The superhero genre isn’t as rosy as you think it is. Despite the rivalry and competition, both the MCU & DCEU suffer similar problems and flaws.
Keeping Standalone Movies Relevant
As more and more movies are released under the Marvel and DC banner, the problem of expanding the universe while keeping individual movies relevant becomes even more prominent. The MCU is even more at fault because its universe is larger. The fans are now more into team-up events. So standalone movies tend to take a hit in terms of popularity.
Casual Fans Find It Hard To Keep Up With Them
The MCU and DCEU movies have now officially started making movies and shows on obscure characters and events. Not many know about Black Adam or the Flashpoint event (a major DC turning point). Similarly, not many know about the Young Avengers or Kang. Casual fans just want to enjoy a movie without having to study the lore, premise, and setup before watching it. This does pose a problem.
The Problem Of Superhero Fatigue
Straightforward superhero origin stories no longer appeal to the fans. The viewers want something fresher and unique. Action sequences, chase scenes and explosions do not cover up for a lack of content any more. As a result, the MCU and DCEU have to dig deep and find stories that still keeps the fans at the edges of their seats.
The Glaring Villain Issue
Both Marvel and DC movies are rife with good villains adapted poorly into a movie. DC did it with Doomsday and Ares. Movies like Suicide Squad and Aquaman also have poorly written villains. Marvel Studios’ list of poorly adapted villains is long. Malekith and Whiplash are good examples of how two-dimensional Marvel antagonists could be.
Severe Lack Of Diversity
Both Marvel and DC began their shared universe with straight white male lead characters. Although we couldn’t complain there, now that they have a global audience, a more diverse superhero roster should be in order. DCEU and MCU need to look into bringing in more POC and female heroes like Black Adam, Shang-Chi and Wonder Woman.
Continuity Problems
As Marvel releases new movies, a major flaw that even the mighty Marvel Studios couldn’t anticipate was continuity issues. New age Marvel movies became a victim of the immense success of the MCU. When the Eternals trailer dropped, Marvel had to create a backstory as to why the Eternals didn’t come before. DCEU also has his own set of problems. Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill leaving affects the overall continuity. That’s one of the primary reasons why the Multiverse concept became so popular all of a sudden.
Tensions Between the Directors & The Studio
The outside world and social media has a major role to play in determining the future of both MCU & DCEU. James Gunn was fired from Marvel for his insensitive tweets and he then directed The Suicide Squad. Zack Snyder had to face a long drawn out battle to secure the release of the Snyder Cut. Many plot points and story ideas were dropped because the studios kept intervening when they shouldn’t have.
Trouble With Bringing In Characters They Have No Rights To
Marvel obviously has it worse than DC in this field. The Spider-Man movie rights are going back to Sony. They are yet to bring in the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and making a Hulk movie is simply out of the question. Similarly, DC struggles with roping in already established Arrowverse characters into the DCEU.
