Every Time Marvel & DC Movies Opened In The Same Month (& Who Won)

Superhero movies from Marvel and DC have been released in the same month seven times previously, and July 2025 will mark the eighth. Marvel and DC have often been considered to be in competition, and this has never been more evident as it is when movies from both studios are released within weeks of each other. Even outside the MCU and the newly-rebooted DC Universe, Marvel and DC have often competed directly for the top rankings, and the highest-grossing movies of those months have varied massively.

The first time Marvel and DC released movies in the same month was back in 2011, and since then, six more pairs have been released very close to each other. 2025 will mark the eighth time this has occurred, as the DCU’s Superman reboot and the MCU’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps reboot will both be released in July. While the studios wait to see which franchise will come out on top in 2025, it’s worth looking back at whether Marvel or DC has been more successful when directly competing in the past.

You are watching: Every Time Marvel & DC Movies Opened In The Same Month (& Who Won)

8

X-Men: First Class & Green Lantern

X-Men: First Class Won In June 2011

Close

Released on June 3 and June 17, 2011, respectively, X-Men: First Class and Green Lantern were both set outside the mainstream superhero franchises of the MCU and the then-yet-to-begin DCEU. First Class was the fifth movie in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise, and was the first prequel movie in what would become the franchise’s revised timelines. First Class’ connection to the wider X-Men franchise, more-star-filled cast and better overall quality surely contributed to the movie’s higher success when compared to Green Lantern.

Ryan Reynolds had previously appeared as Wade Wilson in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine before starring in Green Lantern, he later reinvented the character of Deadpool in a far-more-successful eponymous 2016 movie.

On a budget of between $140 and 160 million, X-Men: First Class earned $353 million at the global box office, while Green Lantern only brought in $237.2 million on a budget of $200 million. Warner Bros. originally planned for the Ryan Reynolds-led Green Lantern to kick off DC’s live-action superhero franchise, but these plans were scrapped after the movie underperformed. It has since been regarded as one of the worst superhero movies ever, while X-Men: First Class is considered to be one of Fox’s best.

7

The Dark Knight Rises & The Amazing Spider-Man

The Dark Knight Rises Won In July 2012

Close

A year after X-Men: First Class beat Green Lantern, it was DC who took the top spot when 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises and Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man went head-to-head. The Dark Knight Rises, released on July 20, marked the end of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, as Christian Bale’s Batman went up against Tom Hardy’s Bane. The Dark Knight Rises racked up a whopping $1.115 billion at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing Batman movie to date and the seventh-highest-grossing movie ever at its time of release.

Related

10 Things Only Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy Did With Batman

Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy did many things with Batman in its three-film arc that no other adaptation has been able to achieve.

Posts

1

Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man, which hit theaters on July 3, 2012, put up a strong fight, totaling $758.7 million at the global box office. However, Andrew Garfield’s debut as Spider-Man simply couldn’t live up to the popularity and anticipation for Nolan’s third installment in his Dark Knight Trilogy. In the years since, there have even been calls for Nolan to return to the Batman franchise, though this seems very unlikely, since Nolan always planned to only make a trilogy. Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man has achieved his own success, and has also been the subject of return speculation.

6

Thor: Ragnarok & Justice League

Thor: Ragnarok Won In November 2017

Close

November 2017 marked the first time the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Extended Universe had gone head-to-head, as Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League were released on November 3 and 17, respectively. One would have thought that Justice League, which brought together Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash and Cyborg for the first time on-screen, would have performed better. However, it was Taika Waititi’s directorial debut in the MCU that won the top spot, with Ragnarok grossing $855 million at the box office, making it the most successful Thor movie to date.

MCU Thor Movie	Year	Director	Box Office
Thor	2011	Kenneth Branagh	$449.3 million
Thor: The Dark World	2013	Alan Taylor	$644.8 million
Thor: Ragnarok	2017	Taika Waititi	$855 million
Thor: Love and Thunder	2022	Taika Waititi	$760.9 million

In comparison, with its $300 million budget against Ragnarok’s $180 million, Justice League only totaled $661.3 million at the box office. Behind the scenes shake-ups during the production of Justice League could be to blamed, including Zack Snyder’s sudden departure, Joss Whedon’s transformative reshoots and abusive behavior allegations made by Cyborg actor Ray Fisher against Whedon and DC Films executive Walter Hamada. Justice League was a major disappointment for Warner Bros., while Thor: Ragnarok completely revitalized Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder, so it was an easy win.

