MCU Vs DCEU: The Definitive Comparison (So Far)

10. Epic Team-Ups

This is much more complex than simply asking; Avengers or Justice League?

Marvel Studios took the patient approach in orchestrating their first superhero team-up, with five movies and a great deal of world-building throughout Phase One culminating in the $1.5bn success of The Avengers. At the time many claimed that it marked the creative high-point of the MCU to date, and while the first act may have been a little on the dull side, the final third was nothing short of spectacular and delivered a plethora of crowd-pleasing blockbuster moments.

The same can't be said for sequel Age of Ultron, which was disappointingly more of the same with some extra characters thrown in for good measure. Joss Whedon's dissatisfaction with the Marvel machine seeped through the screen as audiences were once again given a charismatic-yet-underused villain boasting a disposable army and an entire city being reduced to rubble among a barrage of hero shots. Essentially it was okay but not great, and a classic example of a been-there-done-that sequel.

Up until it was actually released, Suicide Squad looked incredibly promising. Writer/director David Ayer was known for his down n' dirty street-level thrillers, the trailers promised something markedly different to the rapidly-stagnating comic book movie market, and Jared Leto's Joker was generating plenty of conversation. Unfortunately, while it may have done big business at the box office the grubby fingerprints of studio interference were all over it and Suicide Squad turned out to be a poorly-structured, if fitfully entertaining at points, misfire.

DC's second, and more important, team-up release was last year's Justice League. Personal circumstances saw Zack Snyder depart towards the end of shooting with Joss Whedon brought on as his replacement in an almost-ironic appointment. The end result was somewhat tonally-jarring, with Whedon's quip-happy stylings ill-at-ease with Snyder's darker approach to the material. The cast did their best with what they had but an overload of ropey CGI and the need to cram so much exposition into two hours of screentime ultimately compromised the final product.

To compare these movies directly is a fool's errand, as Marvel Studios had years of planning and franchise expansion under their belts, as well as having a clear creative voice steering the ship. On the other hand, DC have yet to present a team-up that is the result of one filmmaker's singular vision, with extenuating circumstances out of the director's control forcing compromises to the project, whether wanted or not.