The Biggest Challenges To Bringing Rocketman To The Big Screen

The Biggest Challenges To Bringing Rocketman To The Big Screen

A lot of footage was shown at CinemaCon this year, including but not limited to a Hobbs & Shaw trailer and the first 17 minutes of Toy Story 4. Among that footage was another glimpse at Rocketman, the upcoming Elton John biopic starring Taron Edgerton and led by Dexter Fletcher, who did reshoots on Bohemian Rhapsody recently. When asked at CinemaCon 2019 what the toughest part of bringing a real-life person like Elton John to light on the big screen, Fletcher revealed the musical numbers were often the hardest bits.

It’s not just the musicality that was tough but also getting Elton John right in 141 minutes. Dexter Fletcher said:

Well, Elton’s known for his spectacle and his theatricality and so bringing the music to the big screen was a challenge but also exciting. His fans love him and his music so much that I wanted to be sure they got an honest and truthful portrayal of this man; it’s extremely important to us and to him.

Onstage at CinemaCon 2019 as part of Paramount Pictures’ panel, Taron Egerton joined director Dexter Fletcher onstage, whereupon he was also asked what was the most difficult thing to manage while making Rocketman. Per Egerton:

I think probably managing the pressure. We always felt that we wanted to be irreverent with the role and make sure the audience feels like it’s getting a glimpse behind closed doors, a glimpse behind the scene, and you know a glimpse at the life of a man who’s had a notoriously turbulent time. But we also felt like it was very important to make fans happy and make him likeable. We wanted to tell a raw human story but it’s also so important the movie is fun and a celebration of a great man.

That’s a lot to juggle and it’s not always easy to juggle, as we’ve seen with other musical biopics. First and foremost, directors have to service the story they are telling, which is why last year’s Bohemian Rhapsody changed the timeline narrative a bit. Yet, when that happened people were upset about factual inaccuracies in the movie and how it ultimately played out.

So far, Rocketman has already been in the press for allegedly editing down Elton John’s sex life, as well as nudity related to that sex life. Dexter Fletcher has already addressed the rumors, but it just goes to show that people want a movie that tells the truth but that is also a lot of fun. It’s not an easy feat to achieve.

Luckily, it sounds as if Taron Egerton at least got the spirit of Elton John right. Although the actor mentioned the singer has been pretty “hands off” throughout the whole Rocketman experience, Dexter Fletcher had nothing but praise for the younger actor, who also does his own singing in the movie.

Anything with Taron in it is my favorite. There are many, many great, standout numbers that I’m extremely proud of. We’re all proud of “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” is quite extraordinary, “Rocketman” as you know you saw Taron singing on his back at the bottom of a 15 meter tank is something to behold. They’re both very different and both filled with vibrancy and energy.

If you’ve seen the trailer for Rocketman, you should have some idea of what you are getting into with the new movie, which is out on May 31.

In the extended footage we saw at CinemaCon shown on a large screen in Las Vegas, Rocketman looks even bolder and bigger than in the early trailers. If you’ve been a fan of recent musical biopics, this one might even blow those away. It may be my most highly anticipated movie this spring (and yes I’m including Endgame but obviously tastes differ). To see what Rocketman is competing with, take a look at our full movies schedule.

12 Classic Marvel Scenes We Now Feel Differently About Thanks To Avengers: Endgame

12 Classic Marvel Scenes We Now Feel Differently About Thanks To Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame really had us geeking out all while tugging on our heartstrings for three hours straight. There’s a good reason why the movie is called the culmination of the MCU thus far: it includes a LOT of callbacks to the past movies, even including literal visits as the heroes completed their time heist. There’s perhaps no better way to provide fan service then to reward the audience for seeing all 22 of the other Marvel epics, and that’s just what Endgame does.

What’s especially exciting is how fun it’s going to be to go back to previous MCU movies and find the relevance and new weight some of the scenes hold now that they’ve been used in another context in the satisfying conclusion. So let’s travel back to the beginnings of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and see what key scenes we’ll never look at the same again now that Endgame exists.

That Up There… That’s The Endgame

It is crazy to imagine that just a few months ago we were theorizing about Avengers 4 titles, and it ended up being right under our noses in Age of Ultron. The scene has a special significance now because of Tony calling the mysteries in the sky their “endgame,” which he created Ultron at the time to fight off and Captain America saying they can take anything down together. Tony throws the line back at Steve in the beginning of Endgame when he’s distraught about their dire situation, and now every time we see this Ultron scene, it’ll have an extra special connection.

