8 Things The DCEU Is Doing Better Than The MCU (So Far)
7. A More Adult Vibe
The DCEU movies are mostly darker and more grown-up than the MCU ones, with even Shazam! being darker in points than many would've expected, and this has mostly worked in the franchise's favour.
It helps the DCEU stand apart from the Marvel films and in the DCEU's better movies this darker tone has allowed for some very powerful, weighty content.
For example, it wasn't until Avengers: Infinity War that the MCU provided a death scene as heart-breaking as that of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) in Wonder Woman, while Aquaman's unforgettable Trench monsters set-piece had some great horror vibes.
Other highlights include the sobering opening of Batman Vs. Superman (the best part of the film), the sociopath character of Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad and Cyborg's thought-provoking backstory in Justice League.
Notably, the DCEU has now delivered an R-rated film in the form of Birds of Prey, which was a pretty adult movie, and even if it under-performed commercially the R-rating added quite a lot.
It's arguable that the MCU should try an R-rated film soon, since many of the most beloved superhero films of recent times (such as Deadpool, Joker, Logan and The Dark Knight Trilogy) have been more adult, unconventional offerings of the genre.