5

Aquaman & Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (& Once Upon A Deadpool)

Aquaman Won In December 2018

Close

The DCEU’s only win came in December 2018, at what some would argue was the height of superhero movie popularity, with projects such as Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther and Deadpool 2 storming the box office. However, when going up against Sony’s animated spectacular, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, James Wan’s Aquaman ruled the roost. While Aquaman was polarizing, it racked up $1.152 billion at the box office, blowing Into the Spider-Verse’s $394 million out of the water, though the latter was made on a much smaller budget.

Once Upon a Deadpool is an edited PG-13 version of 2018’s Deadpool 2 that was re-released in December 2018, but only grossed $51.3 million worldwide on top of Deadpool 2’s $785 million box office total.

Aquaman benefited from being released in the 2018 to 2019 window of superhero success, and was marketed extremely well, which surely contributed to the movie’s huge success. Jason Momoa’s sophomore solo DCEU movie as Arthur Curry, 2023’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, didn’t even see half its predecessor’s success. Sony’s Spider-Verse franchise, however, has gone from strength to strength, with a sequel crossing the $690 million mark, and becoming Sony Animation’s highest-grossing movie, and a third movie being highly anticipated.

4

Avengers: Endgame & Shazam!

Avengers: Endgame Won In April 2019

Close

While April 2019’s Shazam! was a success story for the DCEU, it paled in comparison to the behemoth that is the MCU’s Avengers: Endgame. Released on April 26, 2019, Avengers: Endgame marked the culmination of over a decade of storytelling in the MCU, with almost every actor reprising their superhero role for the last stand against the Mad Titan, Thanos. It’s no wonder Endgame totaled $2.799 billion at the box office, not only becoming the MCU’s highest-grossing movie, but becoming the highest-grossing movie ever prior to Avatar’s​​​​​​​ 2021 re-release.​​​​​​​

Related

Avengers Endgame Killed The MCU – How Marvel’s $2.8B Finale Broke Kevin Feige’s Machine

Avengers: Endgame was a fantastic conclusion to the Infinity Saga; however, the movie ended up completely changing the MCU for the worse.

Posts

Granted, Shazam! was made on a far smaller budget than Avengers: Endgame, but its $367.8 million box office total seems insignificant when compared to the MCU’s penultimate Infinity Saga movie. Even so, Shazam! received a positive reception and was considered a success for Warner Bros., but this prompted a lackluster sequel to enter development. Conversely, Avengers: Endgame is still widely considered the peak of the MCU, though the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars​​​​​​​ have the potential to match and even beat their predecessor’s success.

3

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse & The Flash

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Won In June 2023

Close

See more : Upcoming Video Games In August 2023: Scheduled Releases of 2023

While Aquaman might have bested Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in December 2018, the latter’s sequel won the top spot when going up against The Flash in June 2023. After the success of the original 2018 movie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was highly anticipated, which helped to bolster its box office total to a strong $690.8 million, making it Sony’s highest-grossing animated movie. The Flash, on the other hand, became one of the biggest box office bombs in history, totaling only $271.4 million on a budget between $200 and $220 million.

Due to high production and marketing costs, The Flash was reported to have lost Warner Bros. over $200 million, which is one of the biggest losses in cinema history.

The Flash’s monumental flop was attributed to legal troubles surrounding lead actor Ezra Miller, the fact that new DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn had already revealed plans to reboot DC’s live-action franchise, and the disappointing DCEU releases in the months prior. The five-year gap between Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse had the opposite effect, however, as audiences couldn’t wait to see Miles Morales back in action. Sony’s Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will end the trilogy, but surely won’t be the end for Miles Morales’ Spider-Man.

2

Venom: The Last Dance & Joker: Folie À Deux

Venom: The Last Dance Won In October 2024

Close

In recent years, there has been a noticeable shift in audience attitudes toward superhero movies, and this could have contributed to neither Venom: The Last Dance nor Joker: Folie à Deux performing massively well at the box office. The Last Dance marked a small success for Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, totaling $479 million on a budget of $120 million, but this did nothing to stop the ultimate demise of the SSU following Kraven the Hunter‘s disappointing release last December. The Last Dance still won the day in October 2024, however, as Joker: Folie à Deux’s​​​​​​​ performance was even more dire.

