, the hero has sadly not made much of a splash in the comics. He has few relationships among heroes his age, meaning that he lacks even the ties of the original Aqualad.

Even if his interpretation from Young Justice was adapted, it would require a lot of focus on Jackson across various projects. The Teen Titans movie will likely feature characters from that team that are more popular, meaning there's a high chance Jackson will be sidelined. Given the character's obscurity, being overshadowed by the more iconic Teen Titans heroes could lower the chances of success for the newest Aqualad on the big screen.

• The original comic book version of Jackson Hyde debuted right before the New 52 reboot in the pages of Brightest Day.

6 Need: Beast Boy Can Make the Doom Patrol Mainstream

Debut: Doom Patrol #99 by Arnold Drake and Bob Brown

Before he became a member of the Teen Titans, Beast Boy was a veritable sidekick for the weird and kooky Doom Patrol. Of course, things got dark quickly after that team was seemingly killed, and he subsequently became a comic relief character among the Titans. That's not all there is to him, however, and the movies should reflect this. The DCU needs to bring that transition to life in order to truly capture Beast Boy’s character. This way, he’s more than just a goofball or mere prankster and truly has a tragic depth.

Having him portrayed this way would make his comedy into a coping mechanism instead of a trope, and it could also make him more relatable with Cyborg, who will likely be a Titan again in this continuity. Most importantly, the Doom Patrol and their own saddening fate can be highlighted, especially if they utilize the same tropes that James Gunn used to make the Guardians of the Galaxy a household name.

• Beast Boy was known as "Changeling" during The New Teen Titans.

5 Pass: Cassie Sandsmark Would Be Overshadowed by Donna Troy

Debut: Wonder Woman #105 by John Byrne

Cassandra "Cassie" Sandsmark was the second Wonder Girl, but she had a bit of a rough start. Essentially forcing her way into the role, she was created very much as a stand-in for Vanessa Kapatelis, Wonder Woman's close friend and essentially her younger sister. Cassie is most well-known as a member and sometimes leader of the Teen Titans, as well as for her romance with the Conner Kent Superboy.

Beyond that, however, Cassie doesn't offer a lot in terms of a potential legacy character. Reconfiguring Donna Troy with a more streamlined origin might be better, as she's the more iconic Wonder Girl between the two. Conversely, adding Vanessa and her mother, Julia Kapatelis, to a Wonder Woman movie as supporting cast members would overall add more to Diana's mythos on the big screen.

• Cassie's origins of being a daughter of Zeus were used for Wonder Woman herself in the New 52

4 Need: Garth Should Become the Magical Tempest

Debut: Adventure Comics #269 by Robert Bernstein and Ramona Fradon

Garth was the original Aqualad, and though he's used sparingly in DC adaptations, there's a lot that he can add to a rebooted Aquaman movie mythos. For one, the comics had him initially as an outcast due to his purple eyes, which denoted the heritage of a mage), and it wasn't until Aquaman arrived that the boy found solace and a friend in Atlantis. As he grows, however, he and Aquaman begin to see eye-to-eye a lot less.

Eventually, Garth seeks out other mentors and hones his magical skills, taking the name Tempest as an adult. Like with other sidekicks, seeing these events play out on the big screen would make for great character development. Adding this caveat to Atlantean society would also be a good way to differentiate the DCU Aquaman from the one played by Jason Momoa in the DC Extended Universe. Simlarly, him going from a meek misfit to a powerful underwater wizard would certainly be a major glow-up.

• Aqualad in the 2003 Teen Titans cartoon had a costume that resembled both Tempest and the "Deep Blue" Aquaman costume.

3 Pass: Stephanie Brown May Not Work in a Less Defined Batfamily

Debut: Detective Comics #647 by Chuck Dixon and Tom Lyle

Stephanie Brown is one of many members of the large Batman Family, who also reflects one ongoing issue with the group. Few of the heroes who are a part of the Batman Family truly get a chance to shine. When a new member is introduced, the previous characters become increasingly sidelined. That's arguably the case with Stephanie Brown, who's used the titles Spoiler, Robin and Batgirl in the comics.

Stephanie is one of the least well-known Batman Family members outside the comics, with most of her scant adaptations in other media often overlooked. While the DC Universe could change that, she might not work in a less defined Batfamily, especially without Tim Drake as the main Robin of the DCU. Even if she works alongside Damian Wayne's Robin, without Tim as one of her most important relationships, she may not be faithfully adapted in James Gunn's DCU, and could face similar problems to the ones she faced during the New 52 era.

• Stephanie Brown's faked death in the post-Crisis DC Universe and her giving her baby up for adoption were highly controversial.

2 Need: Should Become the DCU Flash

Debut: The Flash #110 by John Broome and Carmine Infantino

More so than even Nightwing, Wally West is the ultimate sidekick in the DC Universe. The nephew (by marriage) to the Barry Allen version of The Flash, he became his sidekick Kid Flash after an accident gave him similar powers. Following Barry's death, Wally stepped up and became the new Flash, eventually surpassing his mentor. He even became regarded as the Fastest Man Alive and the most beloved Flash.

This transformation would look good on the big screen, even if it means relegating Barry Allen to the DCU's past. More specifically, Barry Allen can be established as The Flash when Superman first debuts, but by the present day (wherein Damian Wayne is already Robin), Wally can have already replaced him. The best Flash comic books focused on Wally, and if DC Studios wants to distance the character from the debacle of 2023's The Flash, making Wally run faster than ever is the way to do it.

• Wally originally wore an identical suit to Barry Allen before adopting his own yellow and red Kid Flash costume

1 Pass: Mia Dearden's Backstory Could Be Poorly Handled in the DCU

Debut: Green Arrow #2 by Kevin Smith and Phil Hester

Mia Dearden was the second Speedy to fight alongside Green Arrow, taking the name long after Roy Harper had become an adult and taken the name Arsenal. She was also a very important DC character, as she was a young woman forced into sex work and later revealed to be HIV-positive. This was a landmark development for the industry, and it echoed the original Speedy's battle with drugs.

Sadly, Mia might not be a great fit for the DCU. Like with other heroes, Green Arrow's basics need to be established first. This means having him grow apart from Roy Harper and the two going their separate ways before Oliver chooses a new sidekick. There's also absolutely no reason to skip Roy for Mia. Ironically, her most mainstream adaptations were a short appearance in the TV series Smallville and having elements adapted into the character Thea Dearden Queen (Oliver's sister) on the TV show Arrow. For the time being, the latter will likely be her biggest use outside the comics.

• The Mia Dearden Speedy is unrelated to Arrowette from the Young Justice comics, who's also unrelated to her interpretation on the Young Justice cartoon