Within the last several years Marvel has made amazing strides with their movie franchise based around the Avengers. I believe that at the end of the day, though, DC has been solidifying itself as the one to beat for years now. Marvel might have a set of movies that cause theaters to implode, but DC has a legacy that reaches all generations, which ultimately will mean the most at the end of the day. Here's why.
1. Cartoon Franchise
I think it is safe to say a lot of millennials have grown up watching "Justice League" or "Teen Titans" on Cartoon Network. These shows not only were amazing, but ultimately gave us a glimpse into how awesome superheroes working together are. Not to mention all the bad-a** Batman cartoons. That is where Harley Quinn comes from after all. Regardless, this desire to see superheroes working together came from these cartoons, not the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
2. More recognizable franchise
Ultimately, DC characters have always been better known. Everyone alive knows who Superman is. Captain America and Iron Man are fantastic, but the brand of Superman is something that will never die down -- like ever. Plus, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Green Lantern and the Flash all have very well-established names, even if you're not into the franchise. This definitely trumps the likes of Hulk and Spidey fans.
2. Every single Batman movie
3. Females take the lead
One of the biggest critique of the MCU is that Black Widow has not gotten a movie yet, especially considering Agent Romanoff is a total bada**. Tons of rumors, but nothing that Marvel and Disney have actually committed to. However, DC is taking the lead on this one with a Wonder Woman movie hitting theaters next year. There are not enough words to describe how huge this movie is going to be, especially after fans were shown the official trailer (shown above) at San Diego Comic-Con. Weeks later, after the release of "Suicide Squad" (which did not go the best), everyone could not stop talking about Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Coincidentally there are now rumors of Robbie starring in a movie alongside other female heroes and villains. This has caused many fans, including myself, to assume that a Birds of Prey storyline might appear, with speculations of countless other characters involved.
4. Diversity of Characters
Not only does DC have better leading ladies who have their own films, the comics also give a little more attention to other races. How many core Avengers are white? All of them. How many core Justice League members are white? Almost all of them. Sure, it definitely needs to be better than just John Stewart, but at least Vixen will be coming to the Arrowverse in a more permanent way. (Please let the rumors be true!) Plus, Vixen is way cooler than Black Panther.
5. Arrowverse
In 2012, the CW debuted "Arrow" as their entrance into the epic world of superheroes. Four years later, they have a combined total of four shows, often referred to as the "Arrowverse." This has allowed them multiple crossover episodes on all shows, with an even stronger tie to "Supergirl" happening within the next year. Plus, as mediocre as "Legends of Tomorrow" Season 1 was, the network has set the stage for Justice Society of Tomorrow with characters such as Star Girl and many others. Who wants to watch S.H.I.E.L.D. fall apart when you can actually see heroes kicking ass and taking names?
And yes, Netflix does have an amazing line up, especially once Luke Cage gets into the picture! And it is incredible that these characters are going to all be in the final Avengers' movie(s), but I worry that it might be disjointed since the aesthetic of the movies and the Netflix shows are so drastically different. It could almost be too much to handle but only the movies will tell.
6. Villainous Foes
Obviously DC has way better villains too. Joker, Penguin, Lex Luthor, Two-Face, Zoom, Bane, Scarecrow, Bizarro, Grodd, Deadshot and the list goes on and on. These are villains that most of us know the names of. When you look at the foes of Marvel all I can think of are Magneto, Loki, Green Goblin and Doctor Doom. These guys are not nearly as exciting, especially since Loki and Magneto have been exhausted throughout their realms. Plus, DC just had a bad guy movie come out (which was not as bad as everyone said it was honestly).
7. Comic Book Sales
Last month, eight out of the top ten best sellers by Diamond Comic Distributors were by DC Comics. The other two were Marvel, more specifically "Civil War" issues. The "Rebirth" series is essentially a re-launch of their line starting this year. Clearly it is working, as they also led in dollar sales as well. And at the end of the day, didn't comic books start this adventure?
