3. New Is Always Better?
Avengers: Age of Ultron is a hit. It may not have surpassed the first movie in terms of box office, but it's not really all that far behind. What's the explantion for it not grossing the $2 billion most fans expected? Well, one possibility is that it just wasn't as special this time. The magic wasn't there. The sequel was no doubt amazing, but that buzz from seeing the heroes all standing side by side had gone for the most part. The Avengers on the other hand was an event; all of the heroes who had starred in their own movies were being thrown together for the very first time, but after seeing that once and then seeing them all again over the next two years, the gloss had worn off by 2015.
Justice League, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and just the DC Cinematic Universe as a whole might just be what moviegoers who have had their fill of seeing the likes of Captain America and Iron Man need (though there's no denying the fact that Captain America: Civil War remains perhaps 2016's most exciting comic book movie). For fans and non-fans alike, Warner Bros.' DC Comics slate presents something new and vastly different. That doesn't mean it will definitely be better of course, but the fact remains that just about everyone has been relying solely on Marvel to produce quality superhero content for some time now. In all honesty, they could do with competition!
Sony can't do anything right, Fox produces the odd decent comic book movie every couple of years, and Warner Bros. up until now simply haven't prioritised their DC Comics properties. Batman and Superman being together? The Justice League? A Wonder Woman movie? A release set at least partially (perhaps solely) underwater with Aquaman? All these and more are going to bring something new to the table, as will the different tone and direction Warner Bros. are taking.
2. Kevin Feige Won't Always Be In Charge
It's not nice to think about, but Kevin Feige won't always be in charge of Marvel Studios. It sounds like he'll stick around beyond 2019, and there are others who can potentially take his place, but no Kevin Feige could mean that the quality of the movies set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be reduced dramatically. There's also the fact that the current roster of actors might be done once Phase 3 comes to an end. Some sticking around while others are recast (Feige has always said that he'll go the James Bond route when it comes to replacing actors) could also have a significant impact on the quality of these movies. What will Captain America be without Chris Evans? Will Iron Man be anywhere near as good with no Robert Downey Jr.? That remains to be seen, but while the Marvel Cinematic Universe is getting older, the DC Cinematic Universe is brand new. Can the likes of Captain Marvel and Doctor Strange ever hope to compete with Batman and Superman?
1. Their Heroes Are More Iconic
Everyone always takes shots at Warner Bros. for creating their Cinematic Universe differentely to Marvel. Instead of introducing the characters one by one and then teaming them up, they're obviously going to give each member of the Justice League their own solo outings after that's released (with the exception of Batman and Superman of course). Those could be prequels or sequels for all we know, but you can't blame the studio for not bothering to take the time to allow moviegoers to get to know the likes of Aquaman and Wonder Woman in their own movies first; they just don't need to. Sure, Batman v Superman and Justice League will be used to introduce them, but these heroes are so iconic, there's no need to spend four years building to a team-up.
Marvel's heroes are definitely iconic, but pretty much everyone agrees that Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor were all B or C-List characters at best before they found success on the big screen. Marvel has made them A-Listers, but The Trinity? Well, they've been A-List for decades.
Batman and Superman alone can sell tickets, but when you throw in heroes who even non-comic book fans will have some familiarity with, it's fair to say that you can guarantee at least some level of success. 2011's Green Lantern was obviously proof that that isn't guaranteed, but reintroducing and revitalising interest in him and the rest of the non-Batman and Superman League members will no doubt help their movies in a big way. However, a poster featuring Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the team is going to be potentially an even bigger draw than The Avengers ever was. Even non-fans will be able to appreciate the significance of those heroes all appearing together, and when that's a hit, Warner Bros. can sit back and relax knowing that moviegoers will then flock to see even more of them in their own movies. That's the plan anyway...