No one could have predicted the success of the Marvel cinematic universe, but since Iron Man’s release in 2008 the franchise has consistently dominated multiplexes worldwide.
As more and more films are released by Marvel Studios, the box office intake keeps racking up and with Guardians of the Galaxy on the horizon, the company shows no sign of slowing down. Despite not owning the movie rights to their big guns – Spider-Man and the X-Men – Marvel Studios have successfully managed to create a business model that uniquely appeals to both hardcore fans and casual audiences in equal measure.
Pretty impressive, right?
While the rest of Hollywood have watched from the sidelines in envy, one particular company have been making small steps in the same direction, slowly planning their own bid for world dominance.
It’s been a long time coming, but DC Comics have finally unveiled plans to build a cinematic universe based on their iconic characters and the comic book world is very excited indeed.
Copying Marvel’s business model makes sense logistically and it could give DC the boost they need to match their greatest rivals, but if that’s the case, then the company have a lot of catching up to do. Marvel currently has the third and sixth most successful movies of all time in their back catalog (Avengers Assemble and Iron Man 3 respectively) and with a release schedule planned all the way up to 2028, Marvel is certainly prepared to maintain their market dominance.
Despite this though, a DC Cinematic Universe has huge potential and could even surpass the success of Marvel if handled right. Read on to discover 10 ways the DC Cinematic Universe could draw upon seventy-five years of classic storytelling to eclipse Marvel.
10. A Different Kind Of Hero
With the release of Action Comics #1 in 1938, the superhero genre was born. The first appearance of Superman kick started a concept that would entertain the world for generations to come, paving the way for countless stories of heroism. DC Comics became known for its all powerful, larger-than-life characters who were like gods in the making. By the 1960′s, Marvel rose to prominence by subverting these archetypes, instead creating flawed heroes who readers could relate to.
The comic book movie market is currently saturated with a wave of heroes molded in the Marvel way of thinking. Aside from the occasional Batman or Superman movie, the majority of cinematic superheroes depicted this generation have all been inherently human in their weaknesses and while this is key to the success of Marvel Studios, audiences may tire of this formula by 2028.
This is where DC come in.
Zack Snyder, the director of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and The Justice League of America, describes DC’s heroes as “purer archetypes…they’re literally Biblical. If you get the DC characters right, they can be important, they can be about us. It’s not just a romp.”
DC has the potential to inspire audiences with stories of Godlike power and impossible feats, providing an alternative to the tales of social outcasts that have swamped cinemas in the past decade. While DC may be emulating Marvel’s business model, they are certainly not copying Marvel’s formula in the types of stories they tell, like some naysayers would suggest.
9. Beginner-Friendly
Many fans celebrate the fact that each new Marvel release builds upon the last, linking every movie through shared plot lines and cameo appearances. Clearly, this is a strength of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it’s a key element that DC aim to emulate in their own releases, but this could also eventually become Marvels downfall later down the line.
Marvel Studios are currently in the middle of Phase 2 and already, certain plot elements rely on the viewers knowledge of previous movies to make sense. What will that situation look like fourteen years down the line, at the end of Marvel’s current projections?
Will audiences need to have seen every single one of their releases in order to keep up? This would arguably be a great way to keep viewers coming back again and again to their films, but aside from the hardcore fans, will anyone still care by that point? This is a problem that comic books themselves have faced time and time again, as their continuity becomes more and more convoluted with the release of each new issue.
Arriving late in the game may seem like a problem for DC, but arguably, this puts the company at a distinct advantage. For the first few releases at least, the back story of this new universe will be relatively simple in comparison to the Marvel canon, which is becoming more and more convoluted with each passing year.
Of course, DC’s universe will ultimately reach the same fate, but for audiences put off by Marvel’s game plan, movies like Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Wonder Woman will seem more approachable initially.
8. Bring The Vertigo Imprint To The Big Screen
Comic book movies are a huge business right now and so understandably, studios are keen to appeal to the widest demographic possible. Aside from the occasional exception, this is why the majority of superhero films are rated suitable for children – but this only begins to scratch the surface of what comic books have to offer.
The Vertigo imprint of DC Comics is responsible for some of the most innovative and groundbreaking story telling that the medium has to offer. Ever since it was first founded in 1993, Vertigo has explored a range of adult themes such as profanity, sexuality and violence in an intelligent and engrossing way. The sheer volume of critically-acclaimed properties DC have access to through Vertigo is mind-blowing and the potential of these stories is huge. Imagine how incredible a Preacher or Fables movie could be if handled right…
While Marvel continue to produce family-friendly fare, DC could release a number of successful movies aimed solely at adults while simultaneously competing with the House of Ideas in the superhero blockbuster stakes, cornering both ends of the market. After years of languishing in development hell, an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman saga is the first Vertigo property to finally be officially confirmed for release under the new business model, and with David S. Goyer, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Gaiman himself on producing duties, this version could be one the film fans have been dying to see for over two decades.
