Ever since the first comic book superhero was adapted to film, Hollywood has had a strange relationship to the comics that has carried through the DC Universe and Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unlike adaptations of other written work, which aim to stick as closely to the source material as possible, comic book movies and television shows use the comics as little more than guidelines.

Superhero movies and shows may use elements of classic comics stories — like DC’s тιтans adapting Jason Todd’s death and resurrection as Red Hood and Captain America: Civil War putting Marvel Studios’ spin on the comics’ crossover event — but they’re rarely, if ever, adapted wholesale. At least, in live-action.

In fact, there have been adaptations that have been completely denounced by comics fans. Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice have been widely debated as good adaptations because they show two of DC’s biggest heroes, Superman and Batman, killing villains, which goes against comics readers’ understanding of the characters.

Despite the contentious reception from comic book fans, Man of Steel and Batman v Superman were decently successful movies, earning $670 million and $874.4 million at the box office respectively. Similarly, Captain America: Civil War, which only loosely adapts the comic storyline it’s based on, was a major hit, to the tune of $1.155 billion.

This poses the question of how much do superhero movie filmmakers and TV showrunners really need comic book accuracy, and is there a way to make both readers and causal audiences happy?

When Superhero Movies & TV Work Harmoniously With The Comics

Last year at NYCC 2024, I attended the Marvel Fanfare panel hosted by Marvel’s editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski, where he was joined on stage by legendary writer Frank Miller to discuss his legacy in comics. The panel pivoted into discussing Charles Soule and Steve McNiven’s Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell, before eventually turning to the subject of Marvel TV’s then-upcoming Daredevil: Born Again series.

It was the kind of panel I’d always dreamed of attending, one that celebrated the comics just as much as their live-action adaptations. However, looking at some reactions to the panel, I was surprised by the level of resentment from certain comics readers, who seemed to think Daredevil: Born Again had stolen time and attention away from the comics parts of the panel.

This can only be a result of the clear division Marvel has drawn between its comics and its cinematic universe for over 15 years. While many of the creatives involved in the MCU are comics fans, and they endeavor to honor the source material, movies like Civil War and shows like Secret Invasion are pale imitations of the comics’ rich and complex storylines.

Perhaps the most damning aspect of the MCU is how it doesn’t encourage audiences to read the comics, further creating a divide. This hasn’t been the case with James Gunn’s new DC Universe. The co-CEO of DC Studios, along with producer Peter Safran, has been much more openly encouraging about reading the comics, which has caused sales to skyrocket.

In 2023, THR reported that Jim Lee, president, publisher and chief creative officer of DC Comics, said certain тιтles connected to the DC Universe slate had seen double- or triple-digit growth in sales. In fact, The Authority, which wasn’t in print when the film adaptation was announced, saw increased demand.

Over the course of a few years, Gunn has created a film and TV universe that has a much more harmonious relationship with the comics on which it’s based. It’s ironic given all three of the DCU’s initial releases aren’t based on any existing comics stories, though they’re inspired by some.

Are Superhero Movies & TV Shows Better When They Ignore The Comics?

Creature Commandos, Superman and Peacemaker season 2 were all written by James Gunn, and none directly adapt a storyline from the comics. Superman was inspired by a few different comics runs, including All Star Superman and Superman for All Seasons, but the story is original. Similarly, Peacemaker season 2 draws inspiration from the Crisis on Earth X comics arc, but tells a new story.

Marvel also often tells original stories within the MCU, which is for the best, especially since their attempt to adapt Secret Invasion was lackluster at best. Given the movies have far fewer characters than the comics, and there are rights issues with heroes like Hulk and Spider-Man, the MCU will never be able to adapt the comics wholesale.

For that reason, it’s better when live-action superhero movies and shows tell new stories. Film is an entirely different medium than comics, and not every story that works in one medium will automatically work in another. Secret Invasion would’ve been nearly impossible to pull off in the MCU, since many of the characters hadn’t been adapted or had been killed off. Though Marvel tried to tell a different story, it didn’t quite work.

That’s the most important point: the story of a superhero movie or show must be good and compelling for the project itself to work. Whether that’s a version of a comics storyline, like Captain America: Civil War, or an entirely new story like Superman, doesn’t matter so much as whether it’s good. In the case of long-running shows or franchises, serving the characters best might mean completely ignoring the comics, like Arrow‘s Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak relationship.

Still, Marvel and DC shouldn’t entirely forsake the comics. They are, ultimately, the foundation on which both film franchises are based. But if movies and shows honor the characters above all else, like Gunn’s Superman and Marvel’s Captain America, then they’ll be able to find that perfect balance between appealing to comics fans and general audiences alike. And it will lead to the best, most successful superhero movies and shows of our time.