Henry Cavill recently made headlines when he announced he's back as Superman (via Instagram). Given that it has nearly been 10 years since he has been given his own solo live-action movie (and one that didn't exactly perform well with critics if people were to judge it on it's 56% Rotten Tomatoes score) DC fans are excited to see how James Gunn will help revitalize the character and the DCEU brand - especially since it has yet to catch up to the quality of MCU (and Marvel) movies.
Over the last decade, Marvel has often managed to outperform DC at the box office. But even though DC may not attract as wide of an audience as its rival, there are a number of aspects about DC's films that are of higher quality than Marvel's.
DC Gives Control To The Directors More Than Marvel
It's no question Marvel's found a recipe for success at the box office. Even their lower quality films bring in lots of cash (with The Incredible Hulk even bringing in $264 million at the Box Office). Marvel's consistent success comes down to their ability to deliver to fans what's expected.
While DC has released some flops over the years, each movie has its own unique qualities that reflect the director's style. There is nothing cookie-cutter about DC films because the directors are given more power in the filmmaking process. Visual style, storytelling mechanisms, tone - all are placed in the capable hands of the directors. Marvel, however, gives strict guidelines to those at the helm, with the likes of Scott Derrickson and Edgar Wright leaving projects due to creative differences behind the scenes (via Collider). It keeps things consistent throughout the MCU, but ends up making the movies formulaic.
DC Is Best At Telling Solo Stories
Marvel frequently relies upon multiple heroes to carry a single story. Even when their films are centered on one superhero, there always seems to be an overt reference to other leading characters in order to stay relevant in the grand scheme of the MCU.
DC has produced a number of films centered on one main character in their own universe throughout the years. DCEU has stumbled a number of times, but DC certainly knows how to produce narratives on a small scale.
DC Has Several Amazing Original Soundtracks
Many MCU films have forgettable music. "The Avengers Theme" is well known, but it's used too frequently. To make matters worse, most Marvel characters don't have individual themes or motifs to call back to. Barring a few outliers, MCU movies have generic sounding scores.
In contrast, many DC films have distinct themes for various characters. On top of that, the music is used to great effect in shifting the mood of particular scenes. DC's employed many incredible composers on their films. In fact, some of Hans Zimmer's best tracks are in DC movies. But no matter who it is behind the music, it's always of great quality.
DC Has Many Relatable Stories
Both the MCU and DCEU are focused on expanding worlds that include large numbers of characters, but the two studios have different approaches to telling those stories. Marvel tends to lean toward spectacle, while DC largely focuses its attention on individual characters and their qualities.
There's always something in DC films that ground them in reality, whether it's looking at the humanity of a character or including side characters that act as representatives for the general audience. A perfect example of this is in Man of Steel. Clark Kent's sense of belonging in the world is deeply explored rather than simply letting him be a super-powered hero for the entire film. In addition, Lois Lane is given a significant role in the story and is easy to identify with, given she has no superpowers.
DC Are Great At Setting A Tone
Marvel is known for sneaking in jokes wherever and whenever they can in their movies, and it's gotten old for a lot of people. It doesn't matter if the world is on the brink of destruction, there's always room for a quip (which might make some fans feel that the MCU tries too hard to be funny).
DC has their fair share of jokes throughout their movies, but they aren't thrown in haphazardly. The tone in any particular scene remains consistent. Some moments call for comedy, while others call for tension or drama. There's rarely ever a clash of tones to be found in DC movies, and it allows for each scene to communicate its own concept without distraction.
Compelling Villains
It's been said that a movie is only as good as its villain, and there's no shortage of extremely powerful DC villains. Marvel has a few baddies that are fascinating, but many them fall flat or are at least forgettable. A number of them lack any substantive qualities.
In contrast, many of the DC villains are complex and get the audience to think about deep and existential questions, such as Zod in Man of Steel.
He attempted to destroy Earth, but did so in the hopes of sustaining the Kyptonian race. If the audience was from Krypton, they'd probably say he was in the right. There are a number of other characters that are in some way sympathetic, like The Batman's Riddler. He was an orphan who felt cheated by society, and it led him to make some dangerous decisions in the hopes of change.
DC Has Some Great Cinematography
Marvel's strict policy of retaining a sense of uniformity throughout the MCU has proved to be a major barrier in of creativity. As a result, the visuals in all of their films are often mundane. The color grading and shot compositions are unimaginative and formulaic, making every viewing experience a bit dull.
Just like the directors of DC films, it seems the cinematographers have a great sense of agency in making decisions about images. Almost every film has a unique look to it, and the cinematography is used as an integral part of the storytelling. The Batman all have gorgeous cinematography.
DC Is Seen To Explore Challenging Ideas More Than Marvel
It's no secret that Marvel likes to keep things light, especially with their films that are part of the MCU. As a result, very few concepts within the stories end up being notably deep. Keeping things at a surface level allows for a more upbeat atmosphere, which in turn means more fun.
However, DC often takes a different approach. The themes and concepts in many of their films are thought-provoking and stimulating. Man of Steel takes a good look at what it means to be human and to have a sense of belonging; The Batman explores the concept of vengeance, and how it ultimately fails to bring about positive change, while the Dark Knight trilogy examines ideas such as, how fear can control people, what it truly means to be a hero, and how empowering others is more impactful than simply acting as their shield.
DC Has Been Seen To Reinvent Characters
As Marvel focuses their energy on an ever-expanding MCU, DC does a remarkable job of reinterpreting well-known characters. There have been a number of different iterations of the Batman, and each one has its own unique flair. Superman has also had a few different on-screen versions, each with a different tone.
Dark and gritty, cheery and hopeful, realistic, imaginative - DC has done it all with their central characters. Their heroes have been reinvented a number of times, and there's something to appreciate about each interpretation. Marvel has had a couple of characters in different incarnations, but they never seem to veer off in different directions. It's typically the exact same tone and interpretation, just with a new person in the suit.
