Marvel vs DC: Battle of the Cinematic Universe
Superheroes, with their psychic powers, ultra-strengths and capes have come a long way. Where action and burly white man once ruled the screens, superhero films have slowly evolved to include more diverse characters that do more than just fight.
In a growing landscape of these cinematic superhero hits, lies two constants that continue to impress and welcome fans — whether they read the adapted comics or not. As you have probably guessed it (or read from the title), they are none other than the leading names of today’s blockbusters, Marvel and DC.
On one side we have a colorful engaging adventure, while the other with a moody gritty situation — there are no questions that both studios are as distinct as they have their own charms and appeal. In turn, there is also no surprise why the debates between both sides have been one of the most heated in pop culture records.
As an avid follower of both studio’s cinematic universe, I have also enjoyed scrolling through opinion forums and taking sides on fan debates that I agree on. However, when I found that my recent watch of DC’s “Birds of Prey” and Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame” left me equally as excited and invested in both their characters and stories, the age-old question of “Which studio’s cinematic universe is better?” gradually started shaping itself into an exploration I never actually considered before: What makes them so different?
Disclaimer: For a closer picture of the difference in both studio’s filmography, I will be focusing solely on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), rather than all films that are under the names of both brands. Warning for some spoilers on these films.
The Story: Entertaining formulas vs Differing experimentations
Every series and franchise has a structure in their films. However, only a few have a certain formula of their own, consistent points that define a series, almost like a running blueprint behind it.
Let’s start with Marvel.
Up to date Marvel has up to 23 films in its pocket. While a different concept, setting, and plot twist in each of its films, there are no doubt underlying elements that stay similar throughout all of them. It is the powerful item of pursuit that sets up the story, spanning from the Tesseract in the Avengers, the Arc Reactor in Iron Man, to The Winter Soldier in well or Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
The recurring climb from failure
There is the failure in every first fight, whether it is Loki’s death in The Avengers: Infinity War, Spiderman’s failure to stop the Vulture’s crew in Spiderman: Homecoming and even Scarlet Witch’s accidental but horrifying explosion of a building in Captain America: Civil War. Not to forget, the use of humor to introduce characters, with Thor twirling upside-down from a rope in Thor: Ragnarok, Peter Quill’s dance sequence in Guardian’s of the Galaxy, and Scott Lang’s fight with his inmates in Ant-Man.
These points are the seeming checklist that really defines the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is more than the stories of its superheroes. It is the reason why you know it is a Marvel film before you even see its logo.
How about DC?
On the other hand, DC plays a different card, one that does not include any formula or identical points spanning through its films. Rather, each story is written more like an individual piece. For example, in Birds of Prey and Man of Steel, its main villains and their motivations were introduced right at the very start, allowing audiences to understand what our protagonists are working against.
However, in Suicide Squad and Wonder Women, these antagonists are in turn, brought in during the climax, serving as a form of plot twist instead. In terms of forming the heroic groups that often take center stage in all to assemble superhero movies, DC films also vary in terms of when it happens, where the team is band together as the set-up in Justice League, Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman only start working together near the end in Batman v Superman.
DC’s unpredictability might not make it as easy to identify the studio at first glance, but such variations in all of its films are also what builds its character as a whole.
Protagonists: A hero-in-progress vs A greatly flawed hero
The thing about saving the world is that it cannot be done overnight, and neither is that of the development of a superhero.
What Marvel does here is to literally create a hero out of well, a person that is not one. Most of Marvel’s greatest superheroes started out as normal human beings, ones that we most likely can or have seen in our own lives. Other than characters like Thor, Gamora, and Captain Marvel, the few exceptions that had their starting points as non-human entities, the rest of them only got their portrayed God-like powers from man-made events. Think Peter Parker who became Spider-man after being bitten by a lab spider, Bruce Banner who became Hulk after being exposed to Gemma rays that exploded from a bomb, and even Black Widow who is a part of the Avengers Initiative though not possessing any superhuman powers herself.
Most of Marvel’s leading heroes are ultimately, ones who are learning to become superheroes. These characters spend time adapting to their newfound abilities or environments, whether as humans or not. Thor had to learn to adapt to Earth, Steven Strange struggle between the spiritual and human realm to achieve his best abilities as Dr. Strange, and in general, the entire premise of “Captain America: Civil War”. In the simplest terms, Marvel films are about people who are learning to use these superhuman powers they acquired, to become the heroes they want themselves to be.
DC’s heroes, on the contrary, started out already as heroes themselves. The majority of these superheroes came from mythical or fictional origins that gave them powers almost like a birthright, almost like gods themselves. Superman came from the foreign planet of Krypton, Aquaman is a son of the queen of the underwater kingdom, Atlantis, and Wonder Woman, literally a demi-god herself.
