Sci-Fi News and Reviews

Marvel vs. DC

With the record-breaking release of SpiderMan 3, I started wondering why Marvel has so much more success in the movie arena than its main competitor, DC. Sure, Superman and Batman do well overall, but Marvel has much more depth in their lineup.

Nothing demonstrates this reality than this video that I found that parodies the Marvel/DC situation in the manner of the wonderful "Mac vs. PC" ads that are currently en vogue. Spidey's got it right here - look at the current comparison:

Marvel
"SpiderMan 3"
"Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer"
"Iron Man"
"Doctor Strange" (animated)
"Hulk" (the second try)
"Ant Man" (someday)
"Captain America" (someday)
"The Avengers" (someday)

DC
"Batman" (sequel with the Joker)
"Superman: Doomsday" (animated)
"Superman" sequel (someday)
"Wonder Woman" (someday)
"Justice League" (someday)
"Plastic Man" (someday)

So, Marvel has two blockbuster movies in the theaters, with two more starting production. DC has the next Batman gearing up. Advantage - Marvel.

I am a Superman guy, so it pains me to see DC getting dominated like this. With the trinity of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, DC has (IMO) three of the the top four recognizable superheros (with Spiderman the other). As much as we (comic readers and sci-fi fans) like Captain America or Iron Man or Wolverine, they do not have the resonance as the big four do.

So, if DC has such a character advantage, why does Marvel have such an edge? I am not sure...but, I think Catwoman is to blame. Think like a movie executive for a moment - we had a superstar (Halle Barry) and a recognizable character (Catwoman), and the movie still flopped. Actually, it was horrible. The movie exec says "...Maybe we should stay away from those DC movies. First, we had that Batman movie, and now this!".

On the other hand, Marvel has a nice history of the Spiderman and X-Men movies, so they can withstand a 'Ghost Rider' here and there. DC cannot risk another flop...so, we get situations like Wonder Woman, where scripts and scriptwriters are routinely hired and discarded.

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Posted by Fred on May 8, 2007 2:10 PM
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