Even with Doctor Doom, Marvel Studios Lost to its Biggest Rival At Comic-Con

Heading into this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, all eyes were on Marvel Studios, with the very recent release of Deadpool & Wolverine and its big Hall-H panel on Saturday. Much discussion has also been regarding the state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which has suffered in quality but appears to have some momentum going in the right direction after X-Men ’97 and Deadpool & Wolverine’s successes.

On the other hand, DC is back on step one with a new universe set to launch later this year under James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios. As always, DC was present at San Diego Comic-Con, but there were no major projects with a panel outside of The Penguin, Batman: Caped Crusader, and Superman & Lois. However, a report in the days leading up to the convention teased DC Studios would still have some announcements to drop over the weekend. After San Diego Comic-Con, there’s always a debate on who comes out on top, with studios using it as a key part of its promotional strategy. DC might not have had a big film panel at the convention this year, but it still managed to come out as the winner.

Milton Glaser designed the classic “DC bullet” logo that served as the publisher’s logo longer than any other. DC Studios’ intro also debuted at San Diego Comic-Con and features DC’s first logo with Superman before turning into the current one.

The DC brand has suffered greatly over the years due to the poor overall performance of theDC Extended Universe(DCEU). The franchise’s recent projects bearing the DC logo failed at the box office, and it was time to make audiences forget about what had come before. On the Friday of San Diego Comic-Con, DC surprised fans with a new logo that reverts back to the classic bullet design. Many fans have attached themselves to that specific DC bullet as the logo because it was in place from 1976 to 2005.

Marvel Studios did something similar years ago with its own logo to set itself apart from other Marvel projects other studios were producing. Branding for major franchises has never been more important and DC has lost a lot of goodwill from audiences with the previous logo. DC’s new logo sends a message to audiences that a new era is coming and gives hope for the future of the superhero genre. It’s a small but meaningful change as DC Studios looks to get the DCU off the ground and off to a strong start.

DC Studios Dropped the First Look at the DCU

Creature Commandos will be released on Max in December and features a voice cast that includes Steve Agee, Maria Bakalova, Anya Chalotra, Zoë Chao, Frank Grillo, Sean Gunn, David Harbour, Alan Tudyk, Indira Varma and Viola Davis. The upcoming animated series continues Gunn’s focus on obscure DC characters with Rick Flag Sr., Nina Mazursky, Doctor Phosphorus, Eric Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, G.I. Robot and Weasel set to appear. Superman might not have had a panel, but the upcoming film still had a presence, with DC selling the first merchandise on the show floor.

DC Studios’ first two projects will be Creature Commandos and Superman. The former will be an animated series that will debut on Max in December. Meanwhile, Superman is undoubtedly the bigger project that will hit theaters next year. In the past, many films have shown up at Hall-H with a panel over a year out and showed a first look to attendees. DC Studios ultimately decided against an appearance from Superman, still while filming.

However, DC Studios still had more to drop with the first trailer for Creature Commandos. The trailer reveals the off-kilter and adult tone Gunn is going for with Creature Commandos and the unique animation style. The Creature Commandos footage also shows how connected the DCU will be, with actors likeFrank Grillo, Viola Davis and others jumping from animation to live-action. Creature Commandos may not be the biggest DC Studios project in the pipeline, but it’s still monumental, and everyone got a first taste of it over the Comic-Con weekend.

Marvel Studios’ Hall-H Panel Disappointed

Marvel Studios unveiled the new title of Avengers 5, which will carry the Doomsday subtitle. Robert Downey Jr. was previously rumored to play Doctor Doom, which also diminished the surprise in Hall-H. During the panel, Marvel Studios hosted a live performance of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” from Deadpool & Wolverine and debuted the first look at the Fantasticar, while flying around Hall-H.

San Diego Comic-Con and Hall-H have become major events for Marvel Studios, with massive announcements, first looks at upcoming projects, and plenty of showmanship. Ultimately, this year, Marvel Studios’ panel was a disappointment compared to past showcases. The panel mainly focused on three films (Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps). The footage was shown exclusively to those inside Hall-H, with cast members also present. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a highly anticipated project, and it was a huge surprise to have footage since filming hadn’t begun yet. While the footage offered a wonderful look at the show’s ’60s tone, it’s unclear if any of that will make it into the finished film.

Marvel Studios tends to have several announcements, but this year, it stuck to a small handful with confirmations of theRusso Brothers directing the next Avengers films along with the Doomsday title for Avengers 5. However, the main announcement was Robert Downey Jr.’sreturn, but as Doctor Doom. The news has certainly gotten plenty of attention but with mixed results. The move smells of desperation and has already confused diehard fans and general audiences. It’s a head-scratching decision that doesn’t reflect Marvel Studios’ course correction positively.

Marvel Studios had a special opportunity to deliver one of its most satisfying San Diego Comic-Con panels at a time when it needed the positive buzz more than ever. With the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, Marvel Studios knew it could get many fans back on board with announcements that would spark a level of excitement that has been missing in recent years.

Instead, the Doctor Doom casting doesn’t encourage much confidence that Marvel Studios is back on track. DC Studios might not have had a large, flashy panel, but it took small yet positive steps in the right direction. After this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, the MCU feels as rocky as ever, with a controversial casting trying to recapture the past. Meanwhile, DC is doing the opposite, moving forward with a logo to launch a new era that honors comic book history and footage from the DCU’s first piece of storytelling, which looks like a refreshing piece of storytelling within the superhero genre.