Marvel And DC’s Superhero Movie Franchises Are Copying The Boys In The Same Year

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Universe will both coincidentally be copying a type of superhero story told by The Boys in the same year. Prime Video’s The Boys is a very different type of superhero TV show, especially when placed in comparison with the tone of Marvel’s many Disney+ TV shows. Although DC products tend to be darker than those from Marvel, as both the best and worst-ranked DCEU movies tend to highlight, they still have distinct differences from The Boys.

Nonetheless, it seems as though both franchises are taking a page out of The Boys’ book in the same year. The Marvel movies of 2025 include Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, with one project including a similar plot point to the Prime Video TV show. Then there is the sole DC movie of 2025, James Gunn’s Superman. In one specific way, these franchises are being tied to The Boys, despite how unique the later truly is in the world of modern superhero media.

The Boys Has Tackled The Idea Of Corporate Superheroes For All 4 Seasons

This Has Been The Crux Of The Boys’ Story

Firstly, it is worth exploring the aspect being copied that The Boys has always dealt with: corporate superheroes. This is the entire focal point of The Boys‘ story, with the titular group opposing superheroes as so many of them are corporate shells and not actual heroes akin to Batman, Superman, Captain America, or Spider-Man. In The Boys, the main superheroes are controlled by a capitalist organization known as Vought, which treats super-powered people as assets in a business as opposed to actual heroes.

As a result, many of the heroes in The Boys are actually villains who operate with a sense of superiority and focus more on how they look, their approval ratings, and ad deals than actually saving people. This is why the titular group fights against the corrupt superheroes of that world, deconstructing many superhero norms along the way. This naturally spirals into many other themes, storylines, and the deeper exploration of The Boys’ world that I do not have the time to get into here, yet all of it stems from the concept of corporate-owned superhumans.

Marvel And DC Are Both Tackling The Idea Of Corporate Superheroes This Year

2025 Is The Year For Marvel & DC To Follow Suit

Where Marvel and DC come into things is via Thunderbolts* and Superman respectively. In the former, the team is eventually turned into The New Avengers in Thunderbolts* ending, owned by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and thus pushed as a corporate reimagining of The Avengers. Although there is a significant difference from The Boys in that the corporate elements of The New Avengers are disliked by the team, the concept remains the same with the MCU’s group receiving brand deals on cereal boxes, for example. Thunderbolts*’ post-credit scene then takes this a step further.

The scene reveals that Captain America has since trademarked the name The Avengers and intends to sue The New Avengers for using the name. Superman builds on these concepts from a DC standpoint, with the film set to introduce DC heroes like Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, and Mister Terrific as the “Justice Gang.” This team is confirmed to be owned by Maxwell Lord, a business tycoon in the DC Universe. While it is unclear exactly what role the Justice Gang will play in Superman, it is safe to assume that the hero who fights for truth, justice, and a better tomorrow will disagree with a corporate team.

Why Corporate Superheroes Is Such A Popular Idea Right Now

Corporations Hold More Power In Modern Times

With DC and Marvel employing corporate superheroes in 2025, the question turns to why this idea is so popular in modern media. The reason for this is simple: it offers an interesting exploration of superheroes. Although many heroes often have different villains, allies, costumes, and so on, the much broader concept of many Marvel and DC characters follows a familiar format. When implementing an outside party into the mix in the form of a corporation, things take a different turn.

This is simply a way of reflecting the modern world, in which corporations are venturing into areas they did not used to and growing in size and power. Film studios like Disney and Warner Bros. or a company like Amazon that began selling books dipping into the world of superhero TV is one example of this, tying directly to franchises like the MCU, the DCU, or The Boys. Overall, the concept of corporate superheroes better reflects the modern state of the world than it would have when Marvel Comics or DC Comics started, all while allowing for new types of stories to be told, as evident by The Boys.

“}]] Marvel, DC, and The Boys grow closer together.  Read More