Can DC beat Marvel? Fandome is your golden opportunity to do it

Marvel and DC Comics, two opponents locked in a seemingly eternal struggle that began in the comic book business, but has now spread to television series, video games and, more importantly, the film industry. While the supremacy of the Avengers house with its Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) – one of the most lucrative film franchises of all time – is now undoubted, for most of history it was DC that was leading the way. with films such as “Superman” (1978), “Batman” (1989) and, more recently, the trilogy of “The Dark Knight” (2005-2012) by Christopher Nolan, setting not only box office records but also milestones in the history of cinema.

After nearly a decade trying to catch up with its rival, DC Comics has finally managed to close the gap with hits like “Wonder Woman” (2017), “Aquaman” (2018) and “The Suicide Squad” (2021). Now your next bets will be revealed this October 16 at the DC FanDome, a virtual event where the entertainment giant, together with its parent company Warner Bros., will show us their upcoming projects and show off the talent they have collected at their camp, with actors such as Robert Pattinson, Dwayne Johnson and more already confirmed for Appear.

A few days after this event, we review what advantages DC Comics currently has over its titanic rival Marvel, and if it is possible that they can finally give it a knockout blow in this cycle of films.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe became a media titan thanks to its interconnected nature which, along with the quality of the films, gave an additional incentive to audiences to see all the films they released. Thus, even if you were not a fan of, for example, Ant-Man, a person could feel the need to see the movie that he starred in to keep up with the events of the MCU.

This argument has also been used to promote Disney +, the only place to see series set in the UCM as “WandaVision”, “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and “Loki”, Forcing fans of this franchise to subscribe to the streaming platform to keep up to date. On the other hand, a person who wants to enter the UCM will now have to see 25 feature films -27 before the end of 2021-, as well as four series on Disney +, a great investment of time for anyone who does not have a great interest in the genre .

Anyway, the effectiveness of the strategy of the cinematic universe is evident and initially DC Comics tried to do the same with its DC Extended Universe (UEDC), with its films “Man of Steel” (2013), “Batman v Superman” (2016) , the original “Suicide Squad” (2016) and “Justice League” (2017), the latter three that also served as crossovers between some of its most recognized characters to try to imitate the success of “The Avengers” (2012).

And while these films did not fare badly at the box office, the reception from critics and audiences was disappointing and for 2018 Warner Bros. signaled a change in strategy, with CEO Kevin Tsujihara telling The Wrap the following:

“Warner Bros needs to continue to do what it has always done: produce the largest and most diverse billboard in the business. That is what has made us succeed. We cannot do what Disney has done. It has worked very, very well for them, but it is not who we are. We have to keep creating a balanced list of all kinds of movies and genres“, I consider.

This position has helped them make more out of the ordinary films like “Joker”(2019), an origin story of the most distinctive Batman villain that earned its protagonist, Joaquín Phoenix, an Oscar for Best Actor in 2020 and that became the most profitable superhero film of all time by achieving a raising of US $ 1,074 million on a budget of only US $ 55 million.

Another of his bets of this type will be “The Batman”, the film directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson that presents a new story about the batman outside the UEDC and that will be released in 2022. It goes without saying, but this is one of the projects that most people will see the DC FanDome for.

This does not mean that DC has completely shelved the idea of ​​creating a franchise, and the event will also show sequels such as “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” and “Shazam! Fury of the Gods, ”as well as the spin-off“ Black Adam ”starring Dwayne Johnson.

PG-13. No other combination of letters and numbers has such power within the film industry as this rating intended for audiences 13 years and older.

Such is the power of PG-13 that to date all Marvel Studios films have been in this category, maximizing their potential audience, but at the same time limiting what can be shown in front of the screen.

The truth is that Warner Bros. initially was not much better in its search for PG-13, and only after its change of strategy did it begin to risk entering the R-Rating (17 and above) with projects like the one already mentioned. “Joker”, as well as films like “Birds of Prey” (2020) and, this year, with “The Suicide Squad” (2021).

This latest black comedy allowed director James Gunn, the same from “Guardians of the Galaxy”, in a violent and hilarious story that has positioned itself as one of the best superhero films of recent years. Its success is evident in the fact that Gunn is already preparing a spin-off series titled “Peacekeeper” for the HBO Max platform, which will star John Cena.

It should be noted that a higher adult rating does not mean a better quality film and while Marvel Studios, and its parent company Disney, are known more for their family-friendly movies, it is very possible that it will soon have its first R-rated film with the third part of “Deadpool”, a hero that has already been confirmed will be part of the UCM in the future.

The power of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was demonstrated with the unusual collection of “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Endgame”. But the film was not without cost, as it also meant the farewell of some of its biggest stars such as Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers / Captain America) and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow). Of the original Avengers, only Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner / Hulk) and Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton / Hawkeye) remain, although the latter could also have its days numbered by having a successor already chosen in an upcoming one. series for Disney +.

It’s not the only loss the MCU has suffered, with the unexpected death of actor Chadwick Boseman knocking the popular hero Black Panther off the board, at least temporarily while it is revealed who will inherit his title.

And if well Tom Holland was established as one of the pillars of the cinematic universe in his role as Spider-Man, the conflict between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures shows that while his stay at the MCU seems solid at the moment, it is still conditional on both corporations want to work together.

This means that new characters have to take the forefront to the next phase of the MCU, with names perhaps not as recognized as Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange and Ant-Man standing out as now the veteran heroes with sequels already announced. Marvel has also not been left on its laurels, and will introduce characters like Shang-Chi and the Eternal to its catalog in 2021, while heroes like Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk and Moon Knight will also appear first in their own series.

However, none of these heroes have the recognition of years that have names like Batman and Superman, who along with their fellow Justice League Wonder Woman, Aquaman and The Flash already have projects to be shown in the DC FanDome.

In the case of the fastest man in the world, he will finally have his first solo film in 2022, a film that will not only open the multiverse to the DC Extended Universe, but will also bring together two batmen by including Ben Affleck and Michael. Keaton.

For his part, Arthur Curry will return with a sequel titled “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” that will bring back Jason Momoa as the king of Atlantis. Who will have to wait a little longer for his return will be Gal Gadot the Wonder Woman, who despite a lukewarm reception of “Wonder Woman 1984” has already promised to return with a third and possibly a fourth installment.

Regarding the Dark Knight, the matter is a bit more complicated. Apart from his multiple appearances in “The Flash”, that same year he will have his own film starring Robert Pattinson entitled “The Batman”, although set in a parallel universe. Additionally, a film titled “Batgirl”, starring Leslie Grace, is scheduled for next year.

The virtual event could also serve to solve one of UEDC’s biggest questions: the fate of Superman played by Henry Cavill. This after the two Warner Bros. projects on Man of Steel, a film directed by JJ Abrams and scripted by Ta-Nehisi Coates, as well as a television series produced by Michael B. Jordan, seem not to involve the British actor. .

Still, the offer that the DC FanDome will present is the most attractive the company has had in recent years. And with Marvel Studios just beginning a new phase, the ‘Super Friends’ chances of finally catching up with the Avengers seem greater than in previous years.