One of the main differences between the two company's respective universes, which is often described as a fault on DC's side, is the aspect of humanity. Marvel characters tend to be shown as real people: Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, etc, and they have superhero caliber problems. DC characters tend to have a mythic, god-like quality among them, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, etc; these are larger than life characters that encounter very human problems. Of course there are exceptions, Batman and Thor, While this can be true, it doesn't have to be (this is a marginalization of DC characters and an attitude that is holding DC back, but as Warner Brothers wants to capitalize on the success of the MCU, they are trying to approach their characters in the same way).
So what can DC do?
The universe needs individual approach (like the original Iron Man movie, cinematic unity must be an afterthought). I don't have an answer for every franchise, but I have a couple of suggestions, and I want to start with one of the easiest characters that should be utilized on the big screen:
SHAZAM
This is so obvious I'm baffled that executives are ignoring the potential of this property. THIS WOULD BE THE NEXT SHREK/INCREDIBLES/MADAGASCAR.
One thing the 2 universes has much in common is their lack of youth. In such a dwindling movie market, the adolescent demographic is still such a big draw. Look at numbers for movies like Wreck It Ralph ($400 mill and still in theaters), Brave ($535 mill), Cars 2 ($560 mill), Toy Story 3 (over $1 bill), How to Train Your Dragon ($500 mill), Megamind ($320 mill), Kung Fu Panda 2 ($665 mill), Rise of the Guardians ($300 mill) and Tangled ($590 mill).
On top of those numbers, I know I wasn't the only one sharing my row in the movie theater at the Avengers with fifteen 10 year old's. These are still some of the few folks (besides hardcore fan boys) that really get excited about a movie or product and want their parents to spend on it. These are COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS, why aren't at least some of them being marketed towards children?
A 3D animated movie in the style of Mike Kunkel & Art Balthazar's Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! to me is a no-brainer hit if targeted at a youth audience and the idea of a cohesive universe is put behind us for this one.
WHY?
- Awesome cast of characters, he has a tiger for a friend! (but let's not use the entire Marvel family)
- Diverse & child-friendly villains (Black Adam, Dr. Sivana, Mister Atom, Mister Mind & the Monster Society)
HOW?
- Bright colors (Imagine this in a Green Lantern - The Animated Series style)
- Humor (A Shazam adult saying Billy-child like things at inappropriate moments)
TWEAKS?
- Call him Shazam, lose Captain Marvel completely (kids don't care)
- Homeless might not be a good look unless incorporated into the story properly, but what if he lived with his comical Uncle?
- Apply what worked with Dumbledore to the wizard Shazam (and maybe change his name)
This is the formula for a financially successful animated quadrilogy.
Maybe WB couldn't get past the hopes of a successful live-action franchise with The Rock as Black Adam, or maybe WB can't get past the idea of not using Shazam in a cohesive cinematic universe because Marvel's success has narrowed their imagination, but to children the conception of a 10 year old child, the key demographic of this film, that has the magic ability to become an adult Superhero, is so appealing it is obvious, and this article practically wrote itself.
Thanks,