For the first time in recent memory, it seems as if the DC hype train is outpacing Marvel's, at least in the past few weeks. We posted the newly released Batman vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice trailer last week, and to be sure the trailer was something of a sensation across the Internet. Combine that with the first images of Jared Leto's Joker for Suicide Squad trickling out, and it's been a busy week or two for DC cinema hype.
Of course, that's all about to be silenced as the final ad campaigns for Avengers: Age Of Ultron heat up, and in another month's time we may be ready to dub 2015 Marvel's biggest year yet in film. And while I'm sorry to break it to DC fans, this shouldn't be news. In fact, I believe DC will never come close to matching the relevance and popularity Marvel has achieved in film.
Here are a few reasons why.
First and foremost, DC has the wrong man at the helm. No disrespect to Zack Snyder, as he's done well in establishing a certain stark comic book visual that's appealing to many fans, and he can certainly make entertaining films. But look through his directing credits on IMDB and you'll quickly realize 300 is still his biggest triumph—almost a decade later. Man Of Steel was a resounding disappointment that failed to create compelling characters in favor of pointlessly lengthy action sequences, and frankly this has taken some of the excitement out of Dawn Of Justice. Snyder has never shown the aptitude for character development or compelling plot lines necessary to sustain a sprawling "universe" of films.
Mind you, Marvel's decade-and-a-half long cinematic triumph hasn't been achieved at the hands of a single director. Joss Whedon certainly deserves credit for bringing it all together in The Avengers (and will earn significant praise if the coming sequel lives up to the hype). But really, it's Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige who's been the mastermind connecting the biggest Marvel projects. Perhaps if DC had someone like Feige in control—or if someone had persuaded Christopher Nolan take on other DC comics following his indelible Dark Knight trilogy—it would be positioned to compete with Marvel. But as things stand now, this just seems unlikely.
Looking past director issues, another problem the DC film universe has is that it's more or less failed to establish individual heroes where Marvel succeeded so well, in standalone films and projects. Looking into DC's video game adaptations actually illustrates this point quite well. Where Marvel is concerned, games highlight characters that have thrived on screen in their own projects. In apps, online MMO games, and on several casino sites, there are all kinds of games starring popular Avengers characters like Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Thor. Where DC is concerned? Not so much....
In fact, popular DC games have relied almost entirely on Batman characters re-popularized in Nolan's trilogy. This is true of the Arkham series, and even Injustice: Gods Among Us (in console and app form alike) gets by largely on the intrigue of the Joker. Online, DC heroes beyond the very biggest names have a relatively light presence. InterCasino's site is one of a few to host DC-sponsored games as opposed to the Marvel games found at many other online casinos. While there are fun Batman and Superman options, scrolling through the games emphasizes how little DC's supporting heroes matter in modern pop culture. The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern... none has achieved anywhere near the relevance of main Avenger characters. Meanwhile, other options like Nightwing, Aquaman, Robin, and Catwoman are hard to find anywhere in gaming.
These characters just haven't been established, in film, gaming, or elsewhere. this means collaboration movies like Dawn Of Justice and Suicide Squad are essentially starting from scratch, whereas The Avengers had a decade's worth of successful character introduction films to work with.
Finally, there's casting to consider. This may be just one writer's opinion, but the names heading up the DC cinematic universe are lagging pretty far behind Marvel in terms of charm and charisma. People still aren't over the idea of Ben Affleck playing Batman; Jared Leto has virtually no chance of matching Heath Ledger's extraordinary work as the Joker; Jesse Eisenberg is viewed as a bizarre choice for Lex Luthor; and Henry Cavill presented an utterly lifeless Superman in Man Of Steel. Regarding that last bit, Grantland's Wesley Morris having pointed out quite accurately that "it's entirely possible to leave Man Of Steel with no idea what kind of actor Cavill is." Can anybody say the same about Robert Downey, Jr., or Chris Hemsworth, or anyone else from Marvel's hero films?
This isn't to take the fun out of the growing excitement over Dawn Of Justice. Hopefully Zack Snyder and Co. deliver a pleasant surprise, and DC gets on an impressive track. But there's plenty of reason to be skeptical, and taking these factors into account, it looks like Marvel may have already won the battle for the cinema.
