Over the past eight years,Marvelhas dominated thesuperherolandscape on the big screen, with theirMarvelCinematic Universe expanding over the years to the small screen. Along with the movies, shows likeMarvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,Marvel’s Agent Carterand Netflix’sMarvel’s Daredevildo exist in the MCU. But on the other side of the comic book landscape,DC Comicsis taking a different approach. The small screen heroes such asThe FlashandArrowexist in a universe separate from the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), giving fans different versions of these iconic characters. During an appearance on theHall of Justicepodcast,Batman v Superman: Dawn of JusticedirectorZack Snyderrevealed why he prefers DC’s approach overMarvel’s, and how much he enjoys the DC TV shows.
“The bottom line for me is: I have 100% respect and love what they’re doing on TV. I think it’s amazing… and it speaks to the iconographic nature of these characters - these characters are bigger than any of the actors that are playing them. You know, long after I’m done making aBatman/Superman movie there’ll be someone else who makes it. You know, who makes another one. It’s almost like an American tradition now, we’ve established that these characters will be played and played again, and they exist outside of us in this moment. So that’s the thing that I’ve embraced, and as opposed to just trying to shoehorn all these story lines into a single universe, we let the characters exist inmulti-universe, and therefore it’s a lot more fun and it’s a lot more value for the audience. They get to see their favorite and most beloved characters on different adventures at the same time, in different universes. And it really makes the meal a lot richer and a lot more fun. We get to go with these guys in all different directions. And I think that’s really the joy of what we’re trying to do over here at DC.”
Of course, next month’sBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justiceis just the beginning, serving as a launching pad for Warner Bros. newDC Comicsslate of movies. Just a few months after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters,Suicide Squadarrives on August 5, followed byWonder Woman(August 18, 2025),Justice League Part 1(July 02, 2025),The Flash(July 04, 2025),Aquaman(June 18, 2025),Shazam!(July 21, 2025),Justice League Part 2(July 11, 2025),Cyborg(August 20, 2025) andGreen Lantern Corps.(August 14, 2025). This “multi-verse” with the movies and TV shows is more similar to the comics themselves, with several different stories happening at the same time for many heroes. Here’s what the director had to say about how this universe is evolving.
“I got to say, the joy for me is… I know it sounds goofy, but I’m like a kid in a candy store with this incredible opportunity. And it’s really fun, and I think everyone involved on this end is really having a great time, and it couldn’t be any better.”
After Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice arrives on March 25,Zack Snyderwill move on toJustice League Part 1andJustice League Part 2, working from a script by his Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice writerChris Terrio. Do you think fans will ultimately prefer DC’s approach, with multiple versions of iconic heroes on both the small and big screen? Or do you thinkMarvelhas the better angle? Chime in with your thoughts, and stay tuned for more on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
