Marvel movies vs. DC movies. They have been a big argument for the last couple of decades over which company makes the better movies. And here you are, the reader, to read the opinion of a writer who has seen both. From here on out, take everything you read with a grain of salt.
The Marvel Approach
Marvel is a film world where fantasy is accepted as the norm. Fantastic things can happen with little explanation but big consequences. Marvel deals very well with “escapism”; any comic fan knows walking into the movie theater that the world they will view for the next two to three hours isn’t connected to reality. It’s hard enough trying to turn any comic book story into a film without also being reminded of its impossibility; it’s just fiction.
The Iron Man franchise had a serious storyline, despite the fantasy setting: terrorist kidnapping, the death of a close friend, and a call to arms to defend those who were victimized. But fans complained that Tony Stark’s “Demon in a Bottle” storyline was overlooked, despite being a main issue in the comics. This was ignored by Iron Man 2 using Stark’s infection slowly killing him, and fighting his best friend inside his suit.
For comic book fans, the “Extremis” storyline was something of a hot topic. In the comic universe, the drive for Tony Stark to truly become one with his suit was a great character development arc, a storyline that was ultimately abandoned by the end of Iron Man 3 when Tony Stark manages to knot only cure his heart condition for good, but also get the girl.
Marvel made the decision to keep all of their heroes’ facets, villains and magic, allowing them to keep their characters intact. This is what allows Tony Stark to make fun of Loki, Thor to fall in love with the first mortal woman he sees, and for talking genetically altered raccoons to be friend with walking trees.
You might also have noticed that after all these battles, there is never an after shot of the destruction the main characters cause, as though the battle never happened except that the hero beats the villain and everyone cheers him/her on.
The DC Approach
DC Comics, on the other hand, have taken on a far different approach in their storytelling. No doubt you’ve heard of Christopher Nolan’s themes of anger, vengeance and resentment. Nolan wanted to tell a story about Bruce Wayne, not Batman’s gadgets.
To that end, Nolan and Goyer didn’t add fantasy elements that would clash with their real-world view. The Dark Knight trilogy had Ra’s Al Ghul as its main antagonist, but no Lazarus Pits to grant him immortality. It also didn’t have Joker’s “acid-spitting bouttonniere”, and Bane’s “Venom”. The antagonists were all as human as the rest of us, though driven by some very dark tendencies.
This approach worked; the trilogy led to a bigger box office take and even won itself some Oscar nominations. It was made clear that audiences “wanted superheroes they could relate to”.
Man of Steel was another movie that tried to make it as realistic as possible, despite its fantasy setting. It’s hard to write a story that doesn’t include alien origin (since Superman IS one) but it does succeed in some ways; Superman is a story of being an orphan and finding purpose in a world whose own people has trouble doing so. And basically, it’s true; Superman is Clark Kent, a reporter who fights social justice. We didn’t really care much for villains like General Zod or Doomsday until the comics took on a more fantastical storytelling method.
The Business Aspect of the Studios
Admittedly, Marvel has had more spotlight as of late, but there are still major differences driving the two studios.
Since 2009, Walt Disney Company bought Marvel Entertainment. Now, Disney can use all of its resources, like consumer products and television, to promote its Marvel films. Now, for those who have seen the TV show, Agents of S. H. I. E. L. D., you will have noticed the direct reference to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, at the end of episode 16 of the first season, with Hydra’s takeover. Meanwhile, Marvel has released consecutive hits with Iron Man and Thor and Captain America.
DC Entertainment is under Time Warner, but DC does not have a separate production house away from Warner Bros. Their numbers include big mainstays such as Harry Potter and The Hobbit. In contrast, Marvel’s separate division can use all its marketing forces to promote the latest superhero film. So far, none of the movies tie into a huge cinematic universe, but the new Justice League movie may be DC’s answer to Marvel’s Avengers. Unfortunately, only Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy stands out for DC; Catwoman, Jonah Hex, and Watchmen sucked at the box office in comparison. Don’t mention The Flash movie to any hardcore fan if you value your existence.
So what do you think? Marvel and DC continue to battle it out, and as far as numbers go, Marvel is definitely winning—for now. They have the formula of escapism working in their favor. But DC might just be catching up. The fact they do not have a unified cinematic universe might allow for more creative freedom, especially in other mediums.
After all, we’re only talking about films, not TV shows.
Sources: Wallcheatsheet.com, Movieplot.com, Screenrant.com