The two franchises are moving in opposite directions
And it’s happening at a time when the DC movies coming from Warner Bros. are focusing more on standalone films with a sillier tone, after beginning in a place of violence and fear. The two competing movie franchises, after all these years, are almost mimicking where the other began.
Look at it this way: The Endgametrailer presents a version of Captain America who sounds like he’s given up hope. That’s a shocking thing for a character who has zoomed through so many movies with a can-do attitude and a good heart. On the other hand, Man of Steel began the franchise with a Pa Kent who argued that maybe Superman can let kids die if it means keeping his secret, and a “boy scout” hero who killed someone before the credits rolled. What’s left to break down if that’s your starting point?
This isn’t meant to be a criticism of either approach or path forward; creating this sort of interlocking universe is a challenge, and it’s natural to stumble along the way. Warner Bros. rushed into its version of The Avengers and ended up stuck in the ultra-dark and critically repellent aesthetics of Zack Snyder’s films.
The company slowly pivoted to find the fun and hope in these comic book stories, or at least began to hire people who could do so, and now, after Wonder Woman’s massive box-office pull, and Aquaman’s high prospects, seems to be on a better path. It’s just a path that looks a lot like the brighter colors and goofier tone of the early Marvel films. Fair enough.
Marvel went the other way. Iron Manwas often funny, even if Tony is now more serious than any other character as he deals with PTSD and greater responsibility to protect Earth. And the lore was built slowly, despite the inclusion of the Nick Fury post-credits scene. Iron Man 2 came two years later, while Captain America and Thor were introduced with their own full-length origin stories a year after that.
These movies all snapped together in satisfying ways, but that connection wasn’t the whole point. Characters went through hardships, but they were mostly heroic and optimistic about the future.
Marvel knows that all that fun has to lead somewhere to be satisfying, especially when they can no longer keep going bigger with each new film. The world had to constrict a bit before the films could begin building up to another huge battle in whatever comes after this cycle of movies. And the team guiding these films wasn’t exactly making it all up as they went along.
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