No More Surprises

Among the many memorable scenes in Infinity War, this quick one between Tony and Pepper before the action begins seemed a bit random. Now we know that it was foreshadowing for their future life in Endgame. Tony says he had a dream that they had a child together and named it after her eccentric uncle, Morgan. In Endgame, five years later, that’s exactly where we find the Iron Man couple. The scene may play a little sad for fans now as we see Tony promise his girl that all the “surprises” are over and it’s time for them to settle down, give that we know how it ends.

I Want Another

When we meet back up with Thor in Endgame, we see an unexpected transformation. He’s packed on a lot of weight, he drinks a lot of beer and plays Fortnite with his friends from Ragnarok. How did he let himself go? And why is Thor now the most hilarious Avenger? This early scene of the hero eating breakfast and smashing coffee mugs in demand of “another” shows that this characterization has been made the entire time. He’s prone to being excessive when not in check and he’ll be tested by this in Endgame.

Avengers Take Down Loki in Stark Tower

After seeing Endgame, we’ll always imagine future Cap, Tony and Ant-Man roaming around the 2012 New York battle sequence, attempting to steal the Tesseract. While they said the movie doesn’t go by Back to the Future time travel rules, viewings will certainly start to run together a little bit as we imagine how Endgame built off that original Avengers scene. I don’t know about you, but I always find myself already thinking about how another Marty is backstage at the dance trying to fix up time in Part II whenever I view the first movie.

The Winter Soldier Elevator Scene

Endgame has a great nod to Winter Soldier when some of the team is in the 2012 New York timeline, and Cap is tasked with nabbing the Tesseract. It’s a great moment when he finds himself in an elevator again with some of the same Hydra agents from The Winter Soldier. As an audience, we expect another epic scene to go down, but he instead tricks them by saying “Hail, Hydra.” We’ll always remember how clever and evolved Endgame Cap is during this classic scene now.

Frigga’s Death

Thor: The Dark World may be one of the least favored MCU films, but Endgame actually made it relevant! (Gold stars to the Russos!) During the Time Heist, Thor and Rocket are transported a few moments before the God of Thunder’s mother is murdered. The hero is going through his own grief and guilt about his failure to protect the world from Thanos. He has a sweet moment with her when she gives him a much-needed pep talk, giving the Dark World scene more weight.

Come And Get Your Love

The Guardians of the Galaxy opening will perhaps go down as one of the most iconic and entertaining MCU scenes. Seeing Chris Pratt jam out to “Come And Get Your Love” on cassette as he kicks around some alien creatures is already a lot of fun! After Endgame, we can’t help but think how ridiculous Quill is to onlookers (Rhodey and Nebula) when they come back to that moment in Endgame. He’s never going to live that one down!

Say Something, If You Don’t You’ll Regret it.

Toward the beginning of Civil War, we meet Tony at an MIT presentation where he is showcasing some cool tech that shows the last moment Tony shared with his parents before they were killed. He is clearly regretful that he lost his parents at a time when he didn’t have the healthiest relationship with them, and wished he could buy back some more time with them, particularly his father. Now that we know Tony is able to go back and have a positive conversation with Howard Stark as an adult, the presence of this scene in Civil War is poetic.

Cap Moves Mjolnir

In one of Avengers: Age of Ultron more funs scenes, Thor invites his fellow heroes to take a crack at moving the his hammer. While a majority of them are unsuccessful, Cap is able to squeak it over a bit, resulting in a bit of anxiety from Thor at the time. In Endgame, Cap turns out to be worthy of Mjolnir and swaps weapons with the God of Thunder. This scene is now an origin story for that badass moment.

Doctor Strange Gives Up the Time Stone

Among a few other WTF moments in Infinity War (cough Quill) was the time when Doctor Strange straight up hands the Time Stone over to Thanos in order to save Tony’s life. It was an odd decision at the time, but since he did look into the future possibilities, we knew there was hindsight to it. Audiences will now be able to look at this scene now and see the moment much differently: through Strange’s eyes.

You’re Not The Guy To Make The Sacrifice Play.

