How The MCU And DCEU Are Borrowing From Each Other

The Fun Factor

While the DCEU was still a glimmer in the eye of Warner Bros. as Christopher Nolan wrapped up his super-serious Batman trilogy, Marvel began producing films that appealed to the whole family and different generations. You didn’t need to cover your child’s eyes when a villain appeared, nor did you need to dumb down your brain before you entered the cinema. The MCU films were outright fun for everyone.

Now, we’re not sure what discussions Zack Snyder had with Warner and DC in the beginning, but it was evident from the first shot that the DCEU would be a grimmer superhero affair. Sure, there’d be breathtaking action sequences and glorious visuals to behold, but you wouldn’t exactly term the universe “fun.” After the critical mauling of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, the execs were forced to act quickly and change the tone of Suicide Squad mere months before its release. Unfortunately, it was a little too late for that film, but not for Wonder Woman. The more optimistic and lighthearted tone resulted in it becoming the first critically acclaimed movie in the franchise – and it probably didn’t hurt that it made a lot more money than initially forecasted. It took four tries, but DCEU found the right formula, which is essentially Marvel’s one.

While it’s important that superhero films maintain an essence of fun, we’re also moving backwards in many ways to the comic book movies of the past – and there’s a real risk here. Having something similar in tone to Richard Donner’s Superman is okay, but it won’t be long until a studio squeezes out an over-the-top Batman & Robin to sell toys. And in case you forgot, that film pretty much killed Batman in Hollywood for close to a decade. Fun is great – and wanted – but don’t let it overshadow the actual story at any point.