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The Marvel vs DC debates are never-ending and have been going on since both companies entered the collective consciousness of pop culture. Fans of both will defend their personal favorite studio passionately, often even defending the most divisive of movies in order to justify which company puts out the best content. Both studios have their merits and their mistakes, but the vastly different tones and stories are what really separate the two. In a way, it would be nice if both could coexist without the need for competition and comparison from fans, but such is the nature of the beast when it comes to the world of superheroes.
That being said, comparing the two is helpful in a way because it’s a good way to highlight the things that each franchise could do better. Despite the fact that DC used to be the studio that produced movies that were divisive amongst both super fans and the general public alike, they’ve actually been putting out some great entries in recent years. In fact, if The Batman is any movie to judge them by, DC might be able to overtake Marvel in terms of popularity and quality. With the way that the MCU has begun to fall out of favor with fans as of late, it’s entirely possible that DC could swoop in to take its spot.
The MCU has been in a state of uncertainty recently, which is strange for such a popular franchise that has been a media staple for more than 10 years at this point. After the end of the Infinity Saga, Marvel began their Phase 4 projects and started to incorporate TV shows into the canon of their cinematic universe. However, unlike the past phases, it feels like Marvel doesn’t have a concrete plan for the future going forward, and is setting up a lot of stories that don’t connect as much as fans would like them to. This has left Phase 4 feeling a little messy and incoherent, despite the fact that a lot of good stories have come out of it.
This is also being paired with the fact that a lot of fans (and the general public especially) are starting to get Marvel fatigue. In the past, Marvel would release about 2-3 films per year, which gave them time to build anticipation between releases. However, ever since the MCU started dipping its toe into TV with their Disney Plus shows, they are releasing content on what feels like a constant basis. It seems like there is a new show or movie every other month, with barely any breathing room between them. The MCU is proving that there can be too much of a good thing, as even die-hard fans are struggling to get emotionally invested in every new release when they come out.
All of this makes now a perfect time for DC to take Marvel’s spot as the leader in comic book movies. With Marvel being on much shakier footing than they were previously while DC has recently had one of its strongest entries to date with The Batman, it seems like there might be an interesting shift where DC is able to finally spring ahead of the competition. Of course, this mainly relies on them continuing to put out content that’s as good as The Batman and feels just as fresh, so it’s always possible that they could lose their momentum considering their track record.
DC has been less generous with its releases, which is a good thing at this point. There is still hype and anticipation around a new DC movie coming out, while with Marvel it has started to feel like old hat. DC can use this to their advantage (while also still hopefully putting out high quality films) to become the thing that culture revolves around even more so than Marvel. Of course, there’s always the possibility that the DC releases will just get lost amongst the swath of Marvel content as well, but their projects always feel very tonally distinct from the MCU – even the more lighthearted entries – and they should still be able to distinguish themselves.
People might be getting tired of the Marvel formula where every movie feels pretty much the same in terms of tone and humor style, and they’ll be looking for something different, which is exactly what DC can provide. They’ve generally leaned towards a darker tone anyway, but they’ve recently figured out how to actually utilize it properly. Some are growing tired of the constant quips that MCU movies are known for, and it might seem refreshing to watch a DC movie where none of that is present because it just feels like a nice change after the onslaught of Marvel same-ness.
Obviously, Marvel’s crown is going to be a tough one to take. They’ve had the monopoly on the superhero genre of movies since about 2008, and that’s not something that disappears easily. In a perfect world, both studios could exist without the need for competition, and there are many fans who love both equally, but there are also a lot of reasons for Marvel and DC to constantly be compared. If DC can keep up with releasing good content that differentiates itself from Marvel and other blockbuster franchise movies, they may be on track to be the bigger giant at the box office, as well as in the opinions of fans and critics.
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