Venom SSU Movie	Year	Director	Box Office
Venom	2018	Ruben Fleischer	$856.1 million
Venom: Let There Be Carnage	2021	Andy Serkis	$506.8 million
Venom: The Last Dance	2024	Kelly Marcel	$479 million

On a budget of $200 million, considerably more than its billion dollar predecessor from 2019, Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux only earned $207.5 million worldwide. The response to Folie à Deux was mixed, with its indie style and subversive storyline polarizing fans of the titular DC Comics supervillain. Venom: The Last Dance bid a fond farewell to Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock and the Venom Symbiote, at least, so wasn’t such a sorry end for the character’s arc. Even so, it seems neither Venom: The Last Dance nor Joker: Folie à Deux will be getting direct sequels.

1

Superman & The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Superman Releases July 11 & The Fantastic Four: First Steps Releases July 25

Close

July 2025 will mark the next occurrence of Marvel and DC movies releasing in the same month, as July 11’s Superman and July 25’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be going up against one another. James Gunn’s Superman will release as the first feature film in the newly-rebooted DC Universe, with a new vibrancy and injection of hope in David Corenswet’s new Man of Steel. Similarly, Matt Shakman’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps is moving on from Fox’s past mistakes with Marvel’s First Family, so these two reboots could benefit from releasing near each other.

Superman will introduce David Corenswet’s Clark Kent already on Earth, working at the Daily Planet and operating as the superhero Superman. James Gunn has designed a new DC Universe already full of iconic superheroes, including the likes of Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, Batman and Wonder Woman, some of whom were glimpsed in the animated Creature Commandos series. Superman’s release will set the tone for the DCU going forward, so a lot rides on the reboot being a success, but the movie’s first trailer spells good news for the Kryptonian hero’s reinvention.

The Fantastic Four has also seen a new burst of anticipation following the release of the first teaser trailer. 20th Century Fox made several blunders and alterations when trying to bring the Fantastic Four into live-action in 2005, 2007 and 2015, but Matt Shakman and Marvel Studios appear to have solved these problems, adapting a more comic-accurate Fantastic Four while fitting perfectly in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. It remains to be seen whether Marvel or DC will come out on top in July, but the side-by-side releases of Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are very exciting nonetheless.

ma

Marvel Cinematic Universe

$29 $35 Save
$6

Created by

Kevin Feige

First Film

Iron Man

Upcoming Films

Deadpool & Wolverine, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, Blade (2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Doomsday (2026), Avengers: Secret Wars

First TV Show

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

See more : Is John Mayer Married? Who is John Mayer? Know John Mayer’s Marital Status, Age, Height, Networth

Upcoming TV Shows

Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Ironheart, Daredevil: Born Again, Wakanda, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Marvel Zombies, Wonder Man, Vision Quest

Cast

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Edward Norton, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Brie Larson, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Clark Gregg, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Simu Liu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Barry Keoghan, Gemma Chan, Ma Dong-seok, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, Jonathan Majors

Expand

$29 at Amazon

See at Target

See at Walmart

DCU

Created by

James Gunn

First Film

Man of Steel

Upcoming Films

Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash Movie2, Superman, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, The Authority, Swamp Thing

First TV Show

Adventures of Superman

See more : Is John Mayer Married? Who is John Mayer? Know John Mayer’s Marital Status, Age, Height, Networth

Upcoming TV Shows

Gotham Knights, Waller (DCU), Creature Commandos, Lanterns (DCU), Booster Gold, Paradise Lost

Latest Film

Black Adam

Expand

Upcoming MCU Movies

• 

  Captain America: Brave New World

  Release Date

  February 14, 2025

  Powered by

  

  Expand
  Collapse

• 

  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  May 2, 2025

  Powered by

  

  Expand
  Collapse

• 

  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  July 25, 2025

  Powered by

  

  Expand
  Collapse

• 

  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  Powered by

  

  Expand
  Collapse

• 

  Spider-Man Homecoming 4

  Release Date

  July 24, 2026

  Powered by

  

  Expand
  Collapse

• 

  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  May 7, 2027

  Powered by

  

  Expand
  Collapse

Upcoming DC Movie Releases

• 

  Superman

  Release Date

  July 11, 2025

  Powered by

  

  Expand
  Collapse

• 

  Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

  Release Date

  June 26, 2026

  Powered by

  

  Expand
  Collapse

• 

  The Batman Part II

  Release Date

  October 1, 2027

  Powered by

  

  Expand
  Collapse

Source: https://truongnguyenbinhkhiem.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment