The Cultural Impact of Marvel and DC’s Movie Franchises

The concept of movie franchises has exploded in the last few years, with two of the biggest names being Marvel and DC. Based on their respective comic book universes, these franchises have proven to be wildly popular and have had a massive impact on the movie industry.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a series of feature films set in the Marvel Comics Universe. The franchise has, since 2008, released 30 feature films and grossed more than $27.6 billion where $15.7 billion is from the top ten alone.19. The MCU has become a cultural phenomenon, with its characters and stories being referenced in popular culture, comics, and other media. MCU has been successful due to its faithfulness to original source material and accessibility to a wider audience. Its interconnected nature allows for the introduction of more obscure characters and stories, while its timeline allows for complex storylines.

Getty Images / Getty Images Entertainment / Jesse Grant


The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is a series of feature films set in the DC Comics Universe. Despite struggling to catch up with MCU initially, the franchise has released 12 feature films and grossed more than $6.2 billion. DCEU has also become a cultural phenomenon, with its characters and stories being referenced in popular culture, comics, and other media. The success of the DCEU is largely due to its focus on the characters and themes of the comics, which are often darker, more complex, and more mature than those of their MCU counterparts.

The success of the Marvel and DC franchises has had a profound impact on the movie industry. Not only have they proven to be some of the highest-grossing films of all time, but they have also helped to establish the superhero genre as one of the most popular film genres. The success of these franchises has also had a major impact on popular culture. Their characters and stories have become an integral part of the public consciousness, with their popularity transcending the comics and movies and becoming a part of everyday life.