Okay… this one stings. Back when Cap and Tony first met in 2012’s Avengers, the two were already pushing each other’s buttons with their different ways of thinking. In one scene, the two get in a heated argument as tension builds about Bruce Banner exploding into the Hulk, and Steve says the above words. Of course, now that we know that Tony makes the ultimate sacrifice by putting on the Infinity Gauntlet and saving the world; he is that guy.

Hogan, Drive. Cheeseburger First.

How fitting is it that one of the last references in Endgame is one of the earliest in the MCU? Back in Iron Man, when Tony arrives home from the treacherous journey that would define him as the hero, the first thing on his list is devouring an American Cheeseburger. In Endgame, Happy Hogan shares a touching moment with Tony’s daughter Morgan about the fast food. So naturally every time we watch this funny note in the 2008 flick, we’ll be crying 3000 tears.

It's time for an MCU rewatch. What classic MCU scenes will you be going back to post-Endgame? Let us know in the comments!

Why Godzilla Chose Its Three Main Villains For King Of The Monsters

Why Godzilla Chose Its Three Main Villains For King Of The Monsters

When Godzilla returns to the big screen in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, he'll go up against three new (for this franchise) threats in Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah. While there were any number of other giant monsters that Godzilla could have battled from his decades long film history, King of the Monsters director Michael Dougherty told CinemaBlend during a recent Q&A in Japan that these three were chosen because they were the best known, even among those who don't necessarily know Godzilla. According to Dougherty...

They are the crown jewels of the Toho universe. They are the ones that I feel like most Godzilla fans, and non-Godzilla fans, are the most familiar with. So as much as I love King Caesar and Gigan and those guys, they're a little bit more obscure.

As pragmatic as it is, it certainly makes a lot of sense. The reason that remakes and sequels are so popular is because audiences tend to be attracted to stories and characters that they are already comfortable with. So if you want to get people interested in a Godzilla movie, give them the monsters they love the most.

I certainly fall into the category of somebody who isn't a major Godzilla fan. While I've seen a few the films I'm far from an expert, but I do know the names of Rodan, Mothra, and Ghidorah. This is exactly what the new production is counting on.

While the name recognition was part of the reason that these three were chosen to appear in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Michael Dougherty says there's another reason they were used. The four characters have a connected history in the past of the Godzilla franchise. The director goes on...

But [these are] also the first ones who kind of teamed up. There's a key point in Godzilla history when Mothra, Rodan and Godzilla put aside their differences and decided to team up against King Ghidorah. It's an amazing scene, by the way. I strongly suggest you go back and watch that movie. But there's, there's literally a scene where Mothra goes to Rodan and Godzilla and says, ‘Hey, this new asshole just showed up and he's going to mess everything up if we don't stop him.’ And the two twin fairies are translating for the monsters, so the humans can understand what the monsters are talking to her about. But they're actually having dialogue. Rodan and Godzilla are like, ‘Fuck the humans! They bully us. Why should we help them?’

The movie in question is 1964's Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. The sequence is an important one in the history of the the Godzilla franchise because, according to Dougherty, it's the first time that the giant monsters are seen as anything other than, well, monsters...

And suddenly, for the first time as a kid, that was where you suddenly saw things from the monsters’ point of view. Where the monsters saw us as the monster. The monsters saw us as the bullies that we're trying to prevent them from having happy lives. But anyway, they were the first giant monster team up, box and I feel like their truly the most iconic of the Toho universe. So it made sense that they should be the first ones to get adapted to the big screen for Hollywood.

Could we see any of the other, more obscure Godzilla antagonists appear in future films? At this point, it's hard to say. The only film in this particular franchise that we know is coming is Godzilla vs. Kong, which, based on the title, is unlikely to include any other giant monsters, though it certainly could. And depending on the outcome of that battle, we could still see more Godzilla films in the future. So if you're a serious fan of Megalon the giant beetle, don't lose hope.

When Shazam! Will Finally Arrive On DVD And Digital

When Shazam! Will Finally Arrive On DVD And Digital

If you holler “Shazam!” starting on July 2nd, you’ll be treated to copy of the popular DC flick starring Zachary Levi. OK, OK, perhaps a click or two on Amazon will also be required. The point is, Shazam is about to hit DVD, Blu-ray and Digital and should be the perfect summer treat for your family, particularly if your school kids are home and sitting on their laurels.

