It has been a long time since the Marvel and DC universes collided, and now they have the perfect opportunity for a crossover. With both companies emphasizing their distinct multiverses in recent years, there is a simple way for Batman and Superman to meet Iron Man and Captain America.
In the past, team-ups between members of the Avengers and the Justice League have run into convoluted storylines. While the best crossovers between the publishers focus on character interactions and elevate ideas that could have easily been relegated to fan service, some comic book crossovers have had trouble. Regardless of a story’s quality, the clashing of universes can be too jarring for some readers to get fully invested in. JLA/Avengers written by Kurt Busiek with art by George Pérez might have come from two top tier creators, but there are still ways for a future team-up between the teams to improve upon the premise.
Now that the DC Universe and the Marvel Universe have brought attention to their collective multiverses, another crossover feels bound to happen. As DC has also introduced the “Omniverse” which contains a wide spectrum of multiverses, the two companies could still maintain their individual multiverses. By incorporating the Omniverse, the scale of a crossover story is elevated, and minor plot contrivances can be solved. Marvel’s omnipresent guardian the Watcher doesn’t have to be aware of the Justice League if he had only existed in one universe, or one iteration of the multiverse.
Considering Doctor Fate’s recent show of his powers by breaking the fourth wall in The Flash #776, the co-existence of DC and Marvel within the Omniverse would make additional sense. If Fate had shown any evidence that he’s aware of the Avengers, there would be little reason for him to not reach out to his Marvel counterpart, Doctor Strange. In contrast, Deadpool has shown his vast knowledge of the real world’s pop culture, even outranking the consciousness of the Watchers on occasion.
As multiverse-oriented stories continue to become normalized, the precedent for such an ambitious Marvel and DC team-up is growing in its likelihood. Self-aware characters such as Doctor Fate, Ambush Bug, or Deadpool might be helpful to bridge a gap that some fans felt in previous crossovers. With the Justice League and the Avengers’ knowledge of the multiverse, and the Omniverse, every possible door has been opened for the DC and Marvel universes.