DC's Captain Marvel has been part of their animated series and consumer efforts for years, but with the advent of the comic division's New 52 continuity reboot that hero is now gone. Don't feel bad for young Billy Batson though, he's still got the big golden lightening bolt emblazed on his chest but he's now going by Shazam instead. A movie based on the character has been in development with a number of different studios over the years, but it's never gotten off the ground. The new origin has tried to differentiate Shazam's powers by making him less like Superman (which has always been an issue creatively), but his fantastical magic origin in a modern day context may be too huge leap for moviegoers. Considering that "Green Lantern" couldn't creatively pull it off, Shazam, like Supergirl, may be a character that needs to find its footing in another film first.

- Gregory Ellwood