Andy Serkis Settles The Marvel vs. DC Debate In A Brilliant Way

Ahead of the theatrical release of The Batman, Andy Serkis reveals his opinion about the decades-old rivalry between DC and Marvel. Directed by Matt Reeves, the highly anticipated film stars Robert Pattinson as the Bruce Wayne and Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman. Despite its initial pushback due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and the nearly 3-hour runtime, The Batman has received a positive reception amongst critics from the early preview screenings.

Known for his astounding motion-capture performances and his portrayal of Ulysses Klaue in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Black Panther, Serkis plays the role of Alfred Pennyworth in the latest film about the Caped Crusader. Recently, Serkis teased a slight variance in the dynamic between Bruce and Alfred from its predecessors, straying away from the father-figure relationship. Furthermore, Serkis has also worked with Sony Pictures and Tom Hardy to direct the 2021 sequel film, Venom: Let There Be Carnage. This puts him in the fascinating position of making films with Marvel and DC.

In an interview segment with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Colbert curiously asks Serkis the burning question about his opinions on the two titular comic book universes. In response to the controversial question, Serkis treads carefully and jokingly tells Colbert that he is pondering on who would employ him after chiming in on the contentious question. Remaining impartial to the topic, Serkis explains his reasoning as to why he genuinely enjoys DC and Marvel equally, as they’re both unique in their own ways that prevail over any comparison. To further add to his statement, Serkis explains that DC and Marvel are great allegories to our current time. Read his transcribed quote below:

“I am just thinking who’s going to employ me the most after this moment… I love both worlds. Because, I love the brightness and boldness of Marvel stories. They’re all mythologies. And I do like the darkness of DC… For our generation, which is why they’re so important as they touch on real human emotions, on world events, on what’s going on around us. They are great allegories for our times.”

Serkis makes strong points about the differences between franchises, highlighting they both have a place within the pop culture zeitgeist. The contrasting approaches provide a nice variety of stories for audiences, appealing to a wide range of viewers. Despite the differences in tone, Marvel and DC are able to tap into genuine human emotions and even provide compelling commentary on current events, allowing people to see themselves and the world they live in through an exciting lens they can connect with. It’s because of that these characters continue to resonate among audiences, and based on how popular titles like Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Batman are, this won’t be changing any time soon.

In the past, many MCU actors have weighed in on the DC vs Marvel debate, with the majority of actors claiming to have no partisan preference on the topic. If anything, Serkis’ comment proves that the rivalry between the cinematic comic book franchises can become a false equivalence fallacy, since they are both exceptional in their own respective and unprecedented ways. For now, fans can visit the beloved MCU actors in the upcoming premiere of The Batman later this week.

Source: The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert