Marvel: A cinematic universe with 22 movies that seamlessly fit together into one big story line. Does DC have that? Didn’t think so.

Just the sheer secrecy of Marvel movies compared to DC movies lets you know which one is a bigger deal. People have never been so secretive about scripts and spoilers than they’ve been with Avengers: Infinity War or Avengers: Endgame. With large casts and huge box office success, it’s pretty clear the Avengers movies will be remembered in film history, but I can’t say the same about DC.

One of the biggest reasons for the love and success of the movies is because they have a ton of character progression.

At the beginning of the first Iron Man movie, Tony Stark really didn’t care about anyone or anything. In that movie alone, morally progressed and realized the consequences of all the weapons he was selling. His self-realization led to him becoming Iron Man, and he continued morally correcting himself throughout the rest of the MCU films.

Captain America is another great example of character development. Steve Rogers started off as a normal person with a good heart, and was given the opportunity to become a super soldier, which he took it in order to help others.      

Next we have Black Widow, who started by being closed off, unable to trust anyone, but throughout the movies, she begins to let others into her life.

I know that was a painfully brief summary of what has happened to the characters, but you get the point––they’ve changed. I’m not saying DC heroes have no character development, but it’s nothing compared to all the Marvel heroes. Marvel movies tend to treat characters more like humans rather than objects that just lead you to the next fight scene.

Obviously I like Marvel more than DC, but it has been proven that people like Marvel movies more than DC movies.

Audiences can more easily emotionally engage with Marvel characters, causing them to watch their movies time and time again. Since DC characters are not as easy to relate to, people tend to feel less compelled to return and watch their new movies. People get attached to MCU characters because of their distinct personalities and relatability, while DC tends to focus more on fight scenes than character development.

Besides character development, I love Marvel for the sheer variety of their movies and characters. Especially Spider-Man. I mean, how can you not love Peter Parker? While DC has the new Shazam movie, there aren’t too many other young heroes being portrayed in movies. Seeing Peter Parker act like a normal teenager who struggles with the responsibility of superpowers and having a semi-normal life is very different from the traditional superhero movie stereotypes.

Besides Spider-Man: Homecoming, think about Thor: Ragnarok or Guardians of the Galaxy. Both defy expectations of a standard superhero movie by mixing action and comedy. Constant jokes, good background music and a colorful outer space setting can make anything better. Even more brownie points to Marvel.

In short, Marvel is just better because yes, they focus on heroes and fight scenes, but they also make sure to pay attention to characters and their emotions. As Uncle Ben said, “with great power comes great responsibility”, and Marvel has surely made great use of their cinematic capabilities…But DC?…