Expectations Set By The Previous Shared Universe Release
Comic books are, in many ways, the closest thing modern society has to mythology. These larger-than-life tales of extraordinary people saving the day and pursuing justice inspired readers long before they elicited that same reaction from moviegoers. Yet, rather than celebrate any worthwhile addition to the genre, the fan community seems hellbent on pitting the industry’s two titans against each other.
Guardians of the Galaxy and Suicide Squad may be similar in several key ways, but one way in which the films are vastly opposed is how the response they received upon their arrivals in theaters. The former Marvel adventure was met with rapturous praise and a 91 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while Ayer’s film currently holds a dismal 27 percent.
Fans will continue to debate the validity of these reviews, but it does appear that the perception of both films was affected by the previous entry in their respective shared universes. While Suicide Squad has the misfortune of following the ill-received Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Guardians of the Galaxy hit theaters just a few months after the heavily lauded Captain America: The Winter Soldier. By this logic, Wonder Woman may have an even harder time winning audiences and critics over next year, as a precedent has clearly been set.
