It’s time to address the age-old dilemma: Marvel or DC? The Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Universe are both fictional universes which contain superheroes in everyday life, yet there has been a huge debate for a long time about which company is better. Marvel originated with comic books created by Martin Goodman and editor-in-chief Stan Lee, which contained many well-loved superheroes, such as Iron Man, Captain America, and the Incredible Hulk, and there have been many incredibly successful movies to come from the franchise. However, DC Comics owns the beloved characters of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, which have all been wildly popular.

The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment for $4.24 billion in 2009, while the Warner Bros. owns DC Comics. When looking at both franchise’s success, Marvel has six of the seven highest-grossing superhero movies, while DC has only two in the top ten. Furthermore, Marvel has four of the top ten highest-grossing movies of all time, with the most recent Avengers: Infinity War coming in fourth all-time grossing $2,046,680,238 worldwide. DC Comics’ highest grossing film, The Dark Knight Rises, comes in at only 24th place all-time.

It’s still a big debate between a lot of die-hard superhero fans about which company is better. Chloe Baxter, a supporter of Marvel, stated, “The plotline and the way Marvel movies are produced is much more fun to watch. The cinematic value is better, the production looks better, and the plotline is better. It’s something easier to sit through and enjoy.”

One point that debaters have used is that Marvel has done a great job making characters popular. DC characters, such as Superman and Batman, have been very well-known for a long time, but many Marvel characters, such as Black Widow and Thor, were not beloved characters before the creation of the movies. In essence, Marvel has made many characters popular with its movies, while DC has only made movies about the few popular heroes they own.  One argument in favor of DC is their villains are more compelling. DC has created some of the most iconic villains ever, with Lex Luthor, the Joker, Two-Face, Deathstroke, Darkseid, and Brainiac. While Marvel has some well-liked villains, DC has mastered the art of making a compelling villain that fans love and enjoy watching.

Additionally, both companies have produced successful television series’ as well. Marvel produced quality shows, such as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Daredevil while DC has created very popular shows like Arrow and The Flash. Luke Maxwell shared, “I first started watching The Flash, and then I got hooked. When I was done with those seasons, I started watching Arrow, and I really enjoyed both of them.”

There are many arguments for and against both companies, but the majority of superhero fans enjoy Marvel more than DC. Logan Abell shared, “Marvel has been around for numerous generations, and I’ve loved Spider-Man ever since I was a kid. Marvel superheroes have been a part of every childhood and will continue to be for generations to come.” Jake Dice also commented, “If DC was better, then why haven’t they made more movies recently? Marvel comes out with a new movie about every year.”

To conclude, while there are pros and cons to both companies, it seems as though Marvel is more successful and more well-liked across the board than DC. With Marvel’s newest movie Avengers: Infinity War topping charts and making so much profit, the future of Marvel movies seems even brighter than before. Many fans are excited and ready for more Marvel movies, and DC seems to be withering away in popular.