As has become more common of late, Shazam!’s Digital release will be coming earlier than the physical copies of the DC movie. Digital will be out on July 2nd, followed by the DVD and Blu-ray releases on July 16. The good news? You can pre-order your copy now.

The movie is also hitting 4K, which is great news for fans of the format. Those copies will also have Dolby Vision HDR.

All of the hard copies of the flick will come with the same special features. There’s a motion comic that will be included, although the deleted scenes should be the most delightful extra here.

Previously, we learned there were 20-24 minutes of deleted scenes that were cut from the film. CinemaBlend spoke with editor Michel Aller, who noted the lengthy amount of deleted footage before giving us a tidbit about what we could see with the set:

One of the scenes that regretfully we had to pull out was a scene between young Billy and Mary, when he’s about to sneak out. It’s just a really touching scene, but it came so early in the movie, and we were trying to get to get to the Shazam character, that we couldn’t put everything that we liked at the front of the movie. So that was one scene that we pulled out. I’m glad there are DVDs out there so we can show these great scenes.

It's not always easy to get a movie just right, and it will be interesting to see what Shazam! left on the cutting room floor with the home entertainment release.

Take a look at the other extras below.

Shazam Exclusive Motion Comic

The Magical World of Shazam

Super Fun Zac

Carnival Scene Study

Shazamily Values

Who is Shazam?

Deleted Scenes

Gag Reel

Shazam’s kind of an interesting flick. The movie had a nice run – albeit not spectacular – at the box office, pulling in over $361 million worldwide on an alleged $100 million budget. So far, DC has started looking into Shazam 2, hiring screenwriter Henry Gayden to pen the sequel.

The problem is that DC and Warner Bros.’ movie schedule is a little bit of a mess right now, and it’s not like Shazam 2 has gotten off the ground in terms of production, much less gotten an official release date yet.

A nice run on DVD and Digital could always help the process move a little faster, however. So, if you liked the movie, it may be one to add to your collections.

New Detective Pikachu Video Is A Great Primer If You Don't Know Anything About Pokemon

New Detective Pikachu Video Is A Great Primer If You Don't Know Anything About Pokemon

Picture the following scenario: a popular franchise is about to hit theaters with a brand new installment that promises to spark a new cinematic universe. While you’re interested in catching this film in theaters, you’re not sure if you’ll be able to as there’s a bit of a knowledge gap that stands in your way. That’s the time that a nice, easy video like the one Ryan Reynolds just shared for Pokemon: Detective Pikachu would be handy. If you’re not particularly familiar with the world of Pokemon, take a deep breath and watch the video below:

As you’ve now seen, the world of Pokemon is a pretty diverse ecosystem of creatures, each with their own classifications and abilities. So if you’ve been watching the trailers for Pokemon: Detective Pikachu and have marveled at the live-action debut of not only Pikachu, but also tons more Pokemon that will reach the eyes and hearts of audiences in May, you’re not alone in being interested to know more about their names and skill sets.

Of course, you don’t need to know anything about Pokemon to want to see Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, as anyone who enjoys a good crime caper and/or Ryan Reynolds’ comedy stylings might happen to be up your alley anyway. The trailers have certainly done a good job setting up the world of the famous pocket monster video games for the common moviegoer, and now with this extra bit of background, audiences should be ready for the adventure that Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is ready to dish out.

But if you really want to take in the world of Rime City, and the other locales that Pokemon: Detective Pikachu will travel to, it helps to know if that little pink creature in the coffee shop will write on your face, should you be lulled to sleep. Pop quiz, hot shot: that creature is a Jigglypuff, and it will draw on your face if you fall asleep to its song. If you knew that, you’re pretty well off, but if you didn’t, you might want to hit the books a couple more times before setting off.

Still, if you’re interested in the deeper world of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, you have this video Ryan Reynolds posted to his Twitter account to start you off. After which, you’ll probably want to check out the film’s various trailers again, as you’ll basically have the visual equivalent of flash cards to help guide you. However, if you’re really industrious and ready to test yourself in the world of Pokemon, you should try getting into the official augmented reality game Pokemon Go.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu begins its quest to be the very best on May 10. Though if Pokemon isn’t your thing and you’ve somehow found yourself tricked into reading this entire article, the 2019 release schedule is going to be your new best friend. And we promise, there’s nary a Jigglypuff to lure you to sleep.

