The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s introduction of a shared big screen mythology is now widely taken for granted given the franchise’s unprecedented levels of success, but when Iron Man was first released in 2008, the idea was both groundbreaking and incredibly risky. If any of the Phase One movies had bombed, then the entire MCU would have been on very shaky ground, but luckily for both them and us, the comic book series is also renowned for its remarkable consistency.
In the decade since, countless rival studios have tried and largely failed to replicate Marvel’s business model, with the vast majority of them falling at the first hurdle as they rush to compete. After a rocky start, the DCEU is now firmly established as the industry’s other major shared universe, and given the whirlwind of huge new developments, the future for both of the longtime comic book rivals looks more exciting than ever.
Considering the legal and political minefield that surrounds the rights to almost ever major superhero, we’ll likely never get the opportunity to see two characters from different studios lock horns on the big screen, with the notable exception of Marvel’s use of Spider-Man seemingly opening the doors for the MCU to cross over with Sony’s SPUoMc.
However, that hasn’t stopped digital artist Apex Form from imagining what would happen if the MCU’s Iron Man and the DCEU’s Batman were to cross paths, and you can check out the epic new art below.
While it’ll never happen in a million years, Avengers vs. Justice League would easily be the biggest movie in history and blow Endgame‘s record-setting box office total out of the water, especially with cinematic icons Batman and Iron Man leading the charge. The two all-star teams have faced off on the page before, of course, but sadly, their live-action rivalry will always be restricted to the box office.