For many fans, DC's upcoming slate of movies is more exciting than what Marvel Studios has planned for Phase 4 of the MCU. Between 2020 and 2022, DC Films is currently developing more big-name properties than Marvel, who has been leading the industry in comic book film adaptations for the last decade.

Marvel Studios has been dominating at the box office for years. Since 2016, Marvel has released seven movies that have grossed at least $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Marvel rakes in the millions with every installment in the MCU, with not a single one being a flop. Each movie has experienced some degree of success. After years of flirting with the top spots in the list of highest-grossing movies of all-time, Marvel finally overtook Avatar with Avengers: Endgame when it brought in $2.7 billion. In another impressive stat, that same list includes several other Marvel Studios movies, such as Avengers: Infinity War, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Black Panther.

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It's been an altogether different story for DC. Though they did get off to a good start with Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice wasn't the hit DC was expecting, nor was it received well by critics. Suicide Squad performed well at the box office, but garnered a lukewarm critical response. Wonder Woman, on the other hand, was a huge critical and commercial success, and was the first sign that DC didn't have to rely solely on Batman and Superman anymore. That being said, things didn't turn around for DC — at least not yet. Its next movie, Justice League, was its biggest movie to date — and its biggest failure. Justice League was declared a disaster. Things have improved since then, and DC has managed to build what may prove to be an exciting list of movies to be released over the next three years.

DC & Marvel's Scheduled Movies

Harley Quinn on Birds of Prey Poster

Both Marvel and DC have seven films scheduled to release between 2020 and 2022. Marvel is giving Black Widow her first solo movie in 2020, even though the character was killed off in Avengers: Endgame. Black Widow will be followed by Eternals, a cosmic superhero epic which features a star-studded cast. 2021 will be Marvel's busiest year yet with four movies: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, an untitled third Spider-Man movie, and Thor: Love and Thunder. As for its 2022 slate, Marvel's only confirmed film is Black Panther 2.

Like Marvel, DC only has two films coming in 2020: Bird of Prey (and the Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) and Wonder Woman 1984. 2021 will see Robert Pattinson become the next actor to bring the Caped Crusader to the big screen in Matt Reeves' The Batman. Also coming to theaters in 2021 from DC Films is Black Adam, with Dwayne Johnson as the titular hero, and James Gunn's The Suicide Squad sequel. DC's plans for 2022 include DC Super Pets and Aquaman 2.

Marvel's Phase 4 Slate Is Good, But With Some Problems

Shang-Chi vs Shaka Karn

Marvel fans are eagerly anticipating the next Spider-Man movie, especially since it once looked as if the wall-crawler was being completely cut out of the MCU. There's also a fair bit of hype surrounding Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder, which will have Natalie Portman's Jane Foster pick up the hammer. Black Widow is generating interest as well, but there's a feeling from some that the movie has come too late.

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Two movies in particular, Shang-Chi and Eternals, certainly turned heads when they were announced, and not necessarily because they've been in high demand. On the contrary, both are lesser-known properties whose titular characters only have a limited presence in the comics. Neither have the name recognition of an A-list hero or team. Shang-Chi and Eternals lack the popularity of their fellow MCU heroes.

DC's Movie Slate Shows How DC Fixed Its Problems

Suicide Squad Reboot James Gunn Sequel

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League represented several of DC's problems, but fortunately it didn't take too long for DC to fix them. With both movies, it felt like DC was trying to copy the formula of The Avengers, but not in a good way. DC's team-ups didn't feel earned in the same way as Marvel's. Marvel took its time, while DC rushed toward throwing its biggest heroes together — and it showed. DC didn't make the same mistakes with Aquaman and Shazam!, which feel unique from anything made by Marvel. Since Justice League, DC has showed a willingness to dabble in various genres, tones, and styles. What DC has on the horizon is a sign that the studio is doubling-down on this approach.

DC's Upcoming Movies Are More Exciting Than Marvel's

Eternals Ikaris Seris Makarri Zuras

Aquaman 2, Wonder Woman 1984, Birds of Prey, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, and The Batman are all pulling DC in different directions, and that's the best thing for the studio. After all, it's part of what's driving the popularity of the MCU. DC is infusing its projects with talented directors like James Gunn and Matt Reeves, whom are sure to bring their own creative style to their movies, with differing results. Also, the characters DC are using are exactly the ones fans have been requesting, such as the long-awaited Black Adam, another Batman, and more Harley Quinn.

This is a bit different than the situation with the MCU. Several of DC's films are generating more enthusiasm than Shang-Chi and Eternals. Of course, this doesn't mean that either of these film will fail or be any less successful than DC's movies. If Marvel has proved anything with Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy, it's that it knows how to make millions with C and D-list characters. Shang-Chi and Eternals could easily be huge box office hits. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige believes that a movie like Eternals is worth the risk. The idea here is that Marvel is putting quality over popularity. It remains to be seen if this will pay off. Regardless, as it stands, DC's upcoming movie slate is succeeded in creating the most buzz. How well that will translate to box office numbers is another matter.

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