1. Story Telling
A lot of people had a lot of things to say about The Dark Knight Rises, and one of those things that came up frequently was that it took itself too seriously. Some people were unimpressed that Batman wasnt part of the story for a large part of the film. The film, however, had depth. It transcended the typical superhero film and dipped itself into themes that had never been explored by a hero in a cape before. Nolans final Batman film drew inspiration from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. That was confirmed through Jim Gordons speech at the grave site of Bruce Wayne. Taken directly from the book, the speech was heartbreaking and fitting for the story, and it was the prime example of Nolan looking beyond the comic book sources to try and make a film that doesnt necessarily belong under one category. Similarly, The Dark Knight was a crime thriller as much as a superhero film, and told a tale of chaos while Batman Begins told the tale of corruption and raised questions about civilisation. Man of Steel could have been like all Superman films before it, but Nolan, Snyder and co. decided that they needed to look both at Clark Kents internal struggle as he grew up without fitting in, and a world that had to come face to face with a man who was not one of their own. And because of the course the stories have taken, another unique element has been crafted. These characters have faced and are facing issues never before shown to us on the screen, and it makes for a very entertaining product. The 90's Batman films were fairly generic. The Dark Knight trilogy gave a new depth to an old character. And if 'Man of Steel', is any indication, then the same can be said for Superman. It's an exciting prospect both for the currently exposed characters and future characters to come. DC and Warner have a lot going for them, and the few issues they have don't require a lot of fixing. The real issue is that, with the Dark Knight trilogy over and done, there is essentially only one DC film to tie into a Justice League film at the moment. They need new characters, and they can't afford to rush. Working out a game plan and expanding their output is the most important thing to do - the hard part is doing so without feeling pressured - quality is greater than quantity, in a measure of years. If all the pieces come together, then DC can climb above Marvel in near future. All we can do now is speculate about what is to come, and time will tell. What do you think DC need to do to rise above Marvel? Do you think it's possible? Share your thoughts below!