MARVEL AND DC GO HEAD-TO-HEAD AT SDCC 2016
This might be the first year in a long time that both DC and Marvel put up such a good fight at the San Diego Comic-Con that it’s unclear who really won the day. Marvel is far more experienced and has a built-in fanbase but DC is doing a mighty fine job of holding its own.
Of course much of that may have to do with DC’s decision to release the trailer for its upcoming Justice League movie which, needless to say, is quite epic. For the first time audiences got a real look at Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg in action and while there are complaints here and there it was a mighty gauntlet for DC to lay down right out of the gate at SDCC.
DC also released the full trailer for Wonder Woman and that looks to be a solid film as well. It looks like the company has learned its mistakes in style and tone from Batman v. Superman and course corrected in time to fix its new releases. There are hints of levity throughout both film trailers that were simply missing in both Batman v. Superman and its predecessor Man of Steel that shine through. That will really help to win over fans.
Marvel took the opposite route with pretty much the same results. While it did not drop trailers for any of its big movies the company laid out the groundwork for its Netflix series and blew everyone away. While many knew they would probably see more footage from Luke Cage (which airs at the end of September) I don’t think anyone expected a teaser for The Defenders so soon.
The Defenders is a small scale version of The Avengers using Marvel’s street level team of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and The Punisher all of which have been established in the MCU through the Netflix shows. The teaser hints at a villain so powerful that only their combined forces can defeat it. Based on the fact that Stick (Scott Glenn) is the one narrating the trailer it’s a safe bet the Big Bad will be supernatural in origin.
The Luke Cage trailer, while far more minimalist, threw down the mic in a big way. The footage shows Cage taking out what appears to be a drug den in the projects using only a car door for protection. The piano-heavy “Shimmy Ya” by Ol’ Dirty Bastard plays over the action electrifying the moment. All it took was two minutes and we’re already hooked.
So who won the Con? Despite some spectacular announcements from Marvel their lack of footage lost them the title. This year it seems as if DC wins the crown with its impressive Justice League trailer. The real test will come when the movie is actually released over a year from now. The buzz is there but if the product doesn’t deliver that good will won’t last long. Marvel can hold its own even on an off year because the company manages to deliver time after time. Let’s hope DC can do the same.
