Why Don’t The DC Movies Work As Good As The Marvel Movies?
We have a general practice of not discussing religion that publicly causes a conflict of interest. Nowadays, we can say the same about the DC Marvel fandom. They both get their time of the year to blow us away.
The Marvel universe is currently sweeping the audience with its new trailer for Spiderman: No Way Home. We also see how the new Batman trailer featuring Robert Patterson is winning us away. But we still see Marvel proceeding further.
Anybody who’s seen DC movies in Order knows how plot-driven they are. One of DC’s incredible masterpieces was the Dark Knight trilogy, led by an amazing director, a thrilling score, an outstanding class of actors, and a brilliant plot.
But Marvel is more audience-driven. They love to highlight their favorites and continuously revamp the characters. One amazing thing is how they sequentially plot their movies and win the crowd.
So, what’s wrong with DC? Let’s find out:
1. The injustice Justice League
This is just a page from history about how something so hyped turned out bad. I think we can all agree that DC’s Justice League is the equivalent of Marvel’s Avengers. They’re both a plot of combined heroes and anybody who wants a glimpse at the comic universe should watch these.
But the reason why Avengers is far better than the Justice League series is because of the many delays and loopholes in the process.
For those who remember, Zack Snyder was the director who would bring Justice League to life. But he had faced a personal family loss, that made him discontinue his work. DC could not afford to stop in the middle, so they had to come up with a different director and had to do a lot of production changes.
When the movie was released, the one word people had to say was ‘disappointed’. The movie’s change of directors and sequences did not match the expectations of the DC fandom and it got terrible ratings.
Later, Zack Snyder returned and produced Zack Snyder’s Justice League. It had a runtime of 4 hours, but it was a great improvement over the original. It still could not catch up with the dent that the first movie brought to the DC universe.
2. Marvel’s marketing
Marvel spends a lot on their marketing, and you find the hottest actors and the best interviews from their side. We all know how Tom Holland (Spiderman) has an unfortunate habit of spoiling the movies. It may seem unintentional, but it sounds so real and becomes true as we watch the movie.
There was a story narrated by Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk) about how he was using Facebook Live, and he rushed into the theatre to watch the movie but didn’t turn off the live option. He ended up streaming the entire movie’s audio on Facebook Live.
He was sad that it happened but, in a day, or two, the story caused more attraction towards the movie, and it became an unintentional marketing stunt that gave Marvel’s universe the fame.
In an event earlier in 2019, Marvel put out the complete calendar of Marvel movies to be released. It got the crowd excited about how the universe is transitioning and changing. Just because Ironman goes away (SPOILER) does not mean that he’s not in the future. The same is the case with Black Widow.
3. Marvel is illogical (that’s a good thing)
Superheroes aren’t real. There is no flying or web-spitting in real life. Yet you find DC movies trying to create sense into the movie. Not everything in the universe must make sense.
Meanwhile, Marvel is out there playing with Time travel, multiverse theories, and aliens. Batman is still considered a rich billionaire who has cool gadgets that let him fight crime and do stunts.
The MCU produces time-bending concepts and redefines the imagination. It is illogical but nobody watches Sci-Fi for the logic. That is what gives Marvel a cutting edge. Characters like Black Panther and Dr. Strange are true testimonials of this.
Even Thor being a 1000-year-old plays well into the theme. Also, The Guardians of the Galaxy features interesting characters that gallivant around in space looking for adventure.
Explanations For Why DC Films Have Not Been As Successful As The MCU
The Total Annual DC Film Production Has Reduced
You need to make many movies in a cinematic world if you want people to care about them. Since DC and Marvel have so many superheroes to choose from, many movies must be released each year based on them. Two or three movies from the MCU are typically released per year. They have got so many ready that they are attempting to figure out what role phase 4 plays in the setting for Avengers 5.
All Of The Bad Guys Are Easily Forgotten
You know you are on the right track when you can create antagonists that supporters root for. Fantastic bad guys have made appearances in several MCU flicks. Loki, Thanos, and Killmonger are among Marvel’s most famous villains. It does not happen like that in the DC Comics While the Joker is one of the most recognizable comic book villains, he fails to win over audiences even in the famous Suicide Squad.
Many Of These Movies Are Much Too Somber & Serious
After the popularity of The Dark Knight series, the DC Universe tried to keep the same somber tone across their various media. Comic book movie buffs regard the Dark Knight as the gold standard. It was a masterpiece, but something other than that style would work for an ongoing series. Tonally, several MCU films could not be more different from one another.
DC Comics Feature Fewer Heroes & Villains
There can be fewer characters in the DC Universe if fewer movies exist. The MCU’s following films will likely include more superheroes than all of DC’s combined. The 2012 film Justice League had an ensemble cast of superheroes equal to that of the first Avengers movie.
Bat-Player Ben Affleck Is Leaving The DC Extended Universe
A central character or plot point is crucial to propelling the film series forward. The DC Multiverse, unfortunately, lacks a hero capable of doing this task. It placed much hope in Ben Affleck’s ability to become the face of the DC Comics universe as Batman. Twilight’s Robert Pattinson will assume the title role in the next Batman film.
The Man Of Steel Was A Disappointment Compared To Iron Man
Having a fantastic movie is just as important as having a fantastic franchise centerpiece when drawing in audiences. Man of Steel paled in comparison to Iron Man. Though Man of Steel made more money at the box office, most superhero fans think Iron Man is the superior film. It catalyzed a cascade of subsequent Marvel movies.
Single-Cast Films Featuring DC Characters Have The Most Success
Sometimes a lone superhero can do more than a team. In the DC Multiverse, this is the case. The critically acclaimed flicks include Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Shazam! Unfortunately for superhero lovers, none of those films included any other significant heroes.
DC Comics Movie Characters Do Not Share Storylines
Even if DC characters thrive in their movies, there is no cohesive universe that unites them all. Many Marvel characters appear in later MCU films after their outings. Recurring themes and references to previous films within the franchise demonstrate how everything fits together.
The MCU’s Trademark Light Humor Is Absent Here
These days, movies can’t always get away with being grim and depressing. Of all, Marvel Cinematic Universe films are not your typical buddy comedy featuring superhero battles. They have lots of heavy subject matter, yet they know how to sprinkle in some laughs. Some movies, like Guardians of the Galaxy, have a little more humor. Shazam! was DC’s sole comedy, and it was a smashing success.
To Compete With Marvel’s Huge Fanbase
As it is, Marvel’s legion of devoted followers makes it difficult for the company’s rivals to gain traction. Although they can cash in on the trend of superhero films, it could not be as successful as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The box office record for the most money made by a single film was broken by Avengers: Endgame. At the box office, Aquaman was the only movie to surpass $1 billion (unless Joker enters the DC Universe).
Conclusion
Marvel has bagged some of the hottest actors in Hollywood. Their upcoming productions feature Mahershala Ali, Toby Maguire (the old Spiderman), Jessie Vinning, and many more.
Therefore, Marvel is making headlines. Also, if you ask a noob about his take on the Marvel DC universe, he might point out the difference between a “dark brooding story” and “exciting action-packed sequences”.
What DC needs to do is win its crowd through its existing dark charm. It also needs to make consistent releases and continuously tease new productions in pipelines. That’s how the imbalance in the cinematic universe can be restored.
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