It promised to be the showdown of the summer. In one corner, a newly resurgent DC and Superman, backed by creative powerhouse James Gunn. In the other, a sheepish Marvel Studios pulling out its ace in the hole with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, led by the ubiquitous Pedro Pascal.
The winner? By any metric – Rotten Tomatoes, audience response, and box office gross – it's almost too close to call. The real victors, though, might be away from cinema screens, because fans finally have something to look forward to again in this new age of heroes after half a decade of diminishing returns and comic-book movie duds.
