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The Big Debate: Marvel’s Film/TV Cohesion vs. DC’s Separate Strategy

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that fans know how to argue - and here at We Got This Covered, we're no different. We write about our chosen media – be it movies, TV, games or music – because we love it with the kind of deep, abiding affection that creates passionate belief and opinion. Since it’s safe to say that our readers frequent our pages for the same reason, what could be more satisfying than our latest recurring feature - The Big Debate? Taking a big, popular, current topic of discussion, our writers will argue the points for you with the intention of presenting as complete a picture as possible of the issues involved. But it’s not just our writers who have strong views, and the comments section is ready and waiting for you to wade in and set us straight.

There are literally thousands of comic book characters in both the Marvel and DC pantheons, but only a handful of them have managed to make the jump from the page to the screen. Both companies have their iconic, flagship characters that stand out among the rest; Marvel has Iron Man, Spider-Man and Captain America, while DC's "trinity" of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman are three of the most recognizable characters in fiction. Both power houses also have a fair share of heroes and villains that are remarkably similar, whether in appearance, origin, super powers, or even all of the above. Normally, this would serve as nothing more than a matter of taste on the part of the reader. But as the superhero film genre continues to grow, these characters are beginning to show up on screen at the same time and are starting to run the risk of some audience confusion. So, on that note, read on for 14 characters that, despite their differences, are awkwardly similar and may require that we geeks provide some explanation for modern audiences and the uninitiated.

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If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that fans know how to argue – and here at We Got This Covered, we’re no different. We write about our chosen media – be it movies, TV, games or music – because we love it with the kind of deep, abiding affection that creates passionate belief and opinion. Since it’s safe to say that our readers frequent our pages for the same reason, what could be more satisfying than our latest recurring feature – The Big Debate? Taking a big, popular, current topic of discussion, our writers will argue the points for you with the intention of presenting as complete a picture as possible of the issues involved. But it’s not just our writers who have strong views, and the comments section is ready and waiting for you to wade in and set us straight.

Comic-Con happened recently and, as usual, it turned into a battle of the studios: Marvel (Disney) and DC (Warner Bros). Unveiling new endeavours and teasing forthcoming adventures, the two behemoths circled each other – staring each other down, like Batman and Superman in the rain. There was a lot of news, a lot of anticipation, and inevitably, some disappointment. However, the most striking thing to emerge was a more detailed view of the difference in ‘universe’ construction. We already knew that DC had decided to keep its television and cinematic properties separate, as opposed to Marvel’s cohesive strategy, but with the premieres of TV shows Gotham and Constantine, we got a good look at what that might actually mean.

Fandom is divided, the jury is out, and your trusty writers at We Got This Covered have got their game faces on. So, without further ado, here is the question for this Big Debate:

Marvel’s cohesive film and TV strategy vs DC’s non-cohesive film and TV strategy – As Marvel continues to forge ahead with a unified approach to its TV and film projects, DC has revealed its intention to move its own range of TV comic book adaptations forward separately from its current series of films. At a time when comic book/superhero movies and TV shows dominate the media landscape, the impact of these respective plans can be felt by audiences everywhere – but, in the final analysis, which approach will yield the better results?

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