TheMarvel Cinematic UniverseandDC Universewill both coincidentally be copying a type of superhero story told byThe Boysin the same year. Prime Video’sThe Boysis a very different type of superhero TV show, especially when placed in comparison with the tone ofMarvel’s many Disney+ TV shows. Although DC products tend to be darker than those from Marvel, as both thebest and worst-ranked DCEU moviestend to highlight, they still have distinct differences fromThe Boys.
Nonetheless, it seems as though both franchises are taking a page out ofThe Boys’book in the same year. TheMarvel movies of 2025includeCaptain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, andThe 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’sSuperman. In one specific way, these franchises are being tied toThe 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 thatThe Boyshas always dealt with: corporate superheroes. This is the entire focal point ofThe 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.InThe Boys, the main superheroes are controlled by a capitalist organization known as Vought, which treats super-powered people as assets in a businessas opposed to actual heroes.
As a result, many of the heroes inThe Boysare 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 ofThe 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 viaThunderboltsandSupermanrespectively. In the former, the team is eventually turned into The New Avengers inThunderboltsending, owned by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and thus pushed as a corporate reimagining of The Avengers. Although there is a significant difference fromThe Boysin 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.Supermanbuilds 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 inSuperman, 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.
The concept of corporate superheroes better reflects the modern state of the world than it would have when Marvel Comics or DC Comics started…
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, orThe 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 byThe Boys.
