Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice
Although the DC Extended Universe technically began with 2013’s Man of Steel, it was really Batman V Superman that launched it. Unfortunately, the film was massively controversial – it was critically panned, and divided superhero fans into strongly-opinionated camps.
The sour reception left Warner Bros. reeling and over the months that followed they began to systematically reorganize themselves. This ultimately led to the ascension of fan-favorite comic-book wrtier Geoff Johns as head of DC Film, which has us hopeful for movies like Justice League and Wonder Woman.
Captain America: Civil War
One of Marvel’s boldest movies to date, Captain America: Civil War was an ensemble film that, while starring Chris Evans’ Captain America, also effectively served as a sort of ‘Avengers 2.5’. The threequel is a defining moment in the MCU, not least because it demonstrates the increasing importance of the Russo brothers – with Joss Whedon moving on from Marvel, they’ve taken over Avengers: Infinity War, and there’s a direct through-line between Civil War and Infinity War.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the film, though, was its introduction of two new characters. Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther proved himself to be an absolute scene-stealer, setting the character up for his 2018 solo movie. Meanwhile, Civil War also introduced us to Tom Holland’s iteration of Spider-Man.
It’s a matter of public record how much work Marvel put into acquiring Spider-Man for the MCU; the company has made a deal with Sony to share rights to the character, with Marvel Studios producing a Spider-Man trilogy and in return Sony allowing Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to appear in three separate Marvel Studios movies (Civil War being the first of these). Exact details of the deal remain secretive, but Civil War immediately proved it to be a creative success, and fans are now awaiting 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming with eager anticipation.
