6 Reasons Why The DC TV Universe Is Better Than The Movies Universe

Regardless of whether prefer Marvel or DC, or fall somewhere in between, it's fair to say that now is a great time to be a comic book fan. Unfortunately, 2016 has been a little hit and miss when it comes to big screen superhero adaptations, but on the small screen, things are looking better than ever. In the case of Warner Bros., that's definitely true. While the studio continues to struggle with their DC Films Universe, the likes of Arrow, Gotham, Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, and Supergirl are so good (albeit in very different ways) that it's not remotely hard to buy into the widely believed opinion that they're better than the movies are ever going to be. In fact, there's more than enough evidence which points to that being the case, and here, you'll find the six most significant reasons as to why the DC TV shows have already topped the movies, and why these big screen adaptations simply can't compete even when they do start to finally get off the ground over the next couple of years. 6) Superheroes Are Better Suited To The Small Screen There's a reason movie stars, writers and directors are flocking to television. High quality dramas like Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, The Night Of and True Detective (well, the first season anyway) have completely changed the game in terms of how stories are told in this format, and it's become blatantly obvious over the past few years that superhero properties are particularly well suited to the small screen. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage are proof of that on the Marvel side of things, but back to DC, and their 20+ episode dramas have all played out brilliantly. They're given so much space to breathe and balance an overarching narrative with standalone stories, and while there are more than enough great comic book movies out there which prove that those too can tell amazing tales, these characters simply seem to work better on television. If a movie is a graphic novel, then a TV show is like a monthly comic, and there's something which is just more satisfying about the latter. Seeing as Man of Steel and Suicide Squad failed to tell an effective story in over two hours, these shows definitely have the upper hand right now in that respect. 5) Awesome Costumes Some of the DC Cinematic Universe costumes we've seen so far are pretty good - it's hard to fault Batman and Wonder Woman, for example - but the majority aren't really all that exciting. The Suicide Squad are very, very hit and miss, Aquaman shares little to nothing in common with his comic book counterpart, and while The Flash's armoured costume is definitely inventive, it hasn't exactly been welcomed with open arms by comic book fans. Despite having a significantly lower budget than the movies, this is an area which the DC TV shows have nailed time and time again. Supergirl uses much better textures and colours for her costume than Henry Cavill's Man of Steel, while everyone from Black Canary to Reverse-Flash, and even Gotham's Mr. Freeze, have all really found the essence of these characters and given them looks which work. Unlike the movies (which needlessly switch things up every movie), we've seen a more natural evolution with the appearances of heroes like Green Arrow and The Flash on TV, as both of their suits have been tweaked and altered over the years in order to reflect what fans want and to better tell their stories. 4) They Give Comic Book Fans What They Want The DC TV shows have an advantage in the respect that the people in charge of them can see what fans want on a weekly basis and can then make at least some effort to adjust things accordingly if it becomes clear that's what viewers want. That's why murderous vigilante "The Hood" became Green Arrow and the reason the character has now returned to his more brutal methods of fighting crime; the wants of fans changed over time and Arrow has addressed that. The movies, on the other hand, have clearly struggled, and their attempts to give fans what they want have backfired tremendously. Just because Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was deemed too dark and not fun enough, Suicide Squad was butchered in the editing room. Throw in things like Zack Snyder killing off Jimmy Olsen and that radically different take on The Joker, and it's clear there's a disconnect between those in charge of these movies and the fans watching them. The TV shows consistently seems to please, whether we're talking about fan service like actors from past DC Comics adaptations making cameo appearances or the upcoming debut of the JSA in Legends of Tomorrow. 3) Better Casting Decisions While there's no denying that Warner Bros. has made some great casting decisions for the DC Films Universe (Ben Affleck as Batman and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, for example), an argument that their TV division has done a better job in this respect could definitely be made despite the actors in question not being anywhere near as well known. Jason Momoa is basically playing a wetter version of Khal Drogo when he suits up as Aquaman, and as great as Ezra Miller is, he's not well suited to The Flash, especially as he's seemingly being used solely as comic relief. Looking to the small screen side of things, Melissa Benoist has been nothing short of excellent as Supergirl so far, while Tom Cavanagh's take on the Reverse-Flash has been a million times better than many of the big screen comic book villains we're used to seeing. There was a time when TV actors were considered beneath those who star in the movies, but that's really no longer the case, and the DC Comics TV shows are a great example of that. From Ben McKenzie as Jim Gordon to Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, this arm of Warner Bros. continue to knock it out of the park when it comes to casting. 2) They're Fun I don't necessarily agree that the biggest problem the DC Films Universe is facing is a lack of "fun," but there's no denying that they could use some levity. Marvel sometimes goes down the comedy route a little too much, but the DC TV shows have for the most part found a tone which works perfectly for them. Gotham for example is at times both dark and violent, but not afraid to get a little daft when it comes to introducing some of the larger than life characters from Batman's world. Promises that Justice League will be lighter and more humorous have been made numerous times, but that may be missing the point. Finding the right balance is what's important. Wentworth Miller's over the top performance as Captain Cold is a thing of brilliance in The Flash, but five minutes later, the show will have you tearing up when Barry bonds with his surrogate father, Joe West. Given the tone set by Man of Steel, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, it's hard to imagine future releases effectively being able to deliver the right balance of seriousness and fun, because the characters we've met so far simply aren't going to fit the drastically lighter tone that the TV shows manage so well. 1) They've Made C-Listers Even More Interesting Than A-Listers Understandably, the upcoming DC Comics movies are all about the big name superheroes and villains. However, with the likes of Batman and now the Suicide Squad unavailable to them, the TV shows have been forced to pick some more obscure characters from the comics, and they've done a tremendous job. The Atom, Hawkgirl, Killer Frost, Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Harvey Bullock, and Vibe are all perfect examples of characters who non-fans probably aren't familiar with, but who are now firm fan-favourites thanks to their appearances on the small screen. Arrow and The Flash have in fact introduced so many stellar supporting C-Listers that they've all been given their own show in the form of Legends of Tomorrow. While we may end up seeing some lesser known heroes and villains make their presence felt in the DC Cinematic Universe, Warner Bros. will obviously be keeping the focus on those they believe can sell movie tickets.

6 Reasons Why The DC TV Universe Is Better Than The Movies Universe

1) They’ve Made C-Listers Even More Interesting Than A-Listers