DC’s Best Villain Will Not Appear In Future Movies
With all of the major DCU shakeups taking place in the past week, it was a heavy heart that ComicBook reports James Gunn as confirmed the best villain in DC Comics pantheon will not make it to the big screen. Responding to a fan’s tweet, James Gunn, killer of dreams, destroyer of hope, gave a terse one-word answer to the question “Can you promise to utilize Condiment King?” Speaking from high atop his throne of lies, the new co-CEO of the DCU responded, “No.”
James Gunn has already, according to rumor, thrown out the script for Wonder Woman 3, decided to re-tool how the DCU will use Superman, and might make the King of Atlantis the Main Man instead. Now, as if that was not enough, Gunn is denying fans the glory of seeing one of Batman’s most notorious villains, Condiment King, on the big screen. Instead of Condiment King, fans get to look forward to another Joker movie, also starring Harley Quinn, when what fans really want is to see aioli used as a weapon.
Condiment King made his debut, like Harley Quinn, as part of Batman: The Animated Series, created by Bruce Timm. Originally a parody of Batman’s campy villains from the 60’s, Condiment King, and his puns, was such a hit that the character followed Harley Quinn to the mainline comics. The DCU version, which we are denied by Gunn, would have likely taken inspiration from the comics, where the Condiment King is identified by Robin as a dangerous super-villain.
Tim Drake, the smartest Robin, correctly identifies that because the justice system refuses to take Condiment King seriously, he’s allowed to go in and out of court, constantly terrorizing the people of Gotham. Armed with condiment guns that squirt ketchup and mustard, it is possible that left unchecked, Condiment King may cause anaphylactic shock. If the DCU does not want to take inspiration from the comics, then there is one more version of the Condiment King, that is more dangerous, dastardly, and destructive than all the others.
In the HBO Max animated series, Harley Quinn, Condiment King is correctly risen to the rank of arch-nemesis, sure, it’s not of Batman, but rather Kite-Man. Charles “Kite-Man” Brown and Mitchell “Condiment King” Mayo have an ongoing feud, culminating in a battle over who gets to use a wedding venue. Kite-Man’s fiancée, Poison Ivy, cheats and uses her plant powers to seemingly kill both Condiment King and his fiancée, wrongly securing use of the venue.
Amazingly, Condiment King has also made appearances in other media, including the video game Lego Batman 3, which lets players take control of the immense power held by the super-criminal. LEGO DC Super-Villains also correctly identifies Condiment King, unlike the DCU, as a super-villain, including the character as an unlockable bonus. James Gunn is the same man that made a star out of a talking Raccoon and a tree, surely he could take the amazing Condiment King and make him a star?
While the DCU next year may not resemble the DCU of the past few years, one thing is for sure, James Gunn is leaving money on the table by not including Condiment King. Just imagine Condiment King Halloween costumes, Condiment King tie-in young adult novels, and of course, Condiment King branded condiments. By denying fans the ability to see Condiment King in the DCU, Gunn is coinciding the battle of the comic blockbusters to Marvel.
