Summary

• DC's Elseworlds spin-offs like Joker and The Batman offer fresh, parallel narratives to counter superhero fatigue.
• Elseworlds comics allow for creative liberties like reimagining Superman as a Soviet protector or Wonder Woman as a sheriff.
• Jonah Hex's 2010 flop can be rebooted to explore a serious 19th-century origin story, offering a break from typical superhero genre action.

With James Gunn’s 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.

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.

Jonah Hex's first appearance in any non-comic media was in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series that found him fighting Ra's al Ghul across time.

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 Jonah Hex is essential to DC lore, with the character enduring in different versions since the 1970s.

Why Jonah Hex Deserves A DCU Reboot

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.

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.