What if we'd started making comic book shows and movies that focused on women sixty years ago? Think of all the casting opportunities we've missed!
Below is a list of sixteen glamorous actresses from the golden age of Hollywood. I've taken the liberty of casting them in comic book roles to prove that we've had enough big name actresses of sizeable talent and fame to do comic book heroines and villains justice for a while.
It's fun to play at being a casting agent and whether you agree or disagree with my choices, perhaps it will get you thinking about how great some of these ladies were and how shameful it is that some of these comic book characters have not been given screen time yet.
1. Lauren Bacall as Black Cat -- Lauren got her start in film noir and detective movies, so one could easily see her and her low voice giving Spidey lots of epic side-eye, if not a run for his money.
2. Audrey Hepburn as Pixie -- Think about it. The original pixie, sporting a pixie cut, playing Pixie. I'll say no more.
3. Maureen O'Hara as Poison Ivy -- If you search for her photos, you can't help but get this itchy feeling in the back of your brain that Poison Ivy might actually have been modelled after Maureen in the first place.
4. Lena Horne as Wonder Woman -- Why NOT have a black Diana? Seeing as it's my list, I can do whatever I want with it.
5. Marilyn Monroe as Emma Frost -- Diamonds are a girl's best friend. This one wrote itself.
6. Grace Kelly as Supergirl -- Can you imagine Supergirl marrying a prince of Monaco? If that happens in the new television series, I want credit.
7. Cyd Charisse as Blink -- Truth is that Cyd was probably one of the few actresses with enough flexibility and strength to pull of character like Blink.
8. Carol Channing as the Joker -- See? I told you I could do whatever I want. Carol Channing's smile is undeniably Joker-worthy and that is that. She's also one of the only women on this list who is still alive, so the joke's on them, right?
9. Joan Crawford as Harley Quinn -- Look at her eyes. Do you see the crazy? DO YOU SEE IT? IMAGINE THE DRAMA.
10. Elizabeth Taylor as She-Hulk -- If you've seen "Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf", you know Elizabeth knew how to depict an anger of hulk-sized proportions. Now imagine her ripping stuff up.
11. Lucille Ball as Starfire -- I mean, she's basically a Lucy character on Teen Titans. Can you imagine Starfire doing the Lucy spider noise?
12. Pearl Bailey as Storm -- Pearl always looked so happy, so I can only imagine the storm brewing beneath. I think it'd be a nice change to see an older Pearl's more curvy body on Storm. Can I get an amen?
13. Vera Ellen as Sue Storm -- As far as I'm concerned if she could squeeze her body into those corsets, then she was already one step away from being invisible.
14. Ann Miller as Mystique -- Because if I were Ann Miller, I'd want to be anyone else but Ann Miler.
15. Sophia Loren as Medusa -- I think Medusa needs and imposing figure and big lips to cover up Black Bolt's mouth when they're intimate. Just think about it.
16. Judy Garland as The Pheonix -- This is the one that started it all. Seeing as Judy Garland is already the pinnacle of power in the (gay) galaxy, it sort of makes sense, no? She's even got the same initials as Jean Grey, which is eerie. Coincidence? I think not.
