Like many of you, I used to go to the theater to see all of the Marvel movies. From Iron Man, all the way up to Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, I made a point to see every single MCU movie on DAY 1 (if not, then definitely on day two at the earliest showing). I was very much in the moment, and Marvel dominated my mind for well over a decade.
And then, it didn’t. I’m not the first person to say this, nor will I be the last, but I got off the Marvel hype train quite some time ago. Honestly, I’d much rather watch the Marvel TV shows now than the movies. In fact, I’m starting to view the movies as an extension of the Marvel TV shows instead of the other way around.
Is this superhero fatigue? Nope! Because I’m currently standing at the station for a new hype train, and that’s DC. Yep! I can’t believe it, either. For a guy who had to struggle to come up with five nice things about Zack Snyder’s DC Snyderverse, I’m unbelievably hyped for upcoming DC movies coming to theaters, and I have three major reasons why.
The Upcoming DC Movies, Quite Frankly, Seem Much More Interesting Than The Upcoming Marvel Movies
As I said in the intro, I was kind of (kind of!?) a DCEU hater. But, I’ll tell you what, I got so pumped for The Flash movie after seeing that trailer, which really surprised me, since I never cared for him in the past, especially the Ezra Miller version. But, this movie just looked…different. It didn’t hurt that I would be getting my two favorite live-action Batman actors, Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton, who both have roles in it.
So, yeah, I’m pumped for The Flash (especially after seeing some of these reviews), but I’m also super pumped for Blue Beetle, which looks like a lot of fun (and I’m also completely digging the Blue Beetle cast). Now, I know less than zero about this character, but that’s why I’m super excited to see his movie, which I’ll get into more later.
Strangely enough, I’m also really looking forward to some of the remnants of what existed during the Snyder-era, such as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Now yes, I know, the first movie wasn’t your “typical” Snyderverse film, as it wasn’t dark and moody, but rather, colorful and fun (some might even say that it was a knee jerk reaction to the super seriousness of all the Snyder movies). I wasn’t in love with the first one, but I still liked it enough that I’d definitely be willing to see the next one in theaters, as it could be another enjoyable thrill ride that’s best seen on a big screen.
Same goes for Joker: Folie a Deux. Did I love the first one? Not particularly, but Lady Gaga being in this new one has me interested, and I definitely want to see if this sequel gets the acclaim (and another Oscar nomination) that the first movie received.
So, yeah, I’m excited for DC. But, do you know what I’m not excited for? The Marvels, and this is despite really liking the first Captain Marvel movie. I also couldn’t care less about Captain America: Brave New World, either, even though I was mostly into The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (I might see it in theaters just to support a Black Captain America, though). Also, are Thunderbolts, and Blade still even coming out in the near future? I honestly don’t know, but I don’t really care, either. I heard the recent Guardians of the Galaxy was really good, but you know what? I’ll just wait for it to come out on Disney+.
That’s how far removed I am from the MCU at this point. I’ll just wait to watch those movies at home. But, I can’t wait for these upcoming DC movies, and I think I know why I’m currently feeling this way.
James Gunn Looks To Be The New Kevin Feige
It really made me laugh when I saw all of the “Fire James Gunn” tweets trending on Twitter because it honestly made no sense to me. If anything, he's going to save the sinking ship that was the Snyderverse, not sink it even further. Because Gunn KNOWS superheroes. Don’t believe me? Well, besides the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, which many consider to be an excellent trilogy (I can’t attest to that until I see Vol. 3), he also cut his teeth on the fantastic Rainn Wilson movie, Super, which is seriously one of the better, more obscure “superhero” movies.
He's more concerned with character interactions and development than he is with bombast and explosions. But, he can do the bombast and explosions, too. I mean, have you seen The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker? Wowie Zowie! Also, even though he didn’t direct it, he had a hand in Brightburn as well, which was a dark Superman-esque story. Now, he’s actually going to be writing and directing a Superman movie of his own with the upcoming Superman: Legacy. Some might be concerned that Gunn won’t tonally be capable of a Superman movie, but as long as it’s not as dark and dreary as Man of Steel, I think we’ll be fine.
In a lot of ways, he seems like the new Kevin Feige…but one who can actually write and direct movies, as well. In this way, I’m really excited for the future of DC’s cinematic universe, whatever it may be. With Gunn at the helm, I see him steering these projects in exciting new directions, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic to see where the future of DC lies on the big screen.
I'm Not As Familiar With DC As I Am With Marvel, So I Feel Like I'm In For Some Surprises With This New DC Rollout
Lastly, I’m super pumped to learn more about all these DC characters that I only really know on a surface level. For instance, I grew up with Marvel, so I read a lot of the comic books, watched most of the cartoons, and played a vast majority of the video games. In that way, I already had a deep understanding of Iron Man, Thor, and even the Guardians of the Galaxy by the time the movies rolled around.
I know very little about DC, however. Now, I may be selling myself a little short, since I know a ton about Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc. But, when it comes to characters like The Flash, Blue Beetle, The Authority, and Swamp Thing, which are all slated – some very soon, and some down the line – to get movies, well I’m super pumped because I want to know more about these characters.
Sure, I read Flashpoint, but this upcoming Flash movie looks to be bringing something new to the table with having General Zod and Supergirl there. Blue Beetle I know NOTHING about, and I’m interested to see a new take on Superman, courtesy of James Gunn.
Inversely, what do we have to look forward to with Marvel? Mostly characters we’ve already been introduced to or already know, such as with The Marvels, and Captain America: Brave New World. Hell, even Blade feels like more of a retread than anything fresh and new, so yeah. I think I’ll stick with Marvel on the small screen, and now commit to seeing DC on the big screen. I love surprises, and it looks like DC has plenty in store for me.
Are you also going to make an effort to see upcoming DC movies on the big screen? For more news on all things DC, make sure to swing around here often.
