Mark Millar is one of the most prominent writers working in comics, having worked his way up from working on the British science-fiction comic 2000 AD before jumping into writing Swamp Thing in 1994. He would see more success at DC with Superman: Red Son and at Marvel with The Ultimates, Old Man Logan, and Civil War. Regardless of how you feel about his work, you can't deny that his name sells.
Millar has also published several creator-owned works outside of Marvel and DC, some of which have already been made into films and television series, while others have yet to be adapted. With Netflix having purchased the rights to Millarworld (Millar's creator-owned company), there's some comics of his, whether they've been adapted or not, that would make great content for the streaming giant.
10 Should Adapt: MPH
MPH focuses on a young man who aspires to make a better life for himself before a crooked deal lands him in prison. It's there that he's introduced to a drug called MPH, which allows him to move at impossible speeds and stop time in the process. Escaping from prison, he turns his girlfriend, her brother, and his best friend onto the drug, with the four of them taking advantage of these powers to live like royalty. But it isn't long before the government gets word of their actions, in addition to rising tension amongst the four of them.
The plot sounds a bit similar to Netflix's recent film Project Power, but an MPH adaptation could make itself different by being more of a comedic thriller, indulging in the wish fulfillment of having super speed but not shying away from genuine threats to the characters. In the right hands this could be a fun mix of Limitless and The Wolf of Wall Street.
9 Should Adapt: Starlight
Starlight tells the story of Duke McQueen, a space hero who once saved the universe before returning to Earth to start a family. Years later an older McQueen has become a shadow of his former self until he receives a distress call from another planet, thrusting him into what might be his greatest adventure yet.
It was reported back in 2014 that a film adaptation was set up at 20th Century Studios (then 20th Century Fox) but we think Starlight might better suit a TV miniseries. This would give more time to explore McQueen's past adventures and how they inform his current adventure. If it took inspiration from the many incarnations of Flash Gordon as well as Star Wars, then a Starlight series could let Netflix have their own space saga to rival The Mandalorian on Disney+.
8 Should Adapt: War Heroes
War Heroes takes place in an alternate reality in which the U.S. Military has equipped its soldiers with pills that give them superpowers, hoping to turn the tide on the battlefield. A group of con-artists joins the troops to acquire the pills and sell them abroad, only to realize that their bidders are members of Al-Qaeda. With the brother of one con artist having been kidnapped, they plan to rescue him using the pills. While an adaptation would also have similarities to the aforementioned Project Power, War Heroes could really deliver if it satirically explored the cynicism towards the U.S. government and war itself (similar to the film Three Kings).
7 Should Reboot: Kick-Ass
Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn has stated that he wants to reboot the series and while there could be a TV series adaptation focusing on Dave Lizewski, the second, more likely option would also be a series but focusing on the second Kick-Ass, Patience Lee, a single mother and war veteran who steals money from crime bosses to support her family. Either option could make for a great series, especially if they incorporated similar fight choreography to Netflix's own Daredevil series.
6 Should Adapt: The Unfunnies
It might sound crazy to adapt The Unfunnies, a comic miniseries reviled by many including Millar himself (the title isn't present on the Millarworld website). But if there is one thing adaptations are good at, it's improving on source material that didn't work before. The same then could be done with The Unfunnies.
The original comic focused on a group of cute cartoon characters whose world is taken over by their creator Troy Hicks, a ruthless child molester and killer on Death Row, who uses magic to escape his fate. The film would probably need to tone down most of the comic's disturbing content, but with the right creative team, it could function as a complex murder mystery that combines hand-drawn animation and live-action. Think Who Framed Roger Rabbit? meets Child's Play.
5 Should Adapt: Chrononauts
In Chrononauts, two best friends and genius scientists perfect time travel, which they use to their fullest advantage: visiting and filming historical events, crossing paths with celebrities and ruling over foreign countries. But things soon get out of their control, forcing them to set things right and return to the present with history (and themselves) in one piece. Comedic time travel stories aren't anything new, but getting the right people behind a Chrononauts film or TV series could make it feel different and unique from classics like Back to the Future.
4 Should Adapt: Superior
Superior is about a boy named Simon Pooni with multiple sclerosis who finds relief in watching superhero films starring a hero called Superior. He's visited by an alien monkey named Ormon who gives him a wish, with Simon wishing to become Superior. Simon revels in using his powers to save others but soon realizes that his wish might not have been as incredible as it seems.
Superior of course bears similarities to DC's Shazam, whose own film came out in 2019. But whereas Shazam! was like Big as a superhero movie, the Superior film could take a page from the cult Arnold Schwarzenegger film Last Action Hero, which poked fun at action film tropes. Superior then could serve as a fun satire of superhero films, (primarily those from Marvel Studios) and how people react to them.
3 Should Reboot: Hit-Girl
If a Kick-Ass reboot focusing on Dave Lizewski was successful, then a Hit-Girl spin-off would likely follow. Depending on the events of the Kick-Ass series, the new show could be a miniseries that focuses on Mindy McCready either training Dave as her partner or off on her own adventures worldwide. While this series could have darkly funny action and violence to spare, it would also be cool if it incorporated flashbacks to Mindy's training under her father Big Daddy, showing in-depth how she grew to become an efficient assassin.
2 Should Adapt: Nemesis
Nemesis centers on the titular character, a brilliant, sadistic supervillain who delights in causing mayhem. Targeting Chief Inspector Blake Morrow, an otherwise respected figure and family man, Nemesis heads to Washington and engages in a cat-and-mouse game with him. Morrow is tested both physically and psychologically, as he risks his life and reputation to end the villain's reign of tyranny.
A very loose adaptation was reported as in the works back in September, but if it doesn't move forward then Nemesis would make an excellent film or miniseries for Netflix. It could really play up the psychological and mysterious aspects of Nemesis himself in his personal war against Morrow, almost like Inside Man with a supervillain.
1 Should Reboot: Wanted
Wanted was already adapted into a film that bore little resemblance to the comic it was based on. Since there's been no movement on either a sequel or a spin-off, this could be Netflix's chance to produce a rebooted TV series, using the comic as a jumping-off point for a metafictional deconstruction of the superhero genre.
Joining the supervillain organization called The Fraternity, Wesley Gibson's story could follow a Breaking Bad-esque narrative, as he starts as an average guy before his exposure to The Fraternity's world twists his morals and sees him become one of the most ruthless villains in the world. His actions, unintentionally, could lead to the reemergence of superheroes, who had previously been erased from existence by The Fraternity in the 80's.
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