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The Big Debate: Marvel’s Film/TV Cohesion vs. DC’s Separate Strategy

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that fans know how to argue - and here at We Got This Covered, we're no different. We write about our chosen media – be it movies, TV, games or music – because we love it with the kind of deep, abiding affection that creates passionate belief and opinion. Since it’s safe to say that our readers frequent our pages for the same reason, what could be more satisfying than our latest recurring feature - The Big Debate? Taking a big, popular, current topic of discussion, our writers will argue the points for you with the intention of presenting as complete a picture as possible of the issues involved. But it’s not just our writers who have strong views, and the comments section is ready and waiting for you to wade in and set us straight.

There are literally thousands of comic book characters in both the Marvel and DC pantheons, but only a handful of them have managed to make the jump from the page to the screen. Both companies have their iconic, flagship characters that stand out among the rest; Marvel has Iron Man, Spider-Man and Captain America, while DC's "trinity" of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman are three of the most recognizable characters in fiction. Both power houses also have a fair share of heroes and villains that are remarkably similar, whether in appearance, origin, super powers, or even all of the above. Normally, this would serve as nothing more than a matter of taste on the part of the reader. But as the superhero film genre continues to grow, these characters are beginning to show up on screen at the same time and are starting to run the risk of some audience confusion. So, on that note, read on for 14 characters that, despite their differences, are awkwardly similar and may require that we geeks provide some explanation for modern audiences and the uninitiated.

James Garcia – Supporting DC’s Strategy

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First of all, let me just say how lucky we are to even be having a conversation like this one. The fact that both Marvel and DC even have cinematic and television universes is a fantastic thing. Part of me is sad that the days of standalone superhero films are behind us (for now), but I’m so ready to see where things go from here. As far as how to approach the TV and film universes, I’ve always believed that Warner Brothers should keep the DC properties separate. I love Arrow, and I’m excited for Flash, Gotham, and Constantine, but I want them nowhere near the films.

It’s not because I don’t think it can be done. As seen with what Marvel’s doing, it obviously can be, but doing it well is a different story. Creatively, it makes more sense to keep the two as separate entities. Just look at the mess that was Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s first season. That show had so much potential (and arguably can still tap into that as it moves forward), but all of that was squandered when the writers had to literally wait for things to happen on the film side of things before they could tell the stories that they wanted to tell on the TV side. Once Captain America: The Winter Soldier came out, S.H.I.E.L.D. got better. I don’t want DC’s TV shows to suffer that same fate.

Let’s look at Arrow for a second. Over the course of two seasons, we’ve had so many DC Comics characters appear that I can’t even keep them all straight. Deathstroke, Deadshot, Huntress, Canary, Nyssa Al Ghul, the League of Assassins, the Suicide Squad, Barry Allen, the Royal Flush Gang, Merlyn, Solomon Grundy, the Clock King… do you think any of them could have appeared on the CW if the show was tied to the DCCU? The problem with combining universes is that you also combine continuities. Everything that happens on Arrow would also have to happen in Man of Steel, Batman V Superman and Justice League. That limits the things creators can do on both sides of the equation.

That means every casting decision, costume design, and storyline has to be tightly controlled and meticulously planned out. Do you think we’d be seeing The Flash if TV and film were connected? Or someone like Ra’s Al Ghul heading to Arrow? Or, better yet, a Jim Gordon origin story detailing the beginnings of Batman’s iconic rogues gallery? Absolutely not.

By keeping the entities separate, WB is allowing the creative forces on both sides of the equation, and on the various TV networks, to do what’s best for their story, and therefore, what’s ultimately best for the fans.

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