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It promised to be the showdown of the summer. In one corner, a newly resurgent DC and Superman, backed by creative powerhouse James Gunn. In the other, a sheepish Marvel Studios pulling out its ace in the hole with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, led by the ubiquitous Pedro Pascal.
The winner? By any metric – Rotten Tomatoes, audience response, and box office gross – it's almost too close to call. The real victors, though, might be away from cinema screens, because fans finally have something to look forward to again in this new age of heroes after half a decade of diminishing returns and comic-book movie duds.
'A rising tide lifts all boats' is a maxim that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has long deployed about his competition across the comic book aisle. But with DC usually flagging and Marvel firing on all cylinders, that always arrived with a whiff of a big brother patting his sibling on the head. Now, though, DC and Marvel are both succeeding, creating a game of one-upmanship that should bring the energy back to what had become a stale genre.
Super Fantastic
It's no coincidence, either, that both Superman and Fantastic Four embrace the wide-eyed wonder of the comic books on which they are based. They're silly, spectacular, and a breath of fresh air. From direct tributes to Jack Kirby to James Gunn namechecking Fleischer's rubber-hose Superman cartoons in the lead-up to release, each used the past to forge a new path forward.
Planet-eating gods and evil clones, in the wrong hands, could have been each universe's shark-jumping moment. Under directors Matt Shakman and James Gunn, they are a confident mission statement: anything goes in this brave new world. The multiverse, frustratingly, has never quite unlocked the supercharged potential of Silver Age villains and colorful capers. In one fell swoop, Fantastic Four and Superman have brightened things up and made everything fair game.
That's without even talking about the optimism and, yes, the punk rock of Reed Richards and Superman. We've had cynical heroes and self-destructive heroes aplenty. It feels good, in a real-world mired in turmoil, to have a set of heroes that are unabashedly working towards the greater good, sans the snark and snarling. They can use their stretchy fists and heat vision, respectively, sure, but they are emblematic of so much more – a chance to entertain and inspire a new generation of audiences and storytellers. Along the way, Marvel and DC had lost that idea. Now, it's back. DC may have just undergone a literal reboot but, for both, this resembles a creative reboot that should be the catalyst for the next decade of storytelling.
A new age of heroes
Which is why it's so frustrating that, through sheer bad luck or lack of forward planning, there's so little to capitalize on the instant momentum that has propelled both Marvel and DC into relevancy once more.
A handful of shows are on the way (Peacemaker season 2 is perhaps more important than most, admittedly), with the likes of Eyes of Wakanda, Marvel Zombies, and Wonder Man filling up schedules.
With no new follow-ups until next summer's Supergirl and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the irony of a short cinematic break – something Marvel would have hugely benefited from in the past – putting the kibosh on their runaway successes shouldn't be lost. Still, perhaps it gives everyone a chance to bask in the glow of Metropolis and Earth-828 just a little longer. That's no bad thing.
After years of DC uncertainty and Marvel misfires, it genuinely feels like we've reached a pre-Avengers: Endgame hype cycle again. I'm excited. You're excited. Forget the millions made in theater tickets and overpriced popcorn buckets. Fantastic Four and Superman's biggest win is that it made us believe in superhero movies again.
For more, check out the upcoming Marvel movies and new DC movies currently in the works.