Whether it will link explicitly with the rest of the DC cinematic universe remains to be seen and whether it even should is up for debate, but what would be exciting is to watch DC create a Vertigo universe that runs parallel and perhaps even intersects occasionally with mainstream DC properties.
7. Link With The TV Shows
Marvel may be ahead of the game in their bid to create a cinematic universe, but DC are trailblazing on the small screen. Arrow has recently been renewed for a third season and has already developed a spin-off in the form of The Flash, which is due to be aired later this year. The Batman prequel show Gotham is picking up a lot of buzz and Constantine could be a huge hit if it stays more faithful to the original Vertigo comics than the Keanu Reeves movie did.
Linking Arrow and The Flash together could herald the start of a cohesive DC universe which eventually combines events in the movies with the TV shows. Plot points that originate in the Gotham series could be expanded upon in later Batman movies and even Constantine could link with big screen Vertigo adaptations such as The Sandman. The possibilities are endless…
Of course, Marvel has already begun to make strides in this area with their TV show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which features explicit links with their cinematic universe. Further shows have also been announced which are heading directly to Netflix and these will focus on street level heroes such as Daredevil and Jessica Jones.
DC currently have the upper hand here as Arrow has been a far bigger success than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., although only time will tell whether they can exploit this to their advantage or whether Marvel will come out on top with their new small screen endeavours due out later next year
6. Strongest Female Character
It’s a travesty that Hollywood has so far been unable to produce a successful comic book movie starring a female super hero. As previously discussed here, there are a number of popular super-powered women who deserve their own time in the spotlight, but if only one could be chosen, then there is no question who that should be.
While Marvel continue to flirt with the idea of a solo Black Widow or Ms. Marvel movie, DC are striding forward with the official casting of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman in the upcoming movie Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. As the definitive super heroine, Wonder Woman has long been overdue a cinematic debut, but with DC’s plans now officially set in motion, it looks like fans won’t have to wait much longer.
Gadot has currently signed a three picture deal for the role of the Amazonian Princess and so it’s looking increasingly more likely that Wonder Woman will finally star in her own solo venture, as well as a Justice League of America movie. This is huge for DC, as a successful Wonder Woman picture would be a landmark event in the world of comic book movies.
Ultimately, Marvel may have its own fair share of powerful female characters, but none possess the iconic status and worldwide appeal of Wonder Woman, and this would certainly give DC an upper hand in their ongoing rivalry
5. DC Own All Their Properties
A key component of Marvel’s success on the big screen is their ability to integrate their heroes into one cohesive universe, allowing favourite characters to cross over and appear in each others movies.
However, it looks unlikely that Marvel will ever be able to combine all of their hottest properties into one blockbuster event due to frustrating legal issues regarding ownership. Sony have control over the Spider-Man franchise and Fox Studios own both the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, meaning that a crossover between Marvel’s biggest guns seems almost impossible any time in the near future.
Bizarrely, the lines have blurred somewhat recently in the case of one particular Marvel superhero; the mutant Quicksilver was memorably played recently by Evan Peters in X-Men: Days of Future Past, a movie produced by Fox, but this has not stopped Marvel from casting Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the same role for the upcoming movie Avengers: Age of Ultron.
This unique scenario is due to the characters complicated history in the comics, but the impact of this is yet to be determined. Will casual cinema-goers become confused by different portrayals of Quicksilver appearing so soon after one another and more importantly, will comparisons cast the weaker role in a bad light?
Unlike its competitor, DC owns the movie rights to all of its characters, so fortunately, the company will never have a problem connecting different properties within its cinematic universe. This gives the scriptwriters a far wider scope of material to draw upon, allowing them to eventually adapt huge crossover events such as Identity Crisis and Crisis on Infinite Earths, fulfilling the dreams of fanboys everywhere.
4. Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Is A Fanboy’s Dream
Ever since two superheroes first fought over some contrived misunderstanding, comic book fans everywhere have got a kick out of seeing their favourite characters beating the hell out of each other. In recent years, Marvel’s most popular crossover event was Civil War, a storyline that divided the heroes into two camps who basically waged all-out war on each other.
DC’s next movie, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, is being marketed as a slug fest between the two most iconic superheroes on the planet, but whether you think it’s a gimmick or not, it’s hard to deny that this is an extremely exciting prospect nonetheless. One of the most thrilling moments in Avengers Assemble was the face off between Iron Man, Captain America and Thor, but unfortunately, the heroes quickly put aside their differences after one short scene.
