Justice League: Here’s why we want to like Cyborg so bad (and why we don’t)

On Nov. 17, we’ll meet our first live-action Cyborg on the big screen for the first time in Justice League, but unfortunately, we do have a few reservations.

When Justice League opens in theaters on Nov. 17, many people will be introduced to some very famous DC Comics characters for the first time. Which means, how they’re portrayed in that film may be the only impression they ever leave on people. Characters like Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg may only earn one chance to win people over. And so far, it’s going better for some than others. If you look at how Warner Bros. markets the characters and even places them on posters, you can kind of already see how each hero ranks.

Obviously, Wonder Woman sits at the top. But unfortunately, I get the impression that Cyborg ranks very low on people’s lists, which is a shame, because some of us see him as a really cool guy. While it doesn’t look like he’s as funny as Flash / Barry Allen, or as relaxed and in command as Aquaman / Arthur Curry, we know that Justice League uses him as the mediator between the team and the Mother Boxes, in a way.

But will that be enough to win people over? We really want it to be, and here’s why:

Ray Fisher

Ray Fisher, though not a household name, comes off as a really, really cool guy. If you follow him anywhere on social media, then you know he’s been representing the “Borg Life” from the very beginning. Not only does he support the character, but he seems like a big team player and incredibly nice guy.

Just look at him. I’d love to be his friend, honestly.

Teen Titans

Forget the Teen Titans Go! nonsense on TV right now. The good stuff is the Teen Titans series that aired back in the early ’00s. For a really good portion of us, that’s the Cyborg we’re used to. The wise-cracking member of the Teen Titans. More importantly, he should’ve stayed with them before the comics moved him up to the Justice League. If you look up Cyborg and Beast Boy on YouTube, you’ll find a ton of videos and fan mixes highlighting their friendship, specifically. When I think of Cyborg, I think of a juvenile machine working through the same adolescent issues as everyone else his age and not someone burdened by Apokolips technology as Justice League depicts.

But at this point, you may ask yourself: So why don’t people like him? Well, here’s the thing.

Design

Whether it was Zack Snyder who came up with it or some other guy, the design for Cyborg is absolutely horrendous. And I don’t mean, the effects look dumb or I don’t like the colors — but it’s downright hideous. Part of me wants to believe this is just a crude version of his Mother Box suit and he’ll get a design upgrade by the end of the film, but if he doesn’t, I’ll be so bummed. It’s not sleek. It’s full of sharp edges. The colors and placements of the lights are weird. It’s just not what I’d expect from a half man / half robot, let alone a high school teenager who used to be a quarterback. Like, come on, Victor. Make that thing look cooler, please.

Boring

So, of course, AT&T released an exclusive look at Cyborg. All the characters will get one, but Cyborg really needed to nail his ahead of the film’s release. Once again, it came across like Fisher has a lot of untapped charisma and no matter how much tech Cyborg has, he’s still the lame-o on the team. Despite the fact that he probably has the most to offer. I cringe every time I hear him say the “Relax, Alfred. I got this” line. I don’t know why they decided to make him so serious, but it’s not working.

Justice League opens in theaters on Nov. 17.

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