In several ways, the DC Universe’s first movie, Superman, started the franchise very differently from the MCU and DCEU. The ending of Superman marked the first step into a larger comic book world in live-action. Ushered in by Superman’s many Easter eggs and references, the DCU is finally here after years of teases and announcements.

Superman’s post-credit scenes took a different route, though. Interestingly, this marks just one way the DCU’s debut film is very different from others of its ilk from the last few decades. The movies in question here are Iron Man, the first MCU movie, and Man of Steel, the first movie in the DCEU’s timeline.

Of course, comic book movies all share a similar idenтιтy. This means there are some similarities between Superman, Man of Steel, and Iron Man. However, by the time Superman’s credits rolled, I couldn’t be happier to note the differences it had to make the DCU as different and unique as it could be from the MCU and DCEU.

Superman Is Tonally Different From Iron Man & Man Of Steel

Superman Strikes A More Lighthearted Tone

The first difference I would like to note is Superman’s tone. As was often highlighted when Superman’s reviews started being released online, many noted just how much the story embraced its comic book elements. Fantasy aspects such as interplanetary robots, a superpowered dog, and a comic-accurate Fortress of Solitude were all introduced in the opening moments of Superman.

This then led to kaijus, pocket dimensions, interdimensional creatures, and obscure heroes and villains all being introduced. Very quickly, Superman alerts the audience just how willingly it will translate the world of DC Comics, something that differs slightly from Iron Man and Man of Steel.

Both of these movies are the first in their respective franchises, just like Superman, yet they take a different approach tonally. Iron Man was content to verse itself in a much more grounded world that is more akin to our real one, complete with slick direction and cool action hero moments.

While Man of Steel delves deeper into the sci-fi/fantasy vibe that Superman as a character allows for, even this is depicted differently. Man of Steel goes into the more godly side of the character, taking a darker, grittier approach to Superman’s origin story than the DCU’s Superman does, which is inherently more hopeful and light-hearted in tone.

The DCU’s Debut Already Has A Lived-In World Compared To Iron Man & Man Of Steel

Despite Being The First Official DCU Chapter

Another key difference between Superman and the two other films mentioned is its world. The opening words of Superman make it clear that metahumans have existed in the DCU for three centuries. The Justice Gang of Superman is proof of that, with these heroes already existing and operating as the тιтular hero’s journey begins.

Other cameos in Superman drive home this point, solidifying the DCU as a world that has many characters in it, and many stories that have been told before Superman. Iron Man and Man of Steel took a different approach to this.

Both movies served as the beginning of their franchises, too, yet both positioned the story as if Superman and Iron Man were the first heroes. Subsequent movies altered this retroactively, but it does not change the format of both as original stories of superheroes in a world where very few exist.

Superman Only Sets Up Individual Stories Going Forward

As Opposed To Team-Up Movies

A third difference Superman, and thus, the DCU, had from Iron Man and Man of Steel was that it teased several individual spin-offs. For instance, the Justice Gang will appear again in Peacemaker season 2’s story. Then there was the Supergirl cameo that teased 2026’s Supergirl movie.

This establishes the DCU as an interconnected franchise, yet one that is content not to rush towards a Justice League movie or another kind of team-up. Iron Man, specifically, was very different from this. The post-credit scene of the movie included Nick Fury teasing the Avengers Initiative, telling Tony Stark and the audience that they were now part of a bigger universe.

Man of Steel was somewhat self-contained, but no one can deny how the DCEU rushed into team-up stories. The lackluster stores of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League were proof of this. The DCU is taking a different route from both franchises by treating the storytelling of each individual project as a priority over establishing a universe.

The DCU’s Differences Promise A Fresh Superhero Franchise

For The First Time In 2 Decades

What makes all these differences from the MCU and the DCEU so exciting is how they present the DCU as a fresh take on a superhero franchise. Superhero cinema has been incredibly popular since the 2000s, yet Iron Man changed the genre forever. The success of the MCU since then has been evident, and still ongoing today, 17 years later.

This success is what spawned the DCEU, with Warner Bros. looking to take the studio’s own superhero properties and create an interconnected universe. The DCEU failed, making way for Gunn’s Superman and the DCU: a fresh take on an interconnected universe.

Of course, the DCU will share many things with the MCU and the DCEU; team-up movies are sure to be a part of Gunn’s plan, with characters crossing over at will, as was the case in the latter two franchises. However, the DCU’s format feels inherently unique.

It truly feels as though the DCU could house any story from any DC comic book realm without having to tie into a team-up movie in some capacity. Superman obviously will lead into these kinds of movies at some point, but the aforementioned differences from the MCU and DCEU make the film work in its own right, first and foremost.

Gunn’s promise that each movie will stand on its own as a part of the wider DCU is epitomized by Superman. With all of this being said. I couldn’t be happier. The DCU’s future seems incredibly bright in its own right, all while bringing a new flavor to the world of cinematic superheroes than the MCU and the DCEU did before it.