The turn of the century was a time of forward thinking, a time where televisions and cellphones were getting thinner while their screens got larger, the internet was becoming accessible anywhere, and surgical robotics were advancing the medical field. But while the rest of the world was looking forward, the movie industry was looking back, and through this an entirely new genre was being born. The era of the comic book movie had begun. But after 16 years, and a streak of lackluster movies, the DC side of the comic book movie era is falling behind their hulk of a competitor, Marvel, and may only have a few more chances to catch up before they are written off as the useless sidekick.
The first part of the 2000s were dominated by Marvel based movie franchises: X-Men and Spiderman. These trilogies, while not a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that we know today, set the groundwork for the franchises that we know today.
As the 2000s creeped on, a new trilogy would make its way into the fray, and would be a force to be reckoned with: The Dark Knight trilogy. Arguably the best comic book movie trilogy of all time (and arguably one of the best trilogies of all time, depending on what writer you are talking to), The Dark Knight took a darker approach to the genre that would define the trilogy, and cement the Christopher Nolan style of directing that made this franchise so unique. While these movies, and other like Watchmen and Superman Returns, took relatively bleak tones, it was a ray of light for the DC universe. They made successful, albeit unconnected, comic book movies and at this point were trading punches with Marvel. Stan Lee’s boys were not even close to getting started though, and the most recent portion of the comic book movie era has been dominated by Marvel.
If DC brought an army, Marvel brought a hulk. That hulk actually looked a lot like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth (and Edward Norton if you count the above average hulk movie from 2008.) All three brought their A-game with their portrayals of Iron Man, Captain America and Thor respectively, before coming together with the summer blockbuster that was The Avengers. They continues their dominance, with sequels to all three previously mentioned movies, and additionally made a sequel to The Avengers. All of them were bonafide hits. All three leading men brought something different to the table, and other supporting players like the Hulk (who was played by both Norton and Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow, Hawkeye and the Falcon made this cinematic universe alive with vibrant characters and colored personalities. Marvel laid down the hammer and they were the only ones who could pick it up.
DC was able to witness the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and with The Dark Knight trilogy coming to a close, knew that they needed to attempt to match that success. They decided to create an extended universe of their own, and start off with the Son of Krypton. 2013’s Man of Steel was met with mixed reviews, but the general consensus seemed to be “meh.” Marvel continued to produce well received movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant Man, while DC stopped a bit to catch their breath. They had something big up their sleeves, but bigger is not always better. Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice was a movie that had such great potential, and the ability to launch the DC universe to extraordinary heights. Instead, it left people wanting more in the form of content, and less in the form of movie length. Then Captain America: Civil War hit theaters less than two months after, and once again was met with stellar reviews and attendance.
The third attempt of the DC Extended Universe was also met with a huge amount of disappointment, which showed itself in the reviews. Suicide Squad had many people wanting more. Or, like its previous companion in this universe, left many people wanting better. Three strikes and you’re out?
I would like to now go on the record and say that I have not personally hated the DC movies I have seen in the past three years. They are visually appealing, and for a huge fan of superheroes and their folklore, they are enjoyable to watch. DC just has not been able to replicate that Marvel magic that fans love. I will be the first to tell you that Marvel movies go by the same formula, but it is a darn good one. They are fun movies, with clever writing, witty dialogue and appealing characters. They have taken these familiar characters, and brought them to life in movies that are just as fun to watch. Even the newer X-Men trilogy, not technically a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, have more fun than the DC movies do.
I want so badly for these DC movies to be good. They have a wealth of great characters and stories that deserved to be told through the wonderful medium of film. So maybe they get more than three strikes to prove themselves. They shouldn’t need it, but in fairness they have a lot to live up to. Their next, and maybe final hope lies in the strong, Amazonian arms of Wonder Woman. The Wonder Woman movie is set to be released June 2, 2017. If that is not good, I imagine that far less people will be inclined to see the upcoming Justice League, and superhero fatigue may hit the DC Extended Universe before it even gets into full swing. Maybe the comic book movie era actually is more forward thinking than has been imagined: a strong woman is going to step up and (hopefully) save the boys. Good luck, Gal Gadot, there are a lot of fans who are looking for that lasso of truth to reel in their sinking franchise.
