5 ways a Marvel / DC crossover movie could work (& 5 it never would)
Marvel and DC Comics have always been seen as competing with each other and since they are the two biggest comic book publishers on the planet, they compete in so many ways. Could this competition prevent them from a major film crossover? Perhaps.
It is difficult for anyone to work with a direct competitor. On the flip side, the two companies have been friends with each other in the past to the point of teaming up on several occasions for different comic book crossovers, so it’s not like there’s any real animosity there. . The point is, there are several reasons why such a crossover is destined to happen and reasons why it is not.
ten Never: they poached each other
It is not known whether executives from Warner Bros. or Marvel Studios are able to hold onto old grudges, but if they do, it should be about how the two companies have stood out for talent. The most notable examples come from the hiring of Warner Bros. Guardians Trilogy director James Gunn will be working on The suicide squad almost immediately after being fired from Marvel / Disney.
More recently still, FilmWeb told a story of how Warner Bros. tried to remove Lupita N’yongo and Tessa Thompson from the DCEU by offering them the role of Catwoman in the upcoming Batman movie, although that obviously didn’t work.
9 Could: Money is the common goal
Everyone loves money, especially the big Hollywood studios. With Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. being such studios, they would be hard-pressed to turn down money, especially at the idea of a film that has the potential to make more money than the MCU or DCEU franchise has ever made.
Some of the highest grossing films in Marvel Studios lineup, in particular The Avengers, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame—are all good faith crosses combining all of their main properties. A crossover featuring characters from both the MCU and DCEU has the potential to double the profits over any of those movies.
8 Never: money is the problem
By the same token, while the desire for money is exactly what could get this project off the ground, it is this exact desire for money that could keep it on the ground forever. Such a large production is bound to make huge sums of money, but when this movie has the backing of two big studios, then it comes down to who gets what and how much each party gets.
It shouldn’t be hard to imagine that the whole money making process gets complicated even before pre-production begins.
7 Could: it’s happened in the comics before
As noted in the intro, Marvel and DC have already collaborated on comedic crossovers. Entire comedic storylines have been devoted to seeing Spider-Man shake hands with Superman or Galactus fighting Darkseid, but the biggest crossover easily came with the 1996. DC vs. Marvel Event.
Forced into battle by two gods representing DC and Marvel, superheroes and villains from both universes clashed. Fans have been treated to matches like Lobo vs. Wolverine, Superman vs. The Hulk, The Flash vs. Quicksilver, and Wonder Woman vs. Storm to name a few. If it happened in the comics, maybe it can happen in the movies.
6 Never: can’t please everyone
It’s a gripe that tends to come with any major crossover against a battle. Thought Godzilla vs. Kong or Freddy vs. Jason. People will understandably be delighted to see their favorites go head to head and will come out in droves to see it, but no one wants to see the character they are looking for lose.
If Marvel characters are one step ahead of DC characters or vice versa, much of the audience is sure to get excited. If a film like this cannot appeal to the greatest number, it may not appeal to anyone in the process. Nobody wants to make a movie if there’s a chance nobody likes it.
5 Could: a merger
When DC and Marvel teamed up for their big comic book crossover in the ’90s, it wasn’t just to provide a big showdown for fans. This was to set up the creation of a whole new universe and a whole new venture that DC and Marvel shared. It was called Amalgam Comics and was created to fuse different heroes and villains with each other to become one.
This brought characters to life like Super-Soldier (Superman and Captain America), Dark Claw (Wolverine and Batman), Spider-Boy (Spider-Man and Superboy), Deadeye (Deadshot and Bullseye), and many more. Perhaps DC and Marvel could embark on a similar venture for the sake of a new film production company.
4 Never: too many cooks
The phrase ‘too many cooks’ refers to the idea that too many people working on the same project in the same kitchen are doomed because too many people at the table have their own ideas of how to bring life to life. to this project. This very idea is why it took Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees a decade for their film to fight after it was already teased onscreen in 1993.
In the event of a hypothetical Marvel / DC crossover, there would be Marvel writers, DC writers, Warner Bros. executives, Disney executives, and Marvel Studios executives to consider. And even that doesn’t take into account possible creative control and the contribution of people like actors, directors, etc.
3 Could: studios are running out of ideas
In a Hollywood that has relied heavily on remakes, reboots, and sequels, the DCEU and MCU will end up running out of ideas. Marvel has already adapted some of the best comedy scripts in its library, including Civil war and The Infinity Gauntlet, so they are more likely to run out of the tank sooner than later.
The natural solution when ideas run out is for both franchises to either restart from scratch or try something very different. A business-to-business crossover would be the craziest idea they could think of.
2 Never: DC has already stopped it
This was more the case when it came to a modern comic book crossbreeding that was happening again, but it also applies to the film industry for both franchises on the big screen.
In 2017, DC co-editor Dan Didio told San Diego Comic-Con: “It’s not that we’re deadly enemies, it’s competition if you want the truth. compete, the better off you are. This means that we strive to improve our books so that you come to our books rather than the Marvel books. This is the goal of the competition. “
1 Could: never say never
First and foremost, fans shouldn’t completely rule out a big-screen Marvel / DC couple simply on the grounds that some strange things have happened in movie land for the two big-screen properties. No one thought Spider-Man would be coming to the MCU, or that Warner Bros. would release the Snyder Cut.
Either way, fans were happy they were wrong, and if those same fans had hope long enough for a Marvel / DC crossover on the big screen, they’d be even happier to be wrong again.
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