By now it has become pretty clear that Barry Sonnenfeld’s comedic sensibilities and special effects know-how make him an ideal director to helm comic book adaptations. Many people forget that the Men in Black films were actually based on a comic, but he also executive produced The Tick live action series and directed the pilot episode. Based on that experience it seems a bit surprising that he has yet to be asked to take on a major superhero franchise from either the Marvel or DC camp — until now, that is. Over the past month or so we’ve been hearing rumours that he was circling a Warner Brothers project that would potentially bring back a property that “hasn’t been around since the 60s.” Now we think we know what that property is: DC’s The Metal Men.

According to Vulture, their inside sources say that Sonnenfeld is indeed attached to direct a Metal Men movie. There aren’t many other details to go on at the moment, but based on the quirky, offbeat nature of the characters, it would seem to be a good fit for him. The Metal Men were also recently re-introduced as part of Grant Morrison’s 52 series, and Sonnenfeld is already collaborating with Morrison on Dinosaurs vs. Aliens.

The Metal Men are a team of six robots created by Dr. William Magnus, each taking their powers and personalities from the elements Gold, Iron, Lead, Mercury, Tin, and Platinum. They first appeared during the Silver Age in 1962 and had their own series throughout most of the ’60s, but then faded into obscurity until a brief relaunch in the mid-’90s. They have worked with the Justice League on multiple occasions so it is conceivable that a Metal Men movie could also tie into the upcoming Justice League feature film, but it still seems like an odd title for Warner Brothers to be putting money into. Would you be interested in a Metal Men movie and can you see them appearing in the Justice League movie?