Ever since its inception, the DC Extended Universe has played second fiddle to the much more successful Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, from Wonder Woman to Aquaman, a couple of the DCEU’s solo movies have left Marvel in their dust. And the MCU might not be able to maintain its popularity post-Endgame, since Marvel fans have already had a ton of closure and might want to move on to other stories.
So, here are five upcoming DCEU movies that could place the franchise ahead of the MCU, as well as five upcoming MCU movies that will surely keep Marvel on top.
Could Beat Marvel: Wonder Woman 1984
The first Wonder Woman movie grossed more than $800 million at the worldwide box office and catapulted an already-famous Gal Gadot to new heights of superstardom. There’s no doubt that the upcoming sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, will be a similar smash hit.
With Patty Jenkins returning to the director’s chair for the sequel, the Wonder Woman standalone series will have a guiding directorial light akin to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies.
Will Keep Marvel On Top: Black Widow
If the movie release schedule hadn’t been indefinitely pushed back by a global pandemic, we’d have already seen this movie. It’s about time Marvel made a Black Widow solo vehicle. Fans have been clamoring for one for a decade now.
Natasha Romanoff has always been a fan-favorite Avenger, and Scarlett Johansson’s portrayal of her has been massively popular. Kicking off the MCU’s post-Endgame slate with a Black Widow movie will likely prove to be a smart move.
Could Beat Marvel: Aquaman 2
James Wan’s Aquaman took the moviegoing world by storm in late 2018 when its unprecedented $1 billion global box office haul made it the highest-grossing DC Comics adaptation of all time, topping Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises.
With Wan’s infinitely fun world-building and Jason Momoa’s irresistibly charming performance in the title role, Aquaman became bigger than anyone expected it to be, and its upcoming sequel could be even bigger.
Will Keep Marvel On Top: Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
Benedict Cumberbatch’s first solo outing in the role of Stephen Strange didn’t exactly set the world on fire, but its sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, could be a bigger box office hit.
For starters, the plot will be exploring parallel realities, which is a fascinating concept. Plus, the great Sam Raimi has taken over directing duties and Scarlet Witch will have a co-starring role, which are both tantalizing details fans won’t ignore.
Could Beat Marvel: The Suicide Squad
When some unfortunately phrased old tweets resurfaced and James Gunn was briefly fired from the third Guardians of the Galaxy film, DC Films snapped him up and tasked him with writing and directing a soft reboot of Suicide Squad that also acts as a semi-sequel, titled The Suicide Squad.
If Gunn brings the same unique wit, charm, and heart to The Suicide Squad that he’s brought to the Guardians movies, then it could easily give Marvel a run for its money.
Will Keep Marvel On Top: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
After being fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, James Gunn was eventually rehired and he’ll be helming the project once he finishes making The Suicide Squad. He’ll work from a script he wrote before the firing/rehiring drama, which he claims will wrap up Rocket’s MCU arc.
The Guardians movies have been wildly popular, and the big finale that promises to conclude the Guardians saga could be the most popular of the bunch.
Could Beat Marvel: Black Adam
The original plan was to introduce Billy Batson’s arch nemesis Black Adam in the first Shazam! movie, but the producers decided to save him for his own venture. Dwayne Johnson has been cast in the role, and he’s one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
Every movie starring Johnson is a huge hit. Pairing him with a beloved if obscure comic book property like Black Adam is a surefire way to blaze a trail through the box office.
Will Keep Marvel On Top: Thor: Love And Thunder
The first two Thor solo movies didn’t impress fans too much with their pseudo-Shakespearean ramblings and super-serious tone, but Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok turned a lot of heads.
Making the God of Thunder a zany comedic character and adopting a curious tone that blends Flash Gordon with Big Trouble in Little China turned out to be a smart creative move that saved the franchise. Waititi has been rehired to helm the next Thor movie, Thor: Love and Thunder, which will undoubtedly please Ragnarok’s many fans.
Could Beat Marvel: The Batman
Although production has been put on hold, there’s a new Batman reboot on the way, with Robert Pattinson playing Bruce Wayne and Cloverfield’s Matt Reeves directing.
Reeves has said that his movie, titled The Batman, will be heavily influenced by film noir, suggesting that he’ll finally bring the Caped Crusader’s detective skills to the big screen.
Will Keep Marvel On Top: Spider-Man 3
Last year, Spider-Man: Far From Home became the highest grossing Spider-Man movie ever made, and the first to top $1 billion at the worldwide box office. It may have been because it was riding the coattails of Avengers: Endgame, but there’s no denying Spidey’s popularity.
On the heels of Far From Home’s bombshell cliffhanger ending, the MCU’s third Spider-Man solo movie will certainly be a huge box office draw.
