Wonder Twins Is Exactly What DC Movies Need Right Now

HBO Max’s Wonder Twins movie starring Isabel May and KJ Apa is exactly what DC movies need right now. With a pantheon of more popular and established heroes that includes characters like Batman and Wonder Woman, it may be strange to consider the alien siblings, Zan and Jayna, for a solo film. However, a movie based on the Exxorian superheroes could represent some of DC’s best work.

Based on Donnie and Marie Osmond, the Wonder Twins were a product of their time. Introduced in the Super Friends series, the twins were alien teenagers from the distant planet Exxor accompanied by their blue monkey Gleek. When they put their fists together and said the catchphrase, “Wonder Twin powers activate!” it gave them the ability to morph, with Janya able to shift into different animals and Zan usually taking the form of an elemental construct. Over the years, the Exxorian siblings made appearances in other media such as Smallville and even became canon in DC’s comics. Although not as popular as other superheroes, the nostalgia Jayna and Zan invoke made them cult classics.

Although Jayna and Zan may seem better suited for Saturday morning cartoons, DC has proven that sometimes their adaptations are at their best when they embrace bizarre and campy aspects of their mythology, as they did with Peacemaker. Additionally, after reboots and remakes of DC’s established characters, they’d benefit from a change of pace and exploring lesser-known figures from their past.

Movies like The Batman found critical accolades for their gritty aesthetics and down-to-Earth take on superheroes, but success isn’t always reliant on more dark and realistic superhero movies. Some of DC’s best work lends itself to a self-aware sense of humor. Projects like Peacemaker and Shazam! made for a refreshing change from movies like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice by embracing enjoyably over-the-top characters and stories. Between ice missiles, gopher moats, and after-school specials, Wonder Twins opens itself up to the kind of humor that worked for Peacemaker and Shazam!. Also, with many of HBO’s prospects focusing on a grim Gotham City, it needs more projects like the Wonder Twins movie to help change things up and be more fun.

DC has an extensive catalog of characters, but it’s become tedious how much they rely on Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman as a crutch. HBO Max has plenty of lesser-known and nostalgic characters at its disposal. The popularity of a Wonder Twins movie could help to jumpstart other Super Friends projects and help to break up the monotony of DC’s repeated superheroes and stories. Having been reimagined for shows like Young Justice, characters like Apache Chief (now Longshadow) and El Dorado have come a long way since their introduction. The once campy Super Friends cast has proven they could be more diverse, complex, and fun than they appear. Not unlike shows like Peacemaker, and the upcoming Kite-Man, the success of Wonder Twins can help shift the spotlight to nostalgic C-list characters and tell more offbeat stories DC normally wouldn’t with more well-established superheroes.

As DC revisits its past, it’s evident that they have a sense of humor, legacy, and love for its characters. Perhaps born out of a place of nostalgia or maybe novelty alone, in a medium dominated by more popular heroes, it was a strange choice to revisit Jayna and Zan almost half a century after their heyday. Regardless, Wonder Twins is just what the world needs right now, not to save it from the Legion of Doom but rather to remind audiences that adventures in the DC universe come in many forms.