Let's settle this once and for all: DC vs. Marvel Tournament

They’re both terrible.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

THE FINAL VOTE:
Wonder Woman
I really like Iron Man Three, I really do.  But Wonder Woman is my favorite DC movie.  If it tops The Dark Knight, a movie that's "Hey, it's better than Iron Man 2" doesn't stand a chance.

The Score
Wonder Woman:  6
Iron Man Three:  2
Ghost Rider:  Spirit of Vengeance:  1



Wonder Woman tries to stop Iron Man with love, Tony takes it the wrong way and tries to take her back to his place.  Diana just punches him instead.

DC:  18
Marvel:  17
Draw:  2

ROUND 38!

IN THIS CORNER


Japanese voice cast listed since it was developed for Japanese theaters
Superheroes:  Koichi Yamadera as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Ai Kakuma as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Hochu Otsuka as Alfred Pennyworth, Daisuki Ono as Dick Grayson/Nightwing, Yuki Kaji as Damian Wayne/Robin, Akira Ishida as Jason Todd/Red Hood, Kengo Kawanishi as Tim Drake/Red Robin
Supervillains:  Wataru Takagi as the Joker, Rie Kugimiya as Harley Quinn, Takehito Koyasu as Gorilla Grodd, Junichi Suwabi as Deathstroke, Atsuko Tanaka as Poison Ivy, Toshiyuki Morikawa as Two-Face, Cho as the Penguin, Kenta Miyaki as Bane
Civilians:  N/A
Run Time:  1 Hour 25 Minutes
Director:  Junpei Mizusaki
Writer:  Kazuki Nakashima
Music:  Yugo Kanno
Cinematography:  N/A
Tomatometer:  82%
IMDB:  5.6
Story:  In battle with Gorilla Grodd, Batman is accidentally sent back in time to Feudal Japan, where he discovers not only Grodd, but a slew of other Batman villains have already arrived there and established their own territories across the land, including the Joker, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, Penguin, and Deathstroke.  He also discovers that Alfred, Catwoman, Nightwing, Robin, Red Robin, and Red Hood have also arrived and have teamed up with a group of ninjas who follow an ancient prophecy where a warrior dressed as a bat will eventually land and lead them into battle against the evil rulers of the land.

Pros:  BATMAN VILLAIN MEGAZORD
Cons:  ARMY OF MONKEYS COMBINE TO FORM GIANT MONKEY, ARMY OF BATS COMBINE TO FORM GIANT BATMAN

AND IN THIS CORNER


Superheroes:  Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine, Rika Fukushima as Yukio
Supervillains:  Will Yun Lee as Kenuichiro Harada, Svetlana Khodchenkova as Dr. Green/Viper, Haruhiko Yamanouchi as Ichiro Yashida/Silver Samurai, Brian Tee as Noboru Mori
Civilians:  Tao Okamoto as Mariko Yashida, Famke Janssen as Jean Grey
Run Time:  2 Hours 6 Minutes (Theatrical Cut), 2 Hours 18 Minutes (Extended Cut)
Director:  James Mangold (Ford v Ferrari, 3:10 to Yuma)
Writer:  Mark Bomback (Live Free or Die Hard, War for the Planet of the Apes), Scott Frank (Get Shorty, Minority Report)
Music:  Marco Beltrami (Blade II)
Cinematographer:  Ross Emery
Tomatometer:  71%
IMDB:  6.7
Story:  After leaving the X-Men, Logan is haunted by the death of Jean Grey and lives in seclusion out in the forest.  One day a woman named Yukio comes looking for "the Wolverine" in order to take him back to Japan and fulfill her master's dying wish:  to see the mutant who saved his life in World War II one last time.  Logan travels to Japan and meets with the old and dying Ichiro Yashida, who makes him an offer to exchange Logan's mutant regeneration to Yashida, which will heal him and make him young again.  In return, Logan's curse of immortality will be lifted and he will be able to grow old and die.  Before Logan can refuses his offer and Yashida passes on.  Soon after, Yashida's daughter Mariko is sought out by the Yakuza for unknown reasons.  Logan tries to protect her from the vicious gangsters, but finds his regeneration powers slowly leaving him.

Pros:  Unlike X-Men Origins, this one feels like an actual movie.
Cons:  It kind of meanders without any conceivable direction for an hour and a half before shoving a giant robot in you face for the finale.

FIGHT!

I've never even heard of Batman Ninja.

...There's a movie called Batman Ninja?

While I own a copy of Batman Ninja, I've never watched it.  The fact that this movie played in Japan is of no consequence.  Several of the 70's Marvel TV movies played in theaters in the foreign market too, but they didn't make the tