Is it Still MCU VS. DC, or Are These Fandoms Coming To an End?

Have you been hearing a lot of talk about the rivalry between Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Detective Comics (DC)? They are both admirable options when it comes to movies in the action genre. Some actors you might know in the MCU include: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Holland, and Scarlett Johansson. Some actors you might know from DC include: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Margot Robbie, and Michael Keaton. 

The pros and cons are endless, here are some of them in the MCU: The MCU has a good variety of genres within the movies. Examples of these genres are action, romance, and comedy. According to Harvard Business Review, Marvel receives an average of 64 award nominations per movie from companies like Saturn Awards. The movies usually receive nominations for the best visual effects and the best action films. Marvel has a higher rate of diversity in characters than DC does, concluded by Game Rant, with well known characters like Black Panther, Gamora, and Luke Cage. 

Although Marvel has a ton of pros, it is time to bring up the pros of DC. To start off  DC has a better representation of women in powerful settings and positions. Screen Rant shares: “DC has many strong female superheroes like Wonder Woman. And they introduced the third female superhero of all time, Supergirl, in 1959.” Women are given roles that make a difference as a means of representing women in good light. DC also has a better variety of villains, and their stories are built upon deep emotions that people can relate to. Some characters like the Joker are given storylines that are heartfelt and relatable. This shows that DC is able to give us stories with various perspectives and does not leave the villains in the shadows. 

Moving on to the cons, MCU has moved into its phase 4, this has been seen as a flop. To start off, the order of movies and TV shows has taken from the experience. In fact, Bounding Into Comics states that: “Phase 4 began with a solo film for a character who was killed off two movies ago.” This had many MCU fans confused and angry. One main reason why phase 4 has been a flop is “Marvel had no creative direction post-Endgame.” With the ending of an era, moving on to another is not easy, but MCU has been taking it out of line. The first movie created for phase four was described as “a film that profited nothing and cost everything was the worst possible start for Phase 4 and it didn’t get any better from here.” Is Marvel having their flop era? Will it get worse or better from here?

On the other hand, DC has been going down the wrong line when it comes to the multiverse. Hobby Lark states: “But when you think of really confusing, one need not look farther than the “Crisis” events. Crisis on Infinite Earths, Infinite Crisis, and Countdown to Final Crisis… oh God, the parallel universes are making my head spin! Marvel has a regular universe and an Ultimate one. Done, simple.” Excluding the events in the new “Doctor Stranger in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, the system of events in DC have been put out chaotically and leave viewers confused. Many different stories are being merged and kept behind leaving the whole plot in a mess. Due to DC being so character driven, having these crossovers, deaths, and resurrections is leaving people unsatisfied. 

What do you think? MCU or DC? Does DC need to up their game?  Is there a chance that both universes are coming to an end? 

Sources:

Harrison, Spencer, et al. “Marvel’s Blockbuster Machine.” Harvard Business Review, July 2019, hbr.org/2019/07/marvels-blockbuster-machine.

Gonzalez, Reanna Rose. “Why There Should Be More Diversity in the DC and Marvel Universes.” Game Rant, 1 May 2022, gamerant.com/more-diversity-dc-marvel-universes/#:~:text=Though%20Marvel%20is%20known%20to. Accessed 3 Oct. 2022.

“The Avengers/Awards.” Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki, marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/The_Avengers/Awards. Accessed 3 Oct. 2022.

Garcia, Tamara. “10 Reasons Why DC Is Better than Marvel, according to Reddit.” ScreenRant, 29 July 2022, screenrant.com/dc-better-than-marvel-reddit/.

Smith, Jacob. “The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4 Was an Utter Disaster and There’s a Reason Kevin Feige Killed It at San Diego Comic-Con.” Bounding into Comics, 25 July 2022, boundingintocomics.com/2022/07/25/the-marvel-cinematic-universes-phase-4-was-an-utter-disaster-and-theres-a-reason-kevin-feige-killed-it-at-san-diego-comic-con/. Accessed 3 Oct. 2022.

ghintz. “5 Reasons Why DC Comics Just Can’t Get It Right.” HobbyLark, hobbylark.com/comic-books/10-Reasons-Why-DC-Comics-Just-Cant-Get-It-Right. Accessed 3 Oct. 2022.