DCU’s Elseworlds Spinoffs Give The Perfect Excuse To Reboot Josh Brolin’s First Superhero Movie

With James Gunn’s DC Universe still in its nascent stage, its Elseworlds spin-offs have done wonders with acclaimed titles like The Batman and Joker. Learning from the DC Extended Universe movies, the Elseworlds label counter superhero fatigue with fresh, parallel narratives that don’t carry much multiversal context. With many DC Elseworlds comics set in the past, the cinematic franchise can even helm some stylish period pieces. Joker’s gritty 80s-era Gotham, for instance, offered a good break from the modernist sci-fi of other DC releases of the time. Another creative liberty that Elseworlds comics offer is to play around with origins.

So, Superman: Red Son can find the Man of Steel becoming the Soviet Union’s protector while the Western-themed Justice Riders reimagines Wonder Woman as a sheriff of an alternate version of Paradise Island. The possibilities are endless, thanks to Gunn’s fascination with putting the spotlight on less conventional comic book characters like Peacemaker and Creature Commandos. With five DC Elseworlds projects already confirmed so far, this trend can mean good news for an infamous 2010s-era DC superhero movie starring Josh Brolin, the superhero genre stalwart who later found his redemption with Thanos in the MCU and Cable in Deadpool 2.

DCU’s Elseworlds Spinoffs Give The Perfect Excuse To Reboot Josh Brolin’s First Superhero Movie

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What Went Wrong With Jonah Hex?

The Movie Is Still Ranked Among The Genre’s Worst

Based on multiple interviews, it’s safe to say that Josh Brolin regrets starring in 2010’s Jonah Hex. The post-Civil War Western found Brolin playing the titular antihero, a cynical bounty hunter whose face is scarred on one side. Also starring Megan Fox, John Malkovich, and a pre-Magneto Michael Fassbender, the movie failed to make a mark either critically or commercially. Grossing only $11 million against a $47 million budget and with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 12%, Jonah Hex was criticized for its hammy performances, convoluted storyline, and an unambitious runtime of 81 minutes that didn’t have much to offer.

Brolin never holds back in criticizing his first superhero movie, recently using some interestingly colorful language to describe his take in an interview with GQ. Brolin also told Screen Rant in 2019 that Jonah Hex almost made him quit superhero movies altogether. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe was building up in scale at the time, this DC misfire ended up garnering two Razzie Award nominations for Worst Actress (Fox) and Worst Screen Couple. Despite the 2010 flop joining the pre-DCEU movies that failed, Jonah Hex is essential to DC lore, with the character enduring in different versions since the 1970s.

Why Jonah Hex Deserves A DCU Reboot

Justice League assembling together with Jonah Hex grimacing

Jonah Hex might not be the most popular DC Comics character, but he has earned a cult fanbase thanks to mature storylines and stylish bloodshed. A gnarly gunslinger with a strict code of honor, Hex represents a grounded and grim Spaghetti Western hero. Even when he indulges in excessive violence, his actions come at a moral price. The balance between style and substance in the best Jonah Hex comics like A Face Full Of Violence and No Way Back offer fresh prospects for DC Universe to craft a serious 19th-century origin story for this antihero that the 2010 movie failed.

Failed DC Movies Green Lantern, Catwoman, and Jonah Hex

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Depending upon the commercial prospects of a Jonah Hex reboot, the titular antihero can also be incorporated into the larger DC Universe, as he has often traveled across time in comics and TV series. With Matt Reeves putting a neo-noir spin on The Batman and Joker Folie a Deux playing out as a musical, experimenting with the Western genre will be on brand for DC Elseworlds. There are many iconic one-shot storylines and limited series that can act as source material, while the emphasis on old-school violence can offer a break from the usual big-budget action of the superhero genre.