DCU vs MCU 2025: Biggest Highs and Lows, Explained

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Even though some people are getting tired of superhero movies, the genre is still incredibly popular and leading the way in entertainment. While no film reached the milestone of earning a billion dollars, 2025 was still a successful year for superhero films overall. However, there were also some challenges, which makes the future of the genre – and what happens in 2026 and beyond – particularly interesting to watch.

In 2025, Marvel released the most superhero content, including three movies and six series on Disney+. This was a key year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as they aimed to regain fans after some recent films hadn’t performed well. Simultaneously, 2025 saw a resurgence in the competition between DC and Marvel, potentially setting the stage for a long-lasting rivalry.

Low: MCU Films Struggled at the Box Office

For over ten years, Marvel Studios has consistently set box office records, with Avengers: Endgame remaining their biggest success. While billion-dollar movies are now less common, Marvel achieved that milestone last year with Deadpool & Wolverine. However, 2025 saw a different result. The Fantastic Four: First Steps was Marvel’s top-performing film of the year, achieving a new record for the franchise, but it earned $520.5 million worldwide.

Captain America: Brave New World earned over $413.6 million, while Thunderbolts brought in $382.4 million, marking the lowest box office performance for a Marvel film. Several reasons contributed to these results, including audience preferences and when the movies were released. Although 2025 might not have delivered a blockbuster for Marvel Studios, the overall franchise still found success in other areas.

High: Marvel Studios Revitalized Daredevil on Disney+

Many fans consider Netflix’s Daredevil to be the best Marvel TV show ever made, so its cancellation after just three seasons was a major letdown. Fortunately, Marvel Studios realized the show’s potential and has been bringing Charlie Cox back as Daredevil into the main Marvel Cinematic Universe. He first appeared briefly in Spider-Man: No Way Home and then had a larger role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

The new Disney+ series, Daredevil: Born Again, is a continuation of the popular Netflix show, though its production faced some challenges. While the first season isn’t quite as good as the original Netflix seasons, it still maintains the dark and realistic tone fans loved, and promises a better season to come.

Low: Blade Remains in Development Hell

Marvel Studios’ announcements used to be a big source of excitement because the studio consistently delivered on what it promised. Lately, however, that hasn’t been happening, especially with the upcoming Blade movie. Mahershala Ali was announced as Blade back in 2019 at Comic-Con, with plans for a release before 2025.

The upcoming Blade reboot has faced numerous challenges, including changes in directors and script revisions. While Mahershala Ali is still set to star, the project’s future is uncertain. There’s a lot of excitement for a Blade reboot with Ali, and fans hope the film, currently scheduled for 2026, will ultimately be worth the long wait.

High: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Was a Pleasant Surprise

Over the years, there have been many different Spider-Man stories, particularly animated ones. So, when Marvel Studios announced Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, a lot of fans wondered if another series was really needed, especially since the Spider-Verse movies had been so popular.

The animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man delivered what many fans felt was missing from the main Marvel Cinematic Universe version of the story. It highlighted characters like the Osborns, included a cameo from Daredevil, and drew on classic Spider-Man storylines in a fresh way. Because the show offered a unique take on a familiar origin story, its planned return in 2026 is now generating incredible excitement.

Low: Peacemaker Season 2 Struggled To Stick the Landing

As a huge fan, I thought the first season of Peacemaker was seriously one of the best things to come out of the DCEU, especially because James Gunn was running things. And now, Season 2 is extra special – it’s the first live-action series in the new DCU! John Cena is fantastic as always, and that Lex Luthor cameo? Absolutely brilliant!

Season 2 of Peacemaker introduced key elements for the future of the DC Universe, including the organization Salvation and the new team, Checkmate, which debuted in the finale. However, the finale itself wasn’t as strong as the rest of the season’s episodes.

High: Thunderbolts* Was a Much-Needed Critical Success for the MCU

Honestly, going into 2025, I was most curious about Thunderbolts. A lot of the characters weren’t super well-known, so I wasn’t sure how it would do. Marvel had a stumble with the Eternals, but thankfully, Thunderbolts really stuck the landing! It ended up being, in my opinion, the best MCU movie of the year. Critics seemed to agree, giving it an 88% rating, and even more impressively, audiences loved it with a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes!

Thunderbolts felt like a refreshing step back to what made the Marvel Cinematic Universe great, featuring a charming cast, a story with heart, and hints of what’s to come. Marvel Studios clearly had confidence in the film, as its director, Jake Schreier, is now leading the reboot of the X-Men franchise. While it wasn’t a huge hit in theaters, Thunderbolts may have been more important by showing audiences that Marvel Studios can still deliver compelling and entertaining movies.

Low: Ironheart Was Another Forgettable MCU Series

The Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to be suffering from quantity over quality, especially with the increase in shows on Disney+. These new series don’t seem to be adding much to the franchise and feel generally uninspired.

Okay, so Ironheart did finally bring Mephisto into the MCU, and it was neat seeing a tie-in to the original Iron Man movie, but honestly, I didn’t really connect with Riri Williams as a hero. The thing is, Marvel already finished making Ironheart a while ago, which is good news! It sounds like they’ve realized some things weren’t working and are making changes, so I’m hoping the future of Disney+ Marvel shows will be better with stuff like VisionQuest and Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again.

High: Marvel Studios Finally Delivered a Quality Fantastic Four Film

The Fantastic Four movies made by 20th Century Fox never quite captured the spirit of the original comic books, leading fans to hope Marvel Studios would one day regain the rights. In 2025, Marvel Studios finally got the chance to make their own version, and it lived up to expectations.

The recent release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps was a positive step for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These characters are expected to be very important in future films, including a planned appearance in Avengers: Doomsday.

Low: Captain America: Brave New World Was a Major Step Down for the Respected Franchise

The original Captain America movies from Marvel Studios are considered among the best superhero films ever made. In 2025, the story continued with Sam Wilson taking on the mantle of Captain America.

Captain America: Brave New World didn’t quite deliver on its potential, especially regarding the return of The Leader. It also fell short of capturing the magic of The Winter Soldier and didn’t give Sam Wilson the strong solo movie he earned. The film received poor reviews and didn’t perform well at the box office, which hurt the reputation of a previously successful part of the MCU. Fortunately, Sam Wilson will continue as Captain America, and with the Russo Brothers directing in future Avengers movies, there’s hope the character can be revitalized by 2026.

High: James Gunn and DC Studios Won Over Audiences With Superman

2025 saw several important releases from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but James Gunn’s Superman film really stood out. It wasn’t just another superhero movie; it was intended to kick off an entirely new universe for DC. The film needed to be both popular with audiences and a box office hit, and it succeeded. In fact, 2025 was the first year since 2008 that a DC film earned more at the box office than any Marvel film.

While not the best or most profitable superhero film of all time, Superman stands out as the biggest win of 2025, especially considering the huge expectations surrounding it. Many see 2025 as the year DC started to surpass Marvel in superhero entertainment, though the DC franchise still has a lot to demonstrate. Nevertheless, Superman‘s success is a major achievement for DC Studios, and its positive impact could not only breathe new life into the DC shared universe, but also inspire a revitalization of the MCU, given Superman’s iconic status.

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2026-01-01 00:14