However, rather than being a blessing, these powers are often portrayed as a curse instead. Rather than expanding their powers as Marvel does, DC superheroes struggle with them, often with the want of being human. Superman and Wonder Women fell in love with human beings, finding themselves enjoying the human realm, and Shazam passed his powers onto a human himself. As heroes that are already near God-like themselves, DC films are about superheroes who, ultimately are learning to control their powers to become the people they want to be.
The Team: An assemble vs A group of individuals
Perhaps it’s because of how strength comes from numbers or that comradery and teamwork portrayed on screen is as moving an element as its build up — one of the most satisfying and exciting parts of superhero films is its assembles.
Marvel embodies how unity produces the greatest power in the assembles in their films. No matter how unwilling they are to work with each other before any fight, the heroes often find victory whenever they come together. Most evidently seen in all their final battle scenes during each climax, from the Avengers first time working together as a team to defeat Loki in “The Avengers”, to the epic reunion of every Marvel’s superhero in “Avengers: Infinity War”, and even with the airport confrontation in “Captain America: Civil War” where Captain America and Iron Man had their own siding groups when in conflict with each other.
No singular hero can gain the win during a battle fought as a group, and Marvel shows it with every camera movement, background soundtrack and fight choreographed, framing the superheroes as a joint force rather than an individual power.
DC, in turn, portrays its assembles as a group made up of different individuals. Rather than only finding victory when unity is present, DC shows how each superhero with their own powers and stories, have the ability to win battles on their own instead — even when in a team. This is seen when Wonder Woman nearly triumphs the entire final fight in “Batman v Superman”, Superman singularly defeating Steppenwolf in “Justice League”, and Rick Flag crushing the Enchantress’ heart himself in “Suicide Squad”, all singular roles ending the fight after a whole team effort built up.
Ultimately, DC finds a protagonist in each assemble and focuses on the power in each of the members, rather than the force of the entire team itself.
The Big Picture: An engaging adventure vs A gritty situation
As mentioned in the introduction, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe paints two differing pictures in the landscape of superhero blockbusters. While one triumphs in the durations similar to that of an exciting adventure, the other identifies itself with portraying an experience that is seeming of a gritty event.
Marvel’s films, as stated, are about superheroes who are still maneuvering through their newfound God-like power. They are about protagonists who started out not far from people like you and I. They are about characters, who we can see ourselves in, stumbling through learning about such abilities and even failing in their starting fights and battles with these skills. Peter Parker fell multiple times and got tangled in his own webs when fighting his first crimes, Steve Rogers toured America and promoted war bonds with no proper use of his capabilities even after his newly injected built and T’Challa lost his chase of Klaue’s stealing of Wakanda’s artifacts just after he became tribe leader. Set in locations that are familiar to its audience and with the lightly-humored portrayal of these heroes that still make mistakes within their fights and pursuits, Marvel creates as relatable a character as they do a fun-packed action.
Adding on, its colorful and saturated cinematography also contributes to the fun personality of Marvel films. As its superheroes donning upon their different suits come together in their battles, the produced result of a mixture and blend of their individual colors elevates the spectated excitement in the flurry of such fights as well as their joint forces. The battles in “Guardians of the Galaxy”, “Thor Ragnarok”’s final fight and “Avengers: Endgame”’s reunion are all great examples of such brighter pictures in Marvel’s cinematic landscape.
DC, however, tells the story of the “already-Gods”. They are the heroes born with powers, in dystopian and the fictional universe of Gotham City. They are the beings that we look more for scenes that we might never experience or encounter in our real lives. Wonder Woman deflecting bullets off her bracelets, Superman shooting lasers from his eyes during the explosive battle in “Batman v Superman”, as well as the amusement park fighting scene in “Birds of Prey” are all moments that can only be witnessed on the screen.
One thing the DC Extended Universe is also known for is its dark and moody looks. Being a studio that categorizes itself underworks that take on a more serious tone, of gifted heroes righting the wrongs in their “dystopian-esque” reality, DC’s films also have the tendency to take on harsher and grittier tones. The near-black and navy consistencies in “Batman v Superman”, barely-lit surroundings in “Suicide Squad” and the cold color palette in “Man of Steel” all underline the darker modes of storytelling and situations in the studio’s films.
Conclusion
Both studios share the same space of superhuman possibilities, thrilling fights and adventures, and as a whole, a moving experience that can only be adapted from a comic book. However, with different directions in their stories and characters portrayed, what comes down to it is the two different ends of a spectrum that is based on what an audience might be looking for in superhero films.
From story structures, character developments, to the teams and even its form of believability in entertainment, Marvel and DC are clearly two big powerhouses that will only create more exciting and explosive superhero hits, in their own ways and execution. And well, a lot more differing debates and sides along with it.
