MCU vs. DCU: Why 2026 Is About More Than Just Winning

There’s nothing like long-standing, completely unnecessary rivalries that can never really be settled. Star Wars vs. Star Trek. Pokémon vs. Digimon. Sega vs. Nintendo. Okay, bad example — that one was settled. Xbox vs. PlayStation then. And of course, the undisputed classic among comic and comic-adaptation fans — the one we’re talking about today: Marvel vs. DC.

If we look at nearly two decades of cinematic adaptations, the winner of this duel is pretty clear. Marvel’s MCU was like the famous unstoppable force from physics — except there was no immovable object for it to crash into. Certainly not DC, whose successes were mostly isolated outliers (Joker being the obvious one).

But 2026 could be the year DC turns the ship around. In the long run, it might even become the defining year for the next two decades of superhero movies. The new 2008, so to speak! But let’s end this artificially dramatic intro and take a closer look at DC’s chances — and Marvel’s as well. Have fun!

A Look Back: Why 2008 Still Matters

Let’s briefly return to that previously mentioned year: 2008. Or, as I like to call it, the crossroads of modern comic book adaptations. DC brought what many still consider the greatest superhero film of all time to theaters, with Warner’s biggest star director at the time: Christopher Nolan. The Dark Knight didn’t impress with wild superpowers or insane CGI, but with its grounded approach. Marvel, on the other hand, went all in on a single card — or rather, on a massively talented actor many had written off years earlier due to his struggles with addiction: Robert Downey Jr.

We all know how that turned out. Nolan, Warner, and DC made serious money one more time with The Dark Knight Rises, and that was basically it. Marvel, meanwhile, transformed the entire film landscape with its Cinematic Universe, was quickly bought by Disney, and went on to release one blockbuster after another. Including no fewer than eleven films that grossed over a billion dollars.

“Which Ones Were Those Again?"

Glad you asked! The Avengers. Iron Man 3. Avengers: Age of Ultron. Captain America: Civil War. Black Panther. Avengers: Infinity War. Captain Marvel. Avengers: Endgame. Spider-Man: Far From Home. Spider-Man: No Way Home. And Deadpool vs. Wolverine. If you’re noticing a certain IP popping up again and again — one that starts with an “A” — that’s no coincidence. This will be important in a moment.

Rise and Fall, or: The Current State of Things

Marvel’s success was unlike anything we’d ever seen. It’s no surprise DC wanted a piece of that pie and rushed to build its own cinematic universe — without much of a plan. Sure, there were a few hits – but no cohesive vision.

That changed when DC, following a rushed decision sparked by ancient tweets, suddenly had the opportunity to bring in one of the key architects of Marvel’s success: James Gunn. Alongside Peter Safran, the Guardians of the Galaxy director took charge of the new DC Universe, aiming to finally create a true MCU competitor through interconnected films and series.

And the plan might actually work — because Marvel’s dominance has been fading for years. The long road to Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame offered an incredible amount of payoff. It was almost a miracle that the Russo brothers even managed to deliver a satisfying, well-rounded conclusion to the Infinity Saga. So satisfying, in fact, that for many fans it felt like the natural endpoint.

But you don’t just end a franchise that successful. And that’s where the problems began. New heroes failed to capture the same attention as the old guard, the sheer volume of projects made keeping up feel like homework, and then the pandemic hit — which didn’t help either.

2023 was Marvel’s worst year ever. Only Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 — James Gunn’s final Marvel film — met expectations. And that same Gunn managed to spark renewed interest in superhero movies at DC with Superman just last year.

Sure, Superman “only” made a little over $600 million, a figure that would’ve earned Marvel a shrug a few years ago. But it still outperformed every Marvel project released that same year: The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Thunderbolts*, and Captain America: Brave New World.

How DC Plans to Win

Gunn is working at full speed to keep the momentum going. The Supergirl trailer, at least for me, was genuinely exciting — and felt… pleasant. A bit like old-school Marvel. And Wonder Woman (just like Captain Marvel) has already proven that films led by female protagonists can easily exceed expectations.

The upcoming Clayface movie, meanwhile, blends the superhero genre with horror, hopefully setting it apart from the rest. Both projects naturally feed into the next big event: Superman 2, aka Man of Tomorrow, which has already confirmed one of DC’s greatest villains of all time — Brainiac.

Will this approach actually lead DC to victory? I honestly don’t know. But I like that it’s not a thousand projects at once (again: homework), and that — at least for now — I don’t have to watch Peacemaker to understand what’s going on. As things stand, I’m also open to getting invested in new, lesser-known characters.

Ironically, DC benefits here from its past failures: these characters come without baggage or massive expectations. Sure, Supergirl and Clayface aren’t Batman or Superman. But they’re interesting — and the next Batman movie is only a matter of time.

How Marvel Fights Back

So what about Marvel? Well… it feels like Avengers: Doomsday is clinging to the past rather than setting up the future. The pitch: Robert Downey Jr. is back! Chris Hemsworth too! Even Chris Evans returns as Captain America! Add the original X-Men, Loki, and the Russos — and yes, I’ll admit it: that sounds awesome. I want to see it. It’ll make a ton of money.

But will it be enough to save the MCU? The more I think about it, the less sure I am.

As mentioned, Endgame was an incredible conclusion for so many characters. That doesn’t mean you can’t tell great new stories — but so far, I just don’t see it. Thor 4, for example, mostly taught me that I’d had enough of Thor. Do I really want more of the old Steve Rogers, or will that just undermine his ending? Hard to say.

Robert Downey Jr., on the other hand, is fascinating precisely because he’s not returning as Tony Stark. But how long will he realistically stick around as a villain? Doctor Doom is going to be defeated eventually, right?

Once the initial hype around Doomsday faded, Marvel’s strategy started to feel almost desperate to me — especially since Doomsday is really just a stepping stone toward Avengers: Secret Wars. But what happens in between? And afterward? Do the X-Men get their own films? New solo adventures for Thor and Captain America? I doubt it.

More likely, it’ll be a very expensive reunion party — tons of fun, but one that leaves you with a lot to clean up afterward.

Will 2026 Be the New 2008?

In the end, it may not even matter who “wins” the superhero year 2026 — Marvel or DC. My gut feeling says the DCU is on the rise, but probably won’t reach the heights of Marvel’s biggest blockbusters. Marvel, meanwhile, is digging deep into its pockets and swinging the nostalgia hammer hard — which did work with Deadpool vs. Wolverine.

But the real question is the long game. Marvel will almost inevitably need a major reboot, possibly after Secret Wars. Whether that reboot can succeed — given how previous attempts to establish new heroes have struggled — is far from guaranteed.

DC, on the other hand, genuinely feels like early Marvel. A lot seems possible, especially since heavy hitters like Batman and Wonder Woman are still waiting in the wings. But…

…will anyone ever be able to recreate the kind of excitement sparked by the Infinity Saga? Or was that a once-in-a-generation moment in film history? 2026 won’t answer that question. But it might be the year the course is set for what comes next. Just like in 2008. And I’m very curious to see where Marvel and DC will be ten years from now.

TL;DR

2026 won’t decide who wins the superhero war. But it will show who actually has a plan. Marvel is betting on nostalgia — on familiar faces and one more massive event to remind us why we fell in love with the MCU in the first place. DC, meanwhile, is betting on patience. On building something that doesn’t peak before it even knows what it is. One of these strategies looks backward. The other one, at least right now, looks forward. And that might make all the difference.