Box offices get a superhero battle this fall with new DC and MARVEL movies

Spoilers ahead.

This fall season, the two comic book titans DC Comics and MARVEL released their most anticipated films of the year: “Black Adam” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

Fans of both franchises have been waiting for these films, dating back to before the pandemic and before their launch date. However, both films fared differently upon screening.

Released on Oct. 21 ”Black Adam” centers around the antihero and former Shazam villain, Teth Adam, played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Adam is released from a magic prison by an archeologist to free the nation of Kahndaq from a crime syndicate known as Intergang. The movie also featured the Justice Society of America (JSA) on screen for the first time.

For those not familiar with DC characters and teams, the JSA is the predecessor of the Justice League and the first official superhero team ever created, dating back to World War 2. Its roster consisted of the original Flash and Green Lantern, as well as Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Sandman, and the Atom.

The version portrayed in the film has Dr. Fate, played by Pierce Brosnan, Hawkman, Cyclone, granddaughter of the original Red Tornado, and Atom Smasher, godson of the original Atom, and DC’s analog to Ant-Man.

Marvel fans would be quick to point out that Fate is the analog of Dr. Strange, and it’s no surprise that Brosnan was inspired by Benedict Cumberbatch’s take on the Sorcerer Supreme in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Overall, the film does well in terms of action, visuals, and special effects; however, its editing comes off at moments.

For example, Black Adam has a fight sequence against Hawkman, and it spliced up terribly, with rapid cutting between blows and DC merchandise. One moment, you see Adam being punched by the guy, and next, you see a Superman poster getting shredded.

A digital media student from Elmhurst University could’ve done a better job editing that sequence.

Most of the scenery and other sequences did fare better, but Johnson comes off stiff when portraying the title antihero. It’s a far contrast from all the previous acting roles he’s had before, which had more personality and life.

There isn’t much character development present in the film. The only glimpse the audience gets of who Black Adam is is when his backstory is addressed, and that’s it.

Would I consider “Black Adam” a strong entry for DC? Sort of. The film does have good and bad moments, but it’s still worth watching.

However, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is a whole other story. The title lead, Black Panther, is gone with the death of Chadwick Boseman in 2020. 

Director Ryan Coogler has stated in previous interviews that this film is in honor of the beloved actor, while MCU producer Kevin Fiege has confirmed that the character would retire and not be recast with respect to the actor’s passing.

Melancholy and grief are the main tones of the film, as evident in the first scenes. They acknowledge the passing of Prince T’Challa, the Black Panther, that has appeared throughout the third phase of the Infinity Saga up to its conclusion.

With Wakanda’s protector gone, the nation is now in the hands of his sister, Princess Shuri, played by Leticia Wright, and the rest of the cast from the original film. 

The film’s hidden antagonist is an anti-hero, more than a villain known as Namor, played by Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta. Namor is the aquatic ruler of Atlantis, the occasional frenemy of the Fantastic Four, and the first mutant created, predating the X-Men.

To avoid confusion with DC’s Aquaman, Coogler updated his backstory, changing it from Atlantis to Talokan, an underwater civilization of Mayan origin.

This update brought a whole new meaning to the myth of Atlantis, given that the tale of an underwater city has existed through different mythologies across the world, including the Mesoamerican realm of Tlalocan, on which the movie is based on.

Armed with a Mayan headdress and referring to himself as the serpent god Kukulkan, Huerta portrays this ruler as a godlike protector, looking out for his people just as much as T’Challa would have done, but with a drive for vengeance against the surface world. 

It’s a clash of cultures — Africa vs Mesoamerica and land vs sea.

With amazing choreography and a stunning score that mixes African and Mayan/Aztec rhythms, as well as lavish costume work, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” does justice to Boseman’s name and portrayal.

It also does well in addressing its audience that it is time to move and accept the next mantle and stage of not just Black Panther but the MCU as well.

Since its release on Nov. 11, it has reached great acclaim these past few days, but also harsh criticism. 

One critique is of Namor’s Mayan update, and Huerta’s physique, as well as uptight Mexican actors attacking the actor for being “too brown.”

There also is Leticia Wright’s COVID-19 comments that stirred some controversy in production, but overall this changed nothing throughout the film or its overwhelmingly positive reception.

When comparing these two films, it all comes down to narrative, editing, and acting as key factors.

“Black Adam” did well in introducing the character and the classic WW2 superhero team, but didn’t quite execute a cohesive plot that would develop the character. The Rock was literally stiff as a rock when portraying the champion of Kahndaq.

There wasn’t much development to his identity or challenges other than the “good guys don’t kill” rule. Comparing this antihero to Namor is a huge difference.

Namor’s backstory and motives get challenged through Shuri and the Wakandans; we visually see and

understand where he comes from but can’t agree with his methods.

On top of that, DC didn’t even have an identifiable antagonist; it switched from Intergang to a demonic Shazam at the last second. Also, Marvel didn’t oversaturate its fight sequences with merchandise to promote.

Arguably, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” delivered the better movie this year. From the music to the costumes to the choreography, and even its use of representation, Ryan Coogler truly delivered a film that honored Chadwick while telling the audience to keep moving forward.

“Black Adam,” on the other hand, does give us the typical Johnson action punch, a set of cameos and characters that might connect the film to its tangled DC Extended Universe but lacks character growth.

DC Comics and MARVEL made great additions to their film universes, but “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” executed the story and narrative better than “Black Adam.”