History Main / ComicbookMoviesDontUseCodenames

* The ''Film/FantasticFour'' movies, (including [[Film/TheFantasticFour the Roger Corman one]]) rarely mention the codenames of the heroes and never refer to Victor Von Doom as Doctor Doom (this is actually in keeping with the nature of the original series since none of the characters had a SecretIdentity). Resident clown Johnny makes up the codenames on the spot when being interviewed, thus [[VitriolicBestBuds explaining the apparent cruelty]] of Ben being named "The Thing".
** Oddly, "ComicBook/DoctorDoom" would seem to be a perfectly sensible thing to call a person [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate with a doctor's degree]] whose last name is "Doom"[[labelnote:*]]technically "von Doom", but people Anglicise such names in all sorts of different ways[[/labelnote]]. In some of the dubs (the Brazilian one, for example), his line "Call me Doom" is changed to "Call me Doctor Doom".
** In the [[Film/FantasticFour2015 2015 reboot]], Sue jokingly calls Doom "Doctor Doom". It also avoids any kind of codenames for the heroes until the very end, when Reed starts brainstorming names for the team and Johnny jokingly suggests "The Human Torch and the Torchettes" and "Two Guys, a Girl, and The Thing Nobody Wanted." Reed eventually gets an idea when he hears the word "fantastic", but then the movie cuts to the end credits before he actually says it.
** This is true to the comics as they rarely use the code names with each other, since they are public figures. Reed, especially, is better known for his scientific accomplishments. Ben and Johnny are more likely to use them in public since they are more outgoing and are more likely to cater to "fans". Ben will call HIMSELF "The Ever Lovin' Blue Eye Thing", but other heroes rarely do.

*** Additionally, these aren't their superhero names — these are their nicknames. [[WesternAnimation/BigHero6TheSeries The show]] even expands on this, where it's made clear that their identities are not public, resulting in a fangirl coming up with unofficial superhero names for them [[StylisticSuck for her fanfiction]] — Captain Cutie, Speed Queen, Flamejumper, Tall Girl, Chop-Chop, and Red Panda.
** The team is never called "Big Hero 6" in the movie. However during the closing credits, a news website headline reads "Big Hero 6 Saves Orphanage". [[WesternAnimation/BigHero6TheSeries The show]] reveals that Fred came up with the name in the pilot episode, which is an interquel that takes place during the ending after Hiro starts attending SFIT and before Hiro [[spoiler:rebuilds Baymax]].

* Averted in the ''Film/{{Blade}}'' series. The audience learns that Blade's real name is Eric but it is rarely mentioned.
** Ditto for [[Series/{{Blade}} the TV series]]. The only mentions are the flashback episodes to his childhood and when he meets his father, who will not call his only son "Blade".

* Averted in the ''Film/GIJoe'' films. The Joes and Cobras are referred to exclusively by their codenames.

** The ComicBook/MartianManhunter is only called by that name once in all five seasons of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', only being referred to as J'onn or "the Martian." Then again, this may simply be keeping up with the comics, where the rest of the League has used his name almost solely for some time. Similarly, Franchise/WonderWoman is usually just "Diana" to the others, both in the comics and {{Franchise/DCAU}}.

* In a non-comic book example, the ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' spinoff ''WesternAnimation/{{Velma}}'' has Norville Rogers go by his real name, rather than his iconic nickname, Shaggy.

* ''Film/GhostRiderSpiritOfVengeance'' never refers to [[spoiler:Carrigan]]'s character as [[WalkingWasteland Blackout]], which was his name in the comics.

** In the first ''Film/GhostRider'' movie, Ghost Rider is mentioned quite a bit. When [[spoiler: Sam Elliot]]'s character is revealed as the original Spirit of Vengeance, the name Phantom Rider is not mentioned. This is likely due to the comic character being obscure, the reveal happens not long before the character leaves the film, and the characters have little in common.

* WebVideo/KanePixelsTheBackrooms zig-zags this: out-of-universe, the titular [[WebOriginal/TheBackrooms Backrooms]] are referred to as such in the series' title, whilst in-universe, the [[ResearchInc ASYNC Foundation]] refers to them as "A-Space", with "the Back-Rooms" being mentioned as a nickname used by employees.

