NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The debate between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Extended Universe will rage on for eternity. Who has the best characters? Which movies and shows are the best? Who has the best storylines? For fans of either, there is no competition. As an MCU fan, I’m a bit biased but I do have my reasons why.
What the DCEU has failed to do in my opinion is make a connection with its fans and audience. A Batman fan is a Batman fan regardless. But what happens when you build a story up only to confuse your audience?
Following Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, I walked away not cheering for the movie but for the storyline and characters. I can’t remember the last time I felt that way regarding a DCEU movie.
The Multiverse of Madness was not the best MCU movie but it opened the door for what’s to come. Remember in Spider-Man: No Way Home when Doc Oct and Green Goblin made their appearance? Or, we can go to the ultimate scenes when Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield made their appearance? To see all three Spider-Man’s share the screen was pure genius. And that right there is one of the reasons why the MCU has the edge over the DCEU.
Looking back, how many Supermans have we seen over the years? How many different versions of Batmans have we seen? Even in their TV shows, there is no stability. The Arrowverse is huge for the DCEU but hell, even there we’ve had two different Green Arrows and at least 2 different Supermans. At some point, if they can’t get the originals to play in these shows, then why continue to make storylines surrounding them?
How many Captain America’s, Iron Man’s, or Thor’s have we come across over the last decade? Marvel has found a way to tell its story without alienating its core audience or fans. How did DC miss that memo?
There are rumors that we still may get a Ben Affleck-led Batman movie. But why? Didn’t we just get one with Robert Pattinson as Batman? Is this another universe and even if it is, why not keep the same actor? With a new Flash movie set to drop in 2023, there are signs that the DCEU is moving into its own version of the multiverse. But once again, here we go with the fake out. Michael Keaton, the OG Batman will be alongside Affleck.
Can The DCEU Catch The MCU?
Having Keaton and Affleck share a screen together is not a bad idea and one that will work for fans and DC’s audience. But what’s next? For Marvel, it’s now about ushering in a new version of heroes. And to make matters worse for the DCEU, while Marvel is ushering in new shows, CW is steadily axing theirs. Somehow, the DCEU has to find a way to offer stability. Not only to the fans but to their characters.
A company with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman at the forefront should not be treading water in an ocean with sharks circling. How can DC find footing in the comic race when Marvel is set to unleash The Fantastic 4, a new X-Men, 2 new Avengers films, and another Guardians of The Galaxy movie just to name a few?
But all could be lost for the DCEU. With the recent news that Wonder Woman 3 has been scrapped, what’s next for one of their biggest draws? Black Adam was good but is he the new face? Then, to bring in Henry Cavill in a cameo role appeared to show that the DCEU is moving in the right direction. But are they?
No matter how great any of their movies are, what all this boils down to is how fans see their favorite characters. The MCU keeps shuffling in new characters but they have not run into the same issues that the DCEU has over the years. All the stories intertwine with each other and nothing ever gets stale.
With James Gunn and Peter Safran heading things up, they could work some magic and get the ball rolling again. But there still lies that issue we’re talking about. What if Gal Godot is no longer interested in playing Wonder Woman after having her movie scraped? There are rumors that there will not be a sequel to Black Adam and there are also rumors that the studio wants Jason Momoa to play another character and shelve Aquaman.
Once again, this is how Marvel has managed to stay 33 steps ahead. You might be tired of seeing Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Hemsworth, but you can’t say that Marvel has not been consistent.
For the studios, it’s all about the money. However, for the fans, it’s about consistency. You give the fans what they want and in return, they will give you want you want.
