The rivalry between Marvel and DC has been strong for many years, starting with their popular comic book series. Flash forward to the present day and there are many comic book superheroes and villains from both DC and Marvel that have graced the big and small screens. Over the years, popular comic book characters like Batman and Superman have starred in tv shows, films, and video games.
As well as providing useful reviews on casinos, The POGG also highlights in their blog some of the most popular binge-worthy tv shows to watch over the past few years. Their article highlights how some of the most watched tv Netflix TV shows in December 2019 included The Umbrella Academy with over 45m viewers. Whether it is The Umbrella Academy, The Flash, or WandaVision, it’s safe to say that there are a lot of audiences out there that also love to watch superhero content on television as well as in cinemas.
Marvel commands the biggest blockbuster films
Filmgoers may have to admit Marvel is leading the battle of the big screen. It’s not just in critical response either; box office numbers point to a clear winner as well. In the top twenty films on the list of top lifetime grosses by Box Office Mojo, Marvel films rank 6 times while DC squeeze in just behind with one at number 23 with Aquaman. To date, the biggest movie released is Avengers: Endgame, pulling in nearly $3 billion at the box office. The film broke records and knocked Avatar off the number one spot for the highest grossing movie of all time.
What’s working for Marvel is the way they’ve interweaved their vast universe of characters and stories together. Like their comic books, Marvel has cleverly based movies on key characters, and then brought them together for massive tie ins. Heroes show up in each other’s films as they do in comics, adding depth and immersion to the Marvel universe. One of the most popular shows that audiences are loving at the moment is WandaVision on Disney+ as Marvel brings two much loved characters from the big screen back together to be the leads in their own tv show.
DC has attempted to mirror this approach, releasing films starring Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and more. The Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy did prove to be quite a success, especially with its chosen actors and villains, with The Dark Knight receiving an Academy Award for best supporting actor. There are many upcoming movies, tv series, video games, and comic books for the DCEU in 2021 including the long awaited Snyder Cut of Justice League.
One element that might be holding DC movies back is their iconic characters (Joker, Batman, and Superman) that have been played by such a variety of actors time and time again. Constant change dents cohesion and audiences have to work harder to connect with them. Aquaman proved that the right actor driving the action makes all the difference, so hopefully DC can hold onto Jason Momoa for future releases.
DC closes the gap when it comes to TV shows
DC has proven it has the goods to surpass its rival on the smaller screen. While Marvel shows like Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. also received a favourable critical response, they ultimately fall a bit behind what DC series are achieving. Although Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. did last for seven seasons, other Marvel television shows that were popular, such as Daredevil, Agent Carter, and The Punisher, haven’t had more than a few series to their name. On the other side, DC-related shows like Supergirl, The Flash, and Arrow have five or more series under their belt.
So far, DC has been delivering popular TV shows for years, starting with hits like Smallville, which portrayed Clark Kent in his formative years, and also Gotham, showcasing a younger James Gordon before he became Commissioner of Gotham City. What makes these shows shine is their fantastically devious villains, particularly Lex Luthor, and Ra’s al Ghul, amongst others. Flagship shows Arrow and Flash have also pulled in strong numbers to give DC an edge over Marvel on the smaller screen.
Marvel vs DC wrap up
While Marvel might have fallen behind a little on television shows, Marvel Studios have just started the next phase of releases for Phase Four of the MCU. For their next phase, Marvel is set to reach both big and small screens with a variety of films and tv series starring a multitude of characters. Over the next few years, Marvel fans will get to see Black Widow in her own film, Thor: Love and Thunder, Captain Marvel 2, and many more.
In 2021, fans of DC are waiting to see The Suicide Squad released and also the long-awaited Zack Synder’s Justice League. With such a divisive reaction to the 2017 release of Justice League, Snyder revealed that he had an original director’s cut, ‘Snyder Cut’, to work with in the future. DC fans will finally get to see it this year. In a few year’s time, audiences will also get to see The Flash, Aquaman 2, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and Black Adam on the big screen.
Marvel is also set to take television by storm too over the next few years with new series starring everyone’s much-loved characters. In the near future, Loki, The Falcon, and the Winter Soldier, and Hawkeye are set to be released plus many others. Marvel Studios have already set off strong for 2021 with their first tv show for Phase Four, WandaVision, currently airing on Disney+. There are even a few exciting potential theories on the horizon for future episodes of the show. With such a unique and creative idea of amazing audiences right now, DC might need to catch up with Marvel yet again.
