According to new data, general audiences are far more excited about Marvel Studios' MCU projects when compared to Warner Bros.' upcoming DC Comics movies for the year ahead.
With 2022 coming to a close, fans are starting to set their eyes on 2023 and the many goodies it has to offer.
For Marvel, this includes the first movie appearance by Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and James Gunn's last hurrah with the Guardians of the Galaxy.
On the DCU end of everything, fans have new adventures with Shazam, Flash, Aquaman, and newcomer Blue Beetle, marking the final four movies in the current era of the DC Universe.
Now, according to a new poll, it's become clear that fans have a clear pick when it comes to which set of new movies they're excited for.
High Excitement for Marvel In 2023
According to the results from a Fandango poll, general audiences are looking forward to more of next year's MCU projects than they are to DCU movies.
On the list, James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 takes first place, with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse taking the second spot and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania sitting comfortably in third.
The first DCU film on the list is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is in the sixth slot.
The top ten are as follows:
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
- John Wick: Chapter 3
- Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
- Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
- Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part 1
- The Hunger Games: A Ballot of the Songbird and Snakes
- Creed III
- The Super Mario Bros Movie
Why Marvel Studios over DCU?
It's honestly not too surprising to see how general audiences are more excited about Marvel Studios' offerings. Generally speaking, more of the world is aware of the various MCU projects just around the corner—especially when compared to the DCU.
Another big factor lies in where the DCU is currently—in the middle of a messy transition. With James Gunn and Peter Safran now in charge of content in that corner of the universe, signs are heavily pointing towards a hard reset of the DC Comics live-action cinematic universe.
For many, this makes it feel as if the four DCU projects in 2023 are meaningless, as they won't mean anything in the end. It's a completely understandable point of view, but sadly, a reset is what those movies need the most.
It is worth noting that one key MCU movie did not make it on the list: The Marvels. The Captain Marvel sequel, which stars Brie Larson, Iman Villani, and Teyonah Parris, is understandably under the radar for most.
One aspect of this reaction is likely due to the mixed reception audiences had to 2019's Captain Marvel. Another is how both Quantumania and Vol. 3 have trailers to their names, while The Marvels doesn't—though, by February, that's likely to be corrected.
Quantumania is set to hit theaters on February 17, 2023, with Vol. 3 following a few months later on May 5. The Marvels then lands on July 28.
