The DCU's First 2 Movies Will Make A Huge MCU Problem Look Worse

Summary

The DC Universe’s introduction of Superman and Batman could benefit from the absence of Iron Man and Captain America in the MCU, avoiding overshadowing by these prominent heroes.
Issues with the DCEU led to the appointment of James Gunn and Peter Safran as co-CEOs of DC Studios, resulting in a complete reworking and establishment of the new DC Universe.
While the MCU may have faced criticism after Avengers: Endgame, the franchise can still thrive without characters like Iron Man and Captain America, thanks to the introduction of successors and the continuation of their legacies.

One major problem that has faced the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame could benefit the start of the rebooted DC Universe. Having both adapted storylines from the competing Marvel Comics and DC Comics into massive live-action franchises, Marvel Studios and DC Studios have always been battling for the affection of mass audiences, and the MCU has always managed to prevail. In fact, the failures of the DCEU led to the hiring of filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran as co-CEOs of DC Studios in 2022, with the pair promising a complete reworking of DC’s live-action future, establishing the new DC Universe.

Set to kick off in 2024 with Creature Commandos and Waller, the DC Universe will start officially with the 2025 release of Superman: Legacy introducing David Corenswet as a new version of the Man of Steel. This will be closely followed by a rebooted Batman story in The Brave and the Bold, with a new actor portraying the Caped Crusader. It may be risky for the DC Universe to begin with new versions of these two iconic superheroes – the DCEU made this mistake – but Gunn and Safran have a higher chance of making this work thanks to the current state of the MCU and its missing cornerstone heroes.

DCU’s Superman & Batman Introduction Benefit From The MCU’s Endgame Endings

Tony Stark’s Iron Man and Steve Rogers’ Captain America were two of the MCU’s most crucial superheroes in the Infinity Saga, but both of their stories came to an end in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. While Stark sacrificed his life to save the universe, Rogers retired in the past with Peggy Carter, finally getting his happy ending, but leaving the MCU without two of its most high-profile heroes. Recent rumors suggest the MCU could reboot after the Avengers: Secret Wars release, meaning Iron Man and Captain America could return, but the fact that these two legendary heroes are currently missing could be good news for the DC Universe.

Much like Iron Man and Captain America are for Marvel, Superman and Batman are key characters in DC’s storylines, so introducing them to the DCU while the MCU is missing its two biggest stars could be the best choice. There will be no chance of these MCU heroes overshadowing the DCU’s Superman and Batman, which was perhaps a problem for the DCEU. Henry Cavill debuted in 2013’s Man of Steel in the same year as Iron Man 3, and Ben Affleck’s first adventure as Bruce Wayne in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice released shortly before 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, but this won’t be a problem for DC Studios.

Why The MCU Can Thrive Even Without Tony Stark & Steve Rogers

While Marvel Studios’ franchise may have seen an increase in criticism in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, the MCU can still return to form even without prominent heroes such as Iron Man and Captain America. The MCU’s Phase 4 introduced successors for both Stark and Rogers in the forms of Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, and Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams, a.k.a. Ironheart. Iron Man and Captain America’s legacies will be felt in the MCU for years to come, even if the heroes aren’t rebooted, as new characters will carry their torches. In this way, both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the new DC Universe can thrive.