* ''WesternAnimation/XMen'':

* The ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' started off with some code names, but dropped them almost ''immediately,'' except for one who insisted on being called "Princess Powerful" (note that she's a 12 year old girl...). Just as well, their code names sucked. The dinosaur still kept the name Old Lace to go with Gert's soon abandoned "Arsenic" codename, but since she's a dinosaur, she does not have a "normal" name.

** The LegionOfDoom assembled in season 3 is never actually called such. The writers were fine with the them, but [[ExecutiveMeddling DC executives forbade them from using the name]]. Thus it's a nameless expanded successor to the previous Secret Society of Super-Villains. (The episode where the "Legion" first appears is even titled "I Am Legion".) However, WB apparently overruled DC by the time the series DVD was published, considering the packaging calls it the Legion of Doom front and center in the back's description.
** Amazo's first few appearances saw his only referred to as "the andriod", "Professor Ivo's andriod", or anything else in a similar vwin, with the only thing to actually call him "Amazo" being his blueprints. Later on, though, he's indeed called "Amazo".

** In fact, the popularity of the ''Teen Titans'' cartoon and its version of him means that (a) in ''any'' DC series he's required to show up, and (b) he'll be called Deathstroke once or twice to get it out of the way and he'll be Slade from then on. In ''[[WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010 Young Justice: Invasion]],'' he was referred to as Deathstroke at first but mostly conversed with the one member of the LegionOfDoom who knew him well enough to call him Slade. He was the BigBad of the final arc of ''WesternAnimation/BewareTheBatman,'' in which there's a battle with the mysterious Deathstroke ''before'' anyone knows what he's all about, but when it's time for him to take center stage as the new main threat, Batman and Alfred learn that Deathstroke and another of his aliases are both Slade Wilson, and from then on he's Slade no matter what he's wearing. In ''Arrow,'' we know him pre-villainy, then find out about the assassin Deathstroke, and like ''Beware the Batman,'' when we learn that Slade and Deathstroke are one and the same, he's called Slade from then on. In ''Smallville,'' he's a general, not a supervillain, so it's no surprise he never uses a codename.

** Thirdly, a few characters who don't outside of Tripwire and General Hawk aren't in the military: While this wouldn't affect Carl Greer as "Doc" is commonly used as a short version of "doctor", anyway, it does mean Courtney Kreiger, Christopher Lavigne, and Vince Hauser aren't respectively called "Cover Girl", "Law", and "Lt. Falcon".

* ''Film/{{Deadpool|2016}}'' and ''Film/Deadpool2'' use codenames more than the character's real names. Negasonic Teenage Warhead, a relatively minor X-Men character, got promoted to one of Deadpool's partners simply because the writers really liked her codename and wanted to defy this trope as much as possible. The one exception is [[BigBad Ajax]], whom Deadpool insists on calling by his real name of Francis just to annoy him.

* ''Film/Joker2019'' has the titular villain name himself Joker late in the movie as an AppropriatedAppellation after a talk-show host called him a "joker" when mocking his botched stand-up comedy routine.

* When Diana suits up in the finale to battle Doomsday alongside Bruce and Clark, she's never given a codename and is only referred to as Franchise/WonderWoman in the credits.
* Likewise, Bruce is only actually called "Franchise/{{Batman}}" once, when Perry [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall says that nobody would be interested in Clark Kent fighting the Batman]]. The other times it's some variation of "the Bat" to refer to him.

* Even though WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls didn't originate from a comic book, they are still superheroes with a codename for their group. While the name is used liberally in the show, it's used only once at the end of the show's [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirlsMovie movie adaptation]], where the LemonyNarrator comes up with it on the spot during his first SoOnceAgainTheDayIsSaved speech.

** The giant robot that the League faces in the first episode of ''Unlimited'' is supposed to be Brimstone from ''ComicBook/{{Legends|DC}}'', but that name is never used.

** David Haller refers to himself as Legion on a few occasions, but everyone else calls him David.

* ''Series/Legion2017'':

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'' had Gentleman Ghost appear as a villain in the ''All-New Super Friends Hour'' segment "The Ghost", but only had him referred to as "Gentleman Jim Craddock".

* Creator/HideoKojima originally planned to drop the Solid Snake and Otacon nicknames in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'' and had the two characters addressed each other by their real names (Dave and Hal), but this idea was rejected once he realized that Solid Snake became too much of an iconic character.

* Averted in ''Film/Godzilla2014''. Despite [[http://www.scified.com/site/godzillamovies/igns-godzilla-set-visit-reveals-new-stills-potential-spoilers--godzilla-easter-eggs rumors]] that Franchise/{{Godzilla}} would not be referred to as such in this film, Dr. Serizawa introduces him during the briefing as "Gojira" and the military uses the name Godzilla as a code name for the beast. News broadcasts even dub him "King of the Monsters." In the sequel, Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah are all referred to by name several times. A notable twist with King Ghidorah: his true name unknown for the first half of the film, he is merely adressed as "Monster Zero" (an actual alias of Ghidorah in the Showa films), before being referred to as "Ghidorah", and only once in the film is he called "King Ghidorah", after he defeats Godzilla and takes command of the rest of the Titans. [[spoiler:Similarly, in ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'', Mechagodzilla is primarily referred to as the Mecha by Apex, but [[FanNickname Team Godzilla]] explicitly calls him Mechagodzilla. Kong, meanwhile, is referred to with the King in his name until he arrives in Hollow Earth, where he finally claims his own kingdom]].

* Mostly averted with ''Series/{{Peacemaker}}''. The titular character's real name of Christopher Smith gets used as well, but it's a plot point in the early episodes that his teammates mostly just use his codename [[TheFriendNobodyLikes because they hate him]]. Comicbook/{{Vigilante}} also has his codename used quite a bit, as none of the other characters know his real name ("Adrian Chase") until about halfway into the season. Comicbook/{{Judomaster}}, meanwhile, is ''only'' called that, as his civilian name has yet to come up.

* Mostly averted with ''Series/{{Peacemaker}}''. The titular character's real name of Christopher Smith gets used as well, but it's a plot point in the early episodes that his teammates mostly just use his codename [[TheFriendNobodyLikes because they hate him]]. Comicbook/{{Vigilante}} also has his codename used quite a bit, as Peacemaker is the only one who knows his real name ("Adrian Chase") until about halfway into the season. Comicbook/{{Judomaster}}, meanwhile, is ''only'' called that, as his civilian name has yet to come up.

* Mostly averted with ''Series/{{Peacemaker}}''. The titular character's real name of Christopher Smith gets used as well, but it's a plot point in the early episodes that his teammates mostly refuse to call him by his real name [[TheFriendNobodyLikes because they hate him]]. Comicbook/{{Vigilante}} also has his codename used quite a bit, as Peacemaker is the only one who knows his real name ("Adrian Chase") until about halfway into the season. Comicbook/{{Judomaster}}, meanwhile, is ''only'' called that, as his civilian name has yet to come up.

* Mostly averted with ''Series/{{Peacemaker}}''. The titular character's real name of Christopher Smith gets used as well, but it's a plot point in the early episodes that his teammates mostly refuse to call him by his real name [[TheFriendNobodyLikes because they hate him]]. Comicbook/{{Vigilante}} also has his codename used quite a bit, as Peacemaker is the only one who knows his real name ("Adrian Chase") until about halfway into the season. Judomaster, meanwhile, is ''only'' called that, as his civilian name has yet to come up.

* Mostly averted with ''Series/{{Peacemaker}}''. The titular character's real name of Christopher Smith gets used as well, but it's a plot point in the early episodes that his teammates mostly refuse to call him by his real name [[TheFriendNobodyLikes because they hate him]]. Comicbook/{{Vigilante}} also has his codename used quite a bit, as Peacemaker is the only one who knows his real name ("Adrian Chase") until about halfway into the season. Judomaster, meanwhile, is ''only'' called that, as his civilian name has yet to come up.