Josh Brolin Preps For Dune Filming With Intense Shirtless Photo

Josh Brolin Preps For Dune Filming With Intense Shirtless Photo

Denis Villeneuve's 2020 Dune movie has officially started filming. Josh Brolin is one of the many, many -- seriously, so many -- major stars of the film adapting Frank Herbert's novel. Brolin plays Gurney Halleck, weapons master for House Atreides, who teaches young Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet). Brolin got into battle mode with his usual intensity, staring into the camera for a photo he posted with a caption quoting the Dune author:

Fear is the mind-killer. It's clear Josh Brolin is not afraid to strip himself down to the basics and #cowboyup for his role. Since filming just started, it looks like Brolin is getting in on the early action, possibly for some training scenes with young Paul.

Patrick Stewart played Gurney Halleck in David Lynch's 1984 Dune. Denis Villeneuve has his own very different plans for the story, which is also meant to carry across more than one film. Just the physicality of Josh Brolin alone hints in a different direction, not that SirPatStew isn't boss in his own right.

Dune is filming on location in Budapest, Hungary, and Jordan, so those countries can look forward to seeing many famous faces in the next few months.

So far, Denis Villeneuve's Dune cast includes Rebecca Ferguson as Jessica Atreides; Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto; Zendaya as Chani; Javier Bardem as Stilgar; Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban; Stellan Skarsgård as Vladimir Harkonnen; Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam; Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho; David Dastmalchian as Piter De Vries; and Chang Chen as Dr. Wellington Yueh.

No wonder Stellan Skarsgard compared that cast to the Avengers. Get more details on each star and character with our cast list.

Here's the film's official synopsis, from Warner Bros. and Legendary:

A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Blade Runner 2049) is not only directing the film, he also co-wrote the screenplay (with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts) and he's one of the film's producers. Dune is currently scheduled for worldwide release on November 20, 2020.

Meanwhile, Josh Brolin -- no stranger to major films, from Deadpool 2 to Avengers: Infinity War -- will soon be seen back in action as Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. That movie opens April 26, 2019 as one of the many films hitting the big screen this year.

The Avengers Vs The Justice League: Which Is The Better Superhero Team?

The Avengers Vs The Justice League: Which Is The Better Superhero Team?

In Avengers: Endgame, the Avengers proved they could best the most powerful villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but could those characters take out their counterparts from The Justice League movie? At the box office, it’s not been much of a fight, Marvel and the MCU have been crushing DC and the DCEU.

Sure, Marvel got a head start on the competition when it kicked off Phase One of the MCU with Iron Man in 2008, but DC had previously been sucking wind trying to catch up, although it is finally starting to make great strides. While the MCU has had an outline and a playbook that that has been laid out and followed to a T, at times, it seems like the DCEU has been in total chaos and flying by the seat of the tights.

Still, none of this has anything to do with how powerful the characters are, and there's nothing we love more at CinemaBlend than superhero hypotheticals. So, could The Avengers beat The Justice League in a fight between superheroes? Marvel’s Avengers may do better at the box office, but DC’s Justice League would give them one heck of a fight in the ring. Who would come out on top? We state the case below.

It should be noted, that just to keep this from spiraling out into infinity, we’re going to limit the argument to only six members of The Avengers and the six members of The Justice League introduced in the DCEU so far. On the Avengers side, it will be Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Panther, Captain Marvel and The Hulk. So, that means no Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man, or any of The Guardians Of The Galaxy. On the Justice League side, it’s Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg.

The Avengers Versus The Justice League

The Avengers biggest strengths are their brains and technical skills. Tony Stark’s genius and engineer would have to be their biggest asset against any potential DCEU foes. Let’s face it, The Avengers are going to need Iron Man to come up with something big to help them stop The Justice League’s most powerful superhero, Superman. Superman is going to be the biggest problem for them and stopping him is almost impossible. Thor will also be critical here.

Superman is almost indestructible. The only chance The Avengers would have against The Justice League would be to somehow sideline him maybe using the power of Thor. Thor’s Mjolnir or Stormbreaker are the most powerful weapons in any universe and he’s going to need all of it. The Incredible Hulk’s incredible strength would also be important in isolating the biggest threats from The Justice League.

While this is going on, Batman and Captain America would probably face off in one of the most epic battles that superhero fans could ever wish for. They are pretty evenly matched too. That leaves the wild card: Wonder Woman. Could the Justice League gain the advantage over The Avengers here with Wonder Woman?

Of course, there other concerns too. Would The Hulk decimate the competition outside of Superman or could The Flash and Aquaman someone contain him? As with Superman, The Hulk is probably not going to fall in a one-on-one battle. If The Flash and Aquaman were distracted by The Hulk, where does that leave Cyborg? With a powerful superhero like Captain Marvel teamed with Black Panther, could Cyborg come out on top? He may be the biggest weakness in the Justice League in this fight. He’d be better matched with Iron Man, with his hacker skills, but he may not get the opportunity in this battle.

Most likely what would happen is that the six leaders of each team with battle it out while the three “lesser” members would be left facing each other. This makes the larger battle slightly more even, because, again, Superman really puts the Avengers at a major disadvantage. What can you do to stop him?

Iron Man, Thor, And Captain America Vs. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman

The leaders of The Avenger and The Justice League would definitely need to face off with each other. This is the only way The Avengers would have a chance.

First, The Avengers would need to have made sure that Tony Stark had invented some kind of Kryptonite-shooting weapon to fire at Superman. With Superman weakened, a charge from Thor and healthy smack of his hammer would be the Avengers best chance to flip the script on The Justice League. Maybe Thor could somehow plant an unconscious Superman on the moon or something, giving The Avengers a chance.

This is all if the much-anticipated battle between Batman and Captain America keeps those two distracted. In all of The Avengers vs. Justice League possible match-ups, this is the one people should want to see most. They are pretty evenly matched and both are incredible in hand-to-hand combat. Whoever comes out on top in this fight could also swing the battle in one direction or the other as both are crucial to the success of their respective teams.

This leaves Wonder Woman. If Iron Man and Thor were distracted with Superman, it leaves an opening for Wonder Woman to take on one or both. She is pretty evenly matched with Thor, with both of them being gods and all. Plus – who wouldn’t want to see Gal Godot fighting with Chris Hemsworth -- that’s a dreamy match up. Frankly, she might be pretty evenly matched with Iron Man too, as he was when he fought Thor in The Avengers.

It’s probably best she go for Thor though, and leave Iron Man to Superman, because that is the mismatch of the century. All due respect to Iron Man, but if Tony Stark failed to get the kryptonite shot off effectively, Superman would waste him. This pairing gives the Justice League a big advantage. But what about the undercard, could that change things?

Captain Marvel, Blank Panther And The Hulk Vs. Aquaman, The Flash And Cyborg

This is where things get even more interesting. Captain Marvel is a huge X-factor here. As powerful as she is, Aquaman, The Flash, and Cyborg would need to find a way to contain her. That may not even be possible, and if they do somehow manage to do it, how do they stop The Hulk?

Another issue is Aquaman. How does the Justice League maximize his strengths? Is there a way for him to face off with The Hulk and come out on top? That could tilt the battle significantly. He might be the only Justice League member that could handle The Hulk one on one (besides Superman of course).

The Flash is the weak point for the Justice League here, there just isn’t a good match up for him among these Avengers. Maybe he can go after Black Panther but the more natural matchup for Black Panther seems like Cyborg, given both of their technology expertise?

But then that would leave Captain Marvel versus the Flash and that feels like a huge mismatch in favor of Marvel’s Avengers. So DC’s The Justice League will need to counteract that somehow.

How The Avengers Could Beat The Justice League

In a fight between The Avengers and The Justice League, there is one clear way The Avengers could come out on top.

First, Tony Stark would need that kryptonite particle shooter. With Iron Man taking a shot at Superman, stunning and weakening him, one mighty clobber from Thor’s hammer could send him spinning into space. Knocking Superman out of the fight (and far away from Earth’s sun) is the only chance they have to get the upper hand in the battle.

From there, it would still be up to Captain America to take out Batman, and in hand-to-hand combat, both heroes are pretty evenly matched, which makes Captain America’s shield the most important weapon here. If Captain America can hold off an onslaught of projectiles that Bruce Wayne would have certainly prepared with and get in close, he should be able to deflect some those back towards Batman and hopefully knock him out.

With Superman out of the fight, Thor and The Hulk would need to team up to take on the powerful Aquaman. The only way The Avengers would be able to overcome his speed and reflexes is with an all-out frontal assault by their two strongest members. If Thor and The Hulk could bat Aquaman around and back and forth for a few minutes, he just might be down for the count.

Meanwhile, that leaves Iron Man and Black Panther to hold off the The Flash and Cyborg for the time being. This will be a tough ask from the two. Black Panther would need every bit of strength and his ancestor’s knowledge to take down Cyborg, but if Iron Man can serve as bait, Cyborg could get distracted by trying to hack Jarvis and take out Tony Stark’s technology, then Black Panther would gain the advantage in hand to hand combat.

The Flash is a big part of this. How do The Avengers slow him down? Carol Danvers of course. If anyone is prepared for the incredible speed of The Flash, it’s the fighter pilot Captain Marvel. If she can catch him, she can take him out.

That leaves Wonder Woman. Hardly a slouch, right? With the others out of the battle, The Avengers would need all hands on deck to take out the mighty Wonder Woman. Thor’s Hammer is the only weapon that I really believe could do the trick here. He would need to get in a solid shot with his powerful hammer and leave her vulnerable to attack.

In the end The Avengers would be in rough shape, but they could stand victorious over their rivals. But what about an alternate universe, one where The Justice League prevails?

How The Justice League Could Beat The Avengers

So, how do The Justice League prevail in this epic battle against The Avengers? Well, they have Superman, and that alone gives them a major advantage. Cyborg is the key though.

Superman could take mighty blows from Hulk and Thor all day if Cyborg is able hack Jarvis, preventing Iron Man from releasing a hail of kryptonite particles on Superman. If Superman is at full strength, he could easily do a rope-a-dope against Thor and The Hulk until the other Avengers were taken out. But how does that happen?

With Jarvis hacked, Iron Man would be easy to take out. Wonder Woman would be free to take on Captain Marvel in a classic head-to-head matchup of the two most powerful women in the Universe. Wonder Woman’s best chance here would be to land some heavy blows and count in The Flash to harass Carol Danvers enough to allow for Wonder Woman’s blows to take effect. Wonder Woman’s god-level strength would overcome Captain Marvel and leave her jetting the other direction.

After Iron Man and Captain Marvel were sidelined, Batman would need to win his one on one with Captain America. To do this, he would need to be stealth, something he can excel at. Batman would need to devise a plan to get around Captain America’s shield and to do that, he’ll need to use his combat knowledge. Attacking Captain America from behind would be his best chance. Once he does, he would wrap Cap up and force him to watch from the sidelines.

Once Batman has done this, he and Cyborg would need to face Black Panther together. Only their combination of brains and brawn could match the Wakandan’s brains and brawn. They might be able to get some help from Wonder Woman at this point. It would be an epic hand-to-hand fight, but three on one is probably too much, even for Black Panther.

Now the attention of the entire Justice League could turn to the two most powerful Avengers, Thor and Hulk. Superman would be able to focus all his attention on Hulk, in what would be the most epic boxing match of all time, while Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman and Cyborg would be able to focus on Thor. Cyborg would be a little out of his element, but in a battle of seriously powerful gods, Aquaman and Wonder Woman would be key to defeating Thor.

If Wonder Woman could deflect or even – gasp – catch Thor’s Hammer, Aquaman would have free reign to come down on the mighty Thor, meaning a God from the sea could sink the hero named for a Norse god.

With Thor out, it’s going to take all six members of Justice League to take out Hulk, unless Superman alone can demoralize him until he quits, which is probably what would happen.

Is This A Battle That Could Ever Really Happen?

Well, probably not. Sure, there have been some epic crossover issues between DC and Marvel over the years, including a big one in 2002, but those came at time when both companies were struggling financially, which is definitely no longer the case and, of course, there are real-world constraints to this too. Both imprints are owned by two different enormous media companies DC is owned AT&T through Warner Brothers and Marvel is owned by Disney.

If The Predator can fight The Alien, and Jason can battle Freddy, What are the chances those two rivals would come together allow this battle to happen, to determine the supremacy of one media world over another? About as good a chance as Ant-Man would have against a giant bottle of Raid, so for now, we’ll just have to live with speculation.