Coke vs. Pepsi, Mac vs. PC, DC vs. Marvel.
These are the major pop culture debates of our time. But with the current Hollywood landscape saturated with comic book properties, the battle between DC and Marvel is probably the most hotly contested at the moment. It's fair to take a side in this dispute if you want. Some people like flying with Superman while others enjoy web slinging with Spider-Man. Having a personal preference is no crime worthy of superhero justice. But when arguing the merits between the two titans, acknowledging the differences in their styles is important.
CEO of Warner Bros. Entertainment Kevin Tsujihara offered his own distinction between the two.
"The worlds of DC are very different...They're steeped in realism, and they're a little bit edgier than Marvel's movies."
Before fanboys start an online war against one another over this comment, we should all stop and really think about what Tsujihara is saying because it makes perfect sense. Marvel has cornered the market on superhero movies crammed with humor while DC has set up shop in the Christopher Nolan inspired space of gritty and realistic. Neither is the better option, they're just different.
"The key thing is that the movies and the television shows and the games, everything looks very different...you have to be able to take advantage of the diversity of these characters."
Tony Stark is a wise cracker and Marvel couldn't work with writer/director Edgar Wright on "Ant-Man" because he wouldn't tow the company line of lightheartedness. On the flip side, director Zack Snyder kicked of the shared DC Cinematic Universe with a Superman movie draped in darker tones. If you haven't been able to separate the two by now then you obviously haven't been paying attention.
Tsujihara isn't taking a shot at Marvel, he's merely highlighting the main contrast between the two companies. Overall, having a variation of comic book entertainment is a good thing. No one wants to see the same familiar take on every movie and show that involves a cape or a mask. Instead, the diversity Tsujihara spoke of regarding characters, aesthetics and tone is what makes each on-screen property fresh and unique.
