Action. Tears. Superheroes. The DC Extended Universe movies and the Marvel Cinematic Universe are movies beloved by all, but Marvel’s movies are the best. Now, you may disagree, but I’m going to change your mind.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has a lot of amazing movies that draw people in time and time again. The big factor that makes marvel superior is that the story is always branching out and weaving together to create an intricate plot crossing between their shows, their single movies, and the franchise as a whole. Because the plot spans the entire franchise, there is more story to tell and it creates a draw for the next movie. 

The heroes and villains in the MCU have a wider variety allowing more people to identify with the character personalities. Marvel keeps the same actor for a role, giving the actors a chance to claim their character and constantly improve them. 

“Take RDJ for example. He’s been Iron Man since 2008 and has just molded the role perfectly to him. You can tell the difference between the actors just there to act (DC) and the actors whose roles have become their life,” Lydia Oswald says.

Because the actors are consistent, the movies are more enjoyable to watch, help us to recognize favorite actors, and help us to develop a deeper connection with the characters. 

Lastly, Marvel excels in the superhero competition because they usually can take a lighthearted view of the trials that the Avengers are placed against. Marvel can turn fighting villains and their crazy goals into something funny and very enjoyable. They have a good balance of action, drama, serious, and comedic scenes, making them appealing to the majority of people. In a poll of Bingham students, Marvel’s movies were chosen over DC’s 52-2.

While Marvel is superior, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has some strengths which make them popular. DC has been making movies since the 1950s, thus establishing their characters in the film industry long before Marvel. 

“Everyone likes a good ‘adventure’ film. And DC has some of the greatest superheroes in their library,” says Ms. Andersen, the film studies teacher.

Another strength of the DCEU is if the viewer is wanting a stand-alone movie, DC’s movies may be more appealing because the plot is told in a single movie and doesn’t usually connect to their previous films. 

With this separation of movies, DC often switches actors and brings in big names to “play the next Batman” thus drawing in a crowd of people to see their favorite actor, or see how this actor portrays the character we all know and love. 

Lastly, because DC established its characters in movies long before Marvel did, people like to stick to the ‘OG (Original) heroes’ who have been around forever.

Although the DCEU has some strengths, they also have weaknesses. They tend to put out movies that take a darker view of the world and the plot centers around crime in the city. 

 “These movies are often overly dark, with little character development and the focus is on special effects and drama to the point of illusion breaking. [It makes it] hard to relate to their characters,” says Ms. Cook, host of the Marvel Club and a history teacher at Bingham.

While there are benefits to DC’s stand-alone movies, it often makes the story feel disjointed and not complete. Because the company doesn’t have an overarching plot, the movie ends up with a shallow plot feel that doesn’t seem to go anywhere or tell a real story. Also, the story often feels rushed because the story plot that they have in mind is crammed into a singular movie. 

Another weakness of DC is they are always changing the actors for their characters. By never having the same person, they all tweak the character and there is no consistency to draw people in for the next movie.

While the DCEU is good, Marvel is better and takes the win in almost all categories of quality, story, characters, and consistency.