The narratives of superhero movies are gradually becoming stale and are in need of fresh life, and it looks like the DC Universe is taking the throne.
DC and Marvel have been famously known as rivals, with creators and actors alike taking their own stance on the matter.
Marvel has produced over twenty films under the “Marvel Cinematic Universe” to tell one singular, interconnected story – and it has always been the same story for the most part.
A hero makes an immense personal sacrifice, but at the end of the day that hero and their fellow allies stand over a villain that they defeated.
Look no further than Marvel-produced films to understand this formula, one which has brought in billions of dollars for the Disney-owned company.
This formula exemplifies the notion that “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” One which has undoubtedly worked for Disney and will continue working for years to come.
However, filmmakers in the past have spoken about the importance of experimentation, a key component to artistic expression and producing original work.
While some film genres are more open to successful experimentation over others, many films remain largely formulaic.
This changed in October with the release of an experimental comic book adaptation.
After releasing on Oct. 6, the film is now the highest-grossing R-rated film in the box office sales.
This movie does anything but tell the story of some black-and-white world.
Instead, it tells the story of a mentally ill man falling into further darkness at the mercy of a negligent society.
The hallmark quote of the film that marks this storytelling shift is the moment the Joker said, “I used to think my life was a tragedy. But now I realize, it’s a comedy.”
While films like “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Captain America: Civil War” to a certain extent subverted the traditional superhero story, it didn’t break new ground with as many films as DC.
But Marvel has generally made an effort to play it safe with characters that don’t find the mold of their more traditional character archetypes.
This can be seen through the release of their Netflix-produced shows including “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones” and “Punisher.”
These were the equivalent to watching an R-rated Marvel film, but remained produced as a web series with little effort to market these characters to non-Netflix users.
DC adapted controversial films at the expense of not appealing to some audiences that are used to watching those types of films.
And the successful release of “Joker” proved the gamble was worth it.
This is not to say that every time DC attempted to subvert expectations that it worked.
In fact many of their films were based on trial and error.
And whether you love his films or hate them, Zack Snyder’s DC film adaptations like “Justice League” had a tone and feel that broke
new ground.
As to whether Snyder’s films worked or not is a debate for online message boards.
Regardless, it has been shown time and time again that DC has willingly taken bolder risks and has sold over unexpected audiences with their unique filmmaking styles.