Despite sharing the same goals, Batman and Superman have always had a tumultuous relationship in the comics due to their conflicting ideologies and the complexity of their relationship makes them the ideal heroes to pair together in one film. The idea of pitting two characters together as a central plot device is unprecedented in comic book movies and while they will inevitably unite in the end, the reality of finally seeing such a fight on the big screen will be too tempting for even casual cinema-goers to ignore. If handled right, combining Batman and Superman together could take comic book movies to another level, surpassing even Avengers Assemble in box-office terms.
Let’s just hope Chris Terrio’s screenplay can devise a believable way to match the two heroes in terms of power and ability. Otherwise, we could be looking at a bat-shaped smudge on the wall ten minutes into the movie
3. Successful Track Record
It’s easy to forget now, but for many years, DC were leading the way for comic book movies. Long before Kevin Feige became the mastermind behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC had a number of hugely successful films, dating back to the release of Batman: The Movie in 1966.
Since then, Christopher Reeve’s take on Superman has become an iconic part of pop culture and Tim Burton’s Batman movies enjoyed huge success in the 1980′s and 1990′s. The popularity of comic book movies waned for some time after the debacle of Batman & Robin, but in 2005, Christopher Nolan took the reins and made one of the most popular and well-received comic book movie trilogies of all time, starting with Batman Begins.
While there have been some duds along the way – including the likes of Catwoman and Green Lantern – DC have certainly had more hits than misses and for the most part, these are the films which forced audiences to reevaluate their opinion of comic book movies, so that they are now no longer seen as childish entertainment by the masses.
Just imagine if Nolan could have incorporated other DC characters into quality movies such as Batman: The Dark Knight. With the advent of DC’s cinematic universe, the restrictions have finally been lifted and the company’s impressive track record could become even greater now that the movies have the potential to be connected
2. The JLA Could Eclipse The Avengers
Avengers Assemble is the most successful Marvel film to date, no question. The entirety of Phase 1 was essentially one giant plan to bring Earths Mightiest Heroes together, and the result succeeded wildly beyond anyone’s expectations. So much could have gone wrong, yet Joss Whedon’s first foray into the world of Marvel movie making is loved by the vast majority of fans and from the studios point of view, it’s also made more money than any other film… that’s not been directed by James Cameron of course.
Marvel is set to repeat this success again with the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015 , so it makes sense for DC to consider emulating this approach in the formation of their own cinematic universe. Plans are already set in motion to phase new characters into the upcoming DC films to prepare for the release of the Justice League of America, a team that combines all of the company’s most popular properties into one group.
Here’s where it gets really exciting though.
The Avengers may be Marvels premier team, but some of the company’s most popular characters such as Wolverine and Spider-Man are unlikely to ever share the big screen with them due to legal rights. On the other hand, DC’s Justice League of America could potentially feature every single one of the company’s heavy hitters in one movie. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Flash, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter… the list is endless.
For fans of DC comics, this movie could literally be a dream come true and if there is one movie that could conceivably eclipse the success of the Avengers franchise, then it’s the JLA
1. The Holy Trinity
It’s hard to imagine now, but just five years ago, only a few people who didn’t read comics had heard of Iron Man. Today of course, that’s a different story and this is due almost entirely to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Other previously lesser-known characters such as Captain America and Thor have also become important figures in pop culture now due to the popularity of their movies, but this is still a relatively new phenomenon.
Just imagine what DC can do with three of the most iconic superheroes ever created…
When you think of a female superhero, Wonder Woman is the first one that comes to mind, while Batman is easily one of the most popular characters created in the 20th century and finally, let’s not forget that Superman’s logo alone is universally recognisable to essentially every human being on the planet.
In seventy-five years, these three characters have become forever embedded in pop culture and without their legacy, there simply would be no super heroes, or at least not in a form recognisable to us today. Aside from Iron Man, Marvel’s most iconic characters are in fact Spider-Man and Wolverine, neither of whom are actually part of the same cinematic universe. Marvel may be ahead at the moment in terms of their movies at least, but DC is the company that started it all, and now they have their own game plan – the opposition need to watch out.
Introducing Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a smart move that will remind audiences of the company’s legacy and the power of their iconography. Just these three heroes alone could give DC a fighting chance of toppling Marvel at the box office. It’s certainly not a done deal yet though and fans will have to wait until 2016 to gauge any sort of outcome. Marvel have ruled unchallenged for some time now, but they will need to consider their next move very closely now DC are in the game
