The Marvel vs DC cinematic war has been hotly contested.It’s clear that the critics absolutely love Marvel and think that DC is not worthy of licking the mud off their boots.Which has begun to irritate me to no end, to the point that I’m almost afraid to enter into discussions with friends and peers about this very subject!

Both comic giants have been around since the second world war, with Action Comics #1 being published in the fall of 1939, and Captain America #1 being published in the spring of 1941.And ever since, fans have argued over which universe is better.By the time both companies hit their strides in the 80’s and 90’s, debate still raged over whether or not Batman could take Iron Man in a fight, or if the Hulk stood a chance against Superman, but for the most part fans had come to the agreement that both universes held their merits, and the war between fans more or less stopped.However, when Marvel made the first move in creating a cinematic universe, the rumblings of war began stirring up once more.

In May 2008, Iron Man was released in theaters, two months prior to the release of DC’s The Dark Knight.Both films were received with critical acclaim, and fans quickly grew anxious for what came next.Unfortunately, the next move came from Marvel before it could come from DC.

The death of Heath Ledger during post-production of The Dark Knight caused an unfortunate delay in the release of the third film of the critically acclaimed Christopher Nolan trilogy of Batman movies until 2012.Marvel, on the other hand, was spitting out movies at least once a year from 2008.While The Incredible Hulk did find itself left in the dust (possibly due to the sour taste left in most people’s mouths from the first Hulk movie released back in 2003), Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger all managed to keep the love of critics and audiences alike, each movie continuing to build hype for the next one until it culminated in the first Avengers film in 2012.Released just a few months before The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers broke a number of box office records, and for good reason.Even I can’t deny that it was an absolutely fantastic movie!

With The Avengers came the firm cementing of what we now know as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and with Disney now in control of Marvel, it looked like it was all uphill from there.DC, on the other hand, was plagued by a number of issues that prevented the start of their own cinematic universe.

In 2011, DC released Green Lantern, which was panned by both critics and audiences, but did give an inkling that Warner Bros were working on the DC cinematic universe.They even included an easter egg after the credits hinting at a sequel in the same fashion as Marvel.However, due to the seemingly universal dislike of the film, no sequel was ever filmed.On top of that, after his trilogy was wrapped up, Cristopher Nolan stepped down from the director’s chair at DC and Warner Bros, despite the fans begging for more.

Luckily, fans got what they asked for in Man of Steel in 2013, helmed by Zach Snyder.Unfortunately, by that time, the damage had already been done.The Marvel movies had made waves as being fun for the whole family, as opposed to the Nolan trilogy of Batman films, which had been acclaimed for their dark and gritty nature.Man of Steel’s slightly darker nature in comparison to the Marvel movies caused critics and moviegoers alike to complain fiercely.“It’s too dark and brooding!” they cried out.“Superman is supposed to be about hope and freedom, not snapping people’s necks!”In doing so, everyone completely missed what was right in front of them.

Man of Steel did take a slightly more realistic tone compared to the original Superman movies, though it followed the source material within the comics that were running at the time, the “New 52.”While many were able to step back and give the film the more objective viewing that it deserved, the damage was irreparable.The market had already been flooded with Marvel’s merchandise and its films.Compounded with the fact that it took another three years for the next DC movie to arrive, while Marvel never stopped, just meant that DC was left floundering.

Despite this, they’ve not stopped in their efforts to make movies, with Wonder Woman and Justice League released late last year, and Aquaman slated for release later this year, the DCEU is well on its way to be a lot firmer than it was.

This doesn’t change the issue that people can’t seem to stand to talk about Marvel’s failings.To say that Marvel movies have flaws is basically the same as saying stricter gun control laws won’t stop gun violence!It’s controversial, I know, but can you really prove me wrong?

And I don’t say any of this to say that the MCU is bad or unwatchable.Just the opposite, I’m really digging the direction that the films have been taking over the years.Spider-Man: Homecoming was fantastic, Black Panther was incredibly well done, though I’ll admit I wasn’t too fond of some bits.I’m just tired of people who don’t recognize the flaws within the Marvel movies for what they are; flaws.The way the critics have been acting, though, I could walk into Heaven and ask God himself to write the script for Man of Steel 2 and have James Cameron direct it, and Rotten Tomatoes would still give it a 33%.

Also, and I’m only going to say this once, quit giving DC fans grief over the “Martha” scene from Batman v Superman when the entire ending of Captain America: Civil War was Iron Man getting mad at Bucky because he killed his mommy!