Video Game Characters That Deserve Their Own Movies

While superhero movies may be slowing down, video game movies and adaptations appear to be heating up. Sonic the Hedgehog, The Last of Us, Tetris, Uncharted, Mortal Kombat, and many more have come out in recent years. Most of them have been major hits with fans, critics, and sometimes both.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie just came out and has already smashed records in one weekend. It's projected to become the highest-grossing video game movie of all time by a wide margin. It also feels like an event in time. People may not have realized what Iron Man would kickstart in 2008, but it certainly feels like this is the precipice of a new MCU- the Mario Cinematic Universe. It's clear that video game movies and projects are all the rage right now. With a vast library of video games to pull from, which characters need to get their own movies?

While Pac-Man was a part of the movie Pixels, the character needs its own video game adaptation. Pac-Man may not seem like a good game to adapt to the big screen, but studios have found a way to bring Sonic and Tetris to the theaters somehow, so Pac-Man can be done, too. Pac-Man has been around a long time and is a staple of gaming. It's high time it was brought into some legitimate video game adaptation.

There were rumors of a Metroid project and that Brie Larson would star as Samus Aran, but there's no official confirmation. The fact that one of the most iconic video game protagonists and a leading lady hasn't even been considered for a major motion picture is a bit surprising. She may get lost in the shuffle with Nintendo's vast library of characters. However, as more characters adapt, there's no reason to ignore the Metroid franchise.

The fact that no one has ever tried to make a Legend of Zelda movie is a huge surprise. Studios made a live-action Mario movie in the 1990s, and it was awful. Yet, a movie set in Hyrule can't be done? There's never even been a legitimate rumor about a project in development, either.

Zelda is one of the video game franchises that could easily be live-action or animated. If they want to build a Nintendo universe, it could be animated. Either way, Link, Zelda, Ganondorf, and others could and should be adapted sooner rather than later. It's also a video game franchise with a few clear storylines. That alone makes adapting video game movies for this franchise much easier than others. It has recognizable characters that could easily become some of the best video game movie characters.

Video game movies don't have to be fun, colorful, and intended for kids. Tons of video games are definitively not for children. The Last of Us may be the best video game adaptation of all time, and it is not for a young audience. Any rated M game could follow in its footsteps now.

For this reason, a GTA movie based around CJ or one of the other characters would be excellent. It would easily be the most morally complex video game movie and draw a major audience. There is plenty of games' worth of stories to draw from, too.

Red Dead Redemption would be an excellent video game project, primarily due to Arthur Morgan. He's one of the best video game protagonists ever, and both games have devoted fan bases. He was a relatively morally good character in a time and setting with few. That alone makes for a good story.

They're also relatively plot-based. An old Western movie centered on Arthur Morgan and the world of RDR would be easy enough to pull off. There are enough side characters to justify a movie, too. The setting would be one of the most exciting parts, as well.

Whether or not Nintendo intends to bring its properties together on-screen as they have with the Super Mario Bros. franchise remains to be seen. However, if they bring Zelda in and continue with Mario, they must consider Kirby. Undoubtedly, Kirby is one of the most beloved and fun characters in their library. He exists in a fun world that would make for excellent viewing- much like the Mushroom Kingdom did for The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Bright, pink, and colorful would make a good animated film.

There would be plenty to choose from in making an Animal Crossing movie, but two of the most consistent and iconic characters should lead it: Tom Nook and Isabelle. They run the towns that players live in, and everyone knows who they are and what they do. Animal Crossing is a life simulator, so the possibilities for a movie are endless. These villagers and characters just live life, which often makes for the best movies. A slice-of-life film with animal protagonists could be something like Zootopia, which was a hit.

The Fortnite storyline is very loose and held together by threads, but it is there. That alone makes a movie pretty likely. Plus, it's one of the most popular video games in recent memory, so it would be like printing money. Since it debuted in 2017, it's exploded onto the scene, and people would flock to the movie.

Jonesy is perhaps the most popular skin and could easily be the protagonist. There are storyline aspects and lore to tap into that could make for a genuinely interesting movie. There are also countless characters to bring in, though some of the crossovers would be interesting from a legal standpoint.

The Call of Duty zombies storyline is fascinating, but there's not a lot of information there. There are connections, but a lot of it is decided by fan theories. Making a movie helmed by Edward Richtofen himself would be so good. Finally, explaining it all would be reason enough for gamers to get into the theater on opening night.

As flimsy as it is, the storyline that did exist is fascinating, and there's a lot to explore there. Plus, with precious few details, the creative license for a director would be an enticing advantage. If this movie doesn't get made, many gamers will be upset.

The Detective Pikachu movie is good. It's a lot of fun, and the CGI on the actual Pokémon is incredible. However, it's more of a people movie in a world with Pokémon. A Pokémon movie needs to follow Ash Ketchum, though he wasn't technically in any games.

Nevertheless, there's plenty of story and lore to tap into and a whole world of possibilities. This, too, could be a part of the Nintendo Universe if that's the road they opt to go down. As it stands, the Detective Pikachu franchise couldn't overlap with The Super Mario Bros. Movie.