If you've been anywhere on the internet over the last... well, decade, you've been witness to the ongoing debate between Marvel and DC fans. Yes, there have always been warring factions, but now that the characters have gone from the page to the screen, it's gotten a bit more intense. On paper, it could be argued that Marvel Studios is ahead of the game. They've already built a very successful cinematic universe, and populated it by incredibly popular characters. They've released nine films so far that have grossed over $5 billion, two of which are on the list of top five highest-grossing films of all time. By the time Justice League arrives, they will be well ahead of those numbers and their fanbase will only grow year after year. However, the DC films released so far have also been successful. While the Dark Knight trilogy won't factor into this new universe, it did help propel Batman to worldwide cult-status, making him one of the most popular comic book characters on the planet, next to Iron Man. Man of Steel, while divisive, was very successful, and helped usher in a new era for Superman. The fact that he and Batman will be sharing the screen for the first time in history is a huge deal, and will be a monumental success for the studio. Now, take a second to look past the box office numbers or quantity of films. Many have pointed out the fact that Marvel spent a lot of time "world building" before getting to the Avengers, which helped attribute to their success, both financially and creatively. Countless fans have been up in arms about DC's way of doing things because it feels like they're rushing into a cinematic universe without building one first. That, arguably, is not the case. Look at the Marvel films and consider which of them did the most in terms of world building: Iron Man and Captain America: The First Avenger. One introduced the world, the other expanded on the things that would help lead it into the Avengers. The others, Iron Man 2, Incredible Hulk, and Thor, were more self-contained and relied on smaller Easter eggs to show that a larger world was at play. Sure, there were some character things introduced in those films that came into play during The Avengers (like the Thor/Loki relationship), but those could have been handled in Marvel One Shots if necessary. So, that means that only two films were really needed to flesh out a universe. Man of Steel did a fine job with establishing the world and tone, while Batman Vs. Superman will start introducing new characters and fleshing out the DCCU. Creatively, the "Marvel method" of filmmaking may not have made sense for the DC universe.
James is a 24 year old writer and filmmaker living in Portland, OR. He attended college for graphic design and writes for various sources on the web about film, television, and entertainment.
You can view all of his work on his website, www.thereeljames.wordpress.com
