I see the whole Marvel/DC debate as akin to the Star Wars/Star Trek one. Marvel films, like Star Wars, is more popcorn-fare, while DC (beginning at least with The Dark Knight Trilogy) tries to be more serious and more grounded in social issues. One can argue that DC has been less successful in meeting their goals, based upon the phenomenal box-office takes Marvel has attained, but in fact the DC movies are unfairly characterized as "bombs" in this genre. Batman Vs. Superman has surpassed all the Iron Man flicks in domestic take, yet NOBODY calls those films bombs. Only Green Lantern could be called one, though even it wasn't a John Carter turkey. And it was the one DC film that tried the lighter Marvel approach, without finding the same sweet spot. This also begs the question: Is the Marvel phenomenon totally a result of their genius, or can it also be attributed to the low-brow tastes of the patrons? In short, has popcorn and explosions replaced the old Caesarean formula of bread and circuses to keep the proletariat enslaved?
You can dispute this, of course. You can also assert that Will Ferrell is a greater genius than Orson Welles, because Anchorman sold more tickets than did Citizen Kane.
