DC vs Marvel; possible turn in the tide ahead.
Marvel and DC are two of the biggest competitors in comics, TV and most notably Cinema. Marvel have generally been at the top, with most of the recent success coming from their highly successful movie productions and the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). However, this striding giant of modern Cinema may be about to come across a reinvigorated competition.
DC in the past
Comparing the movies released by Marvel to those by DC, for the most part, is like comparing Summer to Winter. Everyone loves the summer time and ultimately embraces it with open arms, whereas with winter, most people are hesitant to step outside and see what its like before turning back and wishing for it to be summer again. DC has had a poor run in past years with their movie adaptations. Batman and Robin, Catwoman, Superman Returns and Green Lantern to name a few. However, DC did find something to be proud of with Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. If it wasn't for these movies DC may of been looking at the end, as Nolan's trilogy was filled with wonderful action sequences, visually striking set pieces and wonderful performances. Most notably is the late Heath Ledgers 'Joker', which remains to this day and will do for the foreseeable future as one of the greatest performances in Cinema. All this together meant that DC had showed itself as a serious contender in the live action super hero genre, but it still was not enough. The Green Lantern followed soon after The Dark Knight and showcased how poor DC's movies are again, further enhancing the majorities already bleak view of DC's live action movies, and meaning that any other production by DC would be greeted with a lot of caution and apprehension by movie goers.
2016; the year dc stands tall
2016 is going to be an almighty clash between DC and Marvel. Marvel are set to release Captain America: Civil War and Doctor Strange, and DC with the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. Batman v Superman is set to be released during March and Captain America during May. Although this time round, the movie hype is far greater with Batman v Superman than it is for Captain America. This is primarily due to that people are looking forward to a DC movie, as this one in particular features two of the super hero greats going head to head, and supported further by the stylistic direction of Zach Snyder. This may be short lived, as the directors of Winter Soldier (arguably the best stand alone Marvel film), are directing Civil War, also with Iron Man likely to make an appearance, it may be that Marvel will beat DC in the early stage of the year. However, it is what happens later in the year that will decide who comes out on top, with DC releasing the dark and gritty Suicide Squad, and Marvel with Doctor Strange. Little is known about Doctor Strange at this time, but we have been treated to the trailer for Suicide Squad and is set to be a stand out movie. Suicide Squad has a strong collection of actors, with Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Cara Delivigne and Jared Leto as the Joker. Together with the obscure premise of having bad guys working together, a new Joker, appearance by Batman, action and some possible stand out performances, looks to make Suicide Squad the movie that makes everyone sit up and take notice again at what DC can really do.
marvels tired formulae
Marvel films are some of the best in recent years, however I find that they all suffer from the same glaring problem; being too humorous and child focused. Frankly, I am bored of it and I suspect that there are some who would agree with that. These movies are a good time, but having the same formula shoved into nearly every single production is very tiresome for the viewer. This is why DC can overtake Marvel next year. Having super hero movies be about the dark side of the characters, digging deep into the dark parts of their mind, which is the case for Batman in Batman v Superman. Unleashing their anger and frustration, having a group of bad guys work together, having a super hero film which is dark, twisted and compelling will breathe fresh life into the genre, hopefully displacing the tongue in cheek dialogue that Marvel movies so often have. If DC are able to maintain producing good quality movies and provide a suitable alternative to Marvel, DC will soon be able to be on level pegs with Marvel.
final thoughts
I am looking forward to Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad more than any other Marvel film. This is because of the reason discussed before. It is a turn away from the gimmicks, the frankly annoying comic dialogue in some of Marvels productions and introducing us to a new dark and gritty vision for what super hero movies can be. Suicide Squad is my most anticipated movie for a long time, lets hope DC deliver and continue on providing us with suitable alternatives.
