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The Dark Knight Rises vs The Avengers

Nolan or Whedon? Loki or Bane? Fans of both franchises are proudly standing by their picks and tearing each other apart over which film they're more excited for. But let's put down the fanboy flags and take a more unbiased and detailed look at the comparisons between the two, shall we?

Gregg By Gregg Katzman January 25, 2012
  

Marvel's The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises will soon grapple for superior reviews and figures at the box office, but even when all is said and done with the theatrical releases, fans from both sides of the war will valiantly fight to prove why their favorite is the superior of the two. Will praised director Christopher Nolan overcome the iconic Joss Whedon's gathering of Marvel's biggest heroes? 

Batman is disputably the biggest name at DC, but movies like Iron Man and Thor have turned relatively lesser-known heroes into household names. I never thought I'd see the day where pictures of Thor would decorate a Dunkin Donuts, but will this be enough to overthrow the Batman juggernaut?

Honestly, we're amazingly excited for both. But, for the sake of argument, let's compare and contrast.

 

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tony stark in the iron man suit
Credit: Marvel Studios

The Characters

The Dark Knight Rises has a more-than-impressive roster with the likes of Batman, Bane, Catwoman, Talia al Ghul, Jim Gordon, speculation over Ra's al Ghul in a flashback and who knows what other minor cameos we might spot. 

But, despite Bane being my favorite comic book character, that group simply can't compete with the impressively large group that will appear in Marvel's The Avengers. We've got *takes a deep breath*: Iron Man, Nick Fury, Loki, Captain America, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Thor, Mariah Hill and Agent Coulson. Then there's all of the speculation over Thanos, possible other cameos (Spider-Woman? Ant-Man?) and the "we're not Skrulls because that name is owned by Fox but we kind of are" aliens. 

Batman is a legendary hero for a reason and the rest of the cast is something to look forward to, but it just doesn't compete with the sheer diversity that Marvel's The Avengers is bringing to the table.

Winner: Marvel's The Avengers

Bane
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

The Villain

Battle of the Toms! Will Tom Hardy's Bane be a more formidable villain than Tom Hiddleston's Loki? Seeing as one is a street level human and the other is a cosmic threat, a physical battle between the two would have a rather obvious outcome. But, that's not important. What is important is which will dominate the role as their respective film's antagonist.  Hiddleston already proved he can impress as Loki, providing what was disputably the best villain by Marvel Studios yet. His new determination will be a joy to watch, but his second-turn as a villain in a new franchise takes away from the allure of having a new villain to wow us. 

Yes, the threat Loki poses will be on a much larger scale, but Bane's introduction (appearing to be heavily influenced by Knightfall) seems to have a much heavier impact on the main hero. Both are going to be excellent to watch, but Bane was selected to conclude the epic Batman trilogy for a reason.

Winner: The Dark Knight Rises

 


Batman Begins
Credit: Warner Bros.

The Directors

I hold a great degree of respect for both directors. Joss Whedon has proven he's a genius when handling team dynamics (Buffy, Astonishing X-Men, Firefly) and Christopher Nolan has never failed to impress (Memento, Inception, Batman Begins). That said, there's a monumental amount of weight on Nolan's shoulders and people are expecting his final Batman effort to blow them away.  Whedon's ability to craft hilarious team banter just may be a wildcard that could play a major role when these films hit.  But, when it comes to comparing the overall work between the two, the films Nolan has directed definitely take the edge. 

Winner: The Dark Knight Rises

Captain America Movie - Chris Evans
Credit: Paramount Pictures

The Actors

Both movies have a commendable amount of talented people. We're certain Christian Bale will still impress as Batman and we have high hopes for Tom Hardy (Bronson, Inception). We're also curious to see how Anne Hathaway will fare as Catwoman and how much impact Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50, Inception) will have as John Blake. However, in spite of our confidence in their performances, there is simply no disputing that Robert Downey Jr. steals the show as Tony Stark. Then throw in Tom Hiddleston, Sam Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans (just to name a few) and it's clear which film takes this element.

Winner: Marvel's The Avengers

 

Bane vs Batman
Credit: DC Comics

The Plot

While much still remains a mystery, we've been given a more than ample amount of information surrounding the plot for both films. While one ends a franchise, the other kicks it off. Possible spoilers ahead, so don't say I didn't warn you!

The Dark Knight Rises picks up a few years after The Dark Knight and Bane's actions seem to force Batman back into action. It's at this point we can only assume that Bane does indeed break the Bat (Wayne is seen using a walking stick in the trailer) and somehow finds a way to overcome, be it through recovering or finding an apprentice (cue Azrael or Robin!...minus the ridiculous outfit). Somewhere Catwoman is thrown in the mix and pulls an "occupy Gotham" act. Nolan has shocked us time and time again with his endings, so there's no reason to believe the franchise will conclude with all smiles and happiness.

On the other hand, Loki returns in The Avengers and appears hell-bent on kicking all kinds of ass. It looks like he's recruited an army from one of the other realms and there might even be an appearance from Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet. Now the newly formed Avengers (backed by S.H.I.E.L.D.) aim to take down Thor's brother and whatever madness he's throwing at Earth. It's heavily inspired by Ultimates volumes 1 and 2 (Mark Millar), but so far it's looking to be heavy on popcorn entertainment while The Dark Knight Rises is striving for a deeper plot. I'd love nothing more than to see Marvel's The Avengers prove that statement wrong, but as of right now I'll favor The Dark Knight Rises.

Winner: The Dark Knight Rises

 
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