Unless you are a diehard Marvel or DC fan, you won’t pay much attention to the superheroes that are glorified in books, movies, comics, and merchandise such as mugs, T-shirts, and backpacks.
Most people hardly notice the difference between a DC superhero and a Marvel superhero. But fans who have been surviving on a diet of Marvel or DC comics and movies understand the subtle differences between the two. They would argue that one is better than the other or vice versa.
The argument here is not about the superiority of one over the other. It would be unfair to say that Marvel is better than DC or vice versa. We just want to present our views on why we think Marvel movies are more successful (not better) than DC movies.
It is also important to understand that there is no enmity between DC and Marvel. As competitors and business rivals, they just keep an eye on each other. The competition between the two is healthy. If there is any hatred or enmity, it is between their fan bases. Diehard fans of DC and Marvel often fly at each other’s throats on social networks such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and others.
The credit of inventing superheroes goes to DC, and its first superhero Superman is still as popular as he was in the thirties. Marvel created the next superhero called Human Torch. In the sixties, Marvel assigned Stan Lee the task of creating a superhero team that could effectively compete with DC’s Justice League. This led to the creation of the Fantastic Four.
DC was the first to launch Tim Burton’s Batman and Richard Donner’s Superman on the silver screen. Marvel found it difficult to keep up with the competition till 2000 when they released Spider-Man, which turned out to be a box office hit.
DC retaliated by launching the Batman trilogy and Heath Ledger’s stupendous performance as the Joker earned the trilogy an Oscar. Marvel came up with movies for every character they had, the most popular of which was The Avengers.
Marvel Movies – Why They Are Successful
As we previously opined, the fact that Marvel movies are successful does not necessarily mean that they are better. Later in the article, we will examine why fans of DC feel that DC movies are far superior to Marvel movies.
But the simple truth is that Marvel movies enjoy a great deal of success, and here are the reasons:
Emotionally Engaging – Marvel movies appeal to the emotions of viewers. According to a study conducted by ZappiStore, a provider of customer insights and automated market research of international enterprises, Marvel movies are bigger box-office hits because viewers react positively to their superheroes.
ZappiStore analysed the facial expressions of viewers who watched trailers to conclude that they reacted positively only to special effects and CGI elements in DC trailers. In the case of Marvel trailers, on the other hand, the positive reactions remained as long as the trailer lasted.
Excellent Casting – Marvel does its casting with care and doesn’t hesitate to experiment with brand new actors.
For example, using new actors Letitia Wright for the character of Shuri and Chris Hemsworth for the character of Thor turned out to be the perfect thing to do. Moreover, the performance of Tom Holland as Spider-Man and Chris Evans as Stan Lee played a major role in the success of those movies.
Huge Universe and Multiple Characters – Marvel also uses its huge interconnected universe and multiple characters to its advantage.
It had many heroes and villains from its comics interacting with one another in super-hit movies such as Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. Interactions between these superheroes and super villains led to the creation of new rivalries and new friendships that viewers found to be very entertaining.
Clever Use of Characters – Marvel uses after-credits scenes cleverly to give viewers a hint of how some of its characters will appear in future movies.
Also, Marvel has an advantage over DC because it has more characters to introduce into its movies. After releasing trilogies related to Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man, Marvel released movies such as Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Ant-Man. Not all these movies were successful, but they allowed Marvel to expand and introduce supernatural and humorous elements.
As it has more characters, Marvel can create more stories and produce more movies. The company has movies lined up for up to 2022; so we can expect a sequel to Black Panther, a Black Widow movie, and another Blade movie.
Wit and Humour – Marvel liberally uses wit and humour in its movies while DC insists on maintaining a dark universe. At the end of the DC movie, viewers feel uncomfortable. On the contrary, the ending of a Marvel movie is always bright and optimistic.
Marvel movies such as Deadpool and Ant-Man are full of witty one-liners and funny antics. The sarcastic language of Star-Lord and Tony Stark makes viewers adore them all the more. Thor: Ragnarok is full of comic scenes and performances that make viewers double up with laughter.
DC Movies Continue to Have Loyal Fans
At the same time, DC movies continue to have loyal fans who say that DC movies are far better than Marvel movies for the following reasons:
Unlike Marvel characters, DC superheroes transform and evolve in delightful ways. Bruce Wayne, for example, transformed into a darker and more mature character in Batman vs. Superman from the young and optimistic Bruce of Batman Trilogy. Marvel characters, on the other hand, hardly undergo such transformations.
Also, posters of Marvel movies are quiet, sober, shallow, and boring. On the contrary, posters of DC movies are just as dark and stirring as the franchise. While Marvel posters give you the feeling that this is a movie one watches with the kids, DC posters give the feeling that there is a movie that deals with mature stuff.
While Marvel presents a superhero fighting against evil forces to save the world, DC superheroes struggle with various weaknesses. For example, Wonder Woman has to overcome a difficult internal struggle—her desire to stay in her comfort zone vs. stepping into the unknown world outside.
Conclusion
DC and Marvel movies present two different universes. As far as box office success goes, Marvel marches ahead of DC. Its movies feature great graphics, witty and sarcastic dialogues, and deliver messages that viewers want to hear.
Simultaneously, this doesn’t mean that DC movies are never successful. DC has its fair share of loyal fans who wouldn’t dream of watching a Marvel movie. Ultimately, the success of a movie depends on the viewer’s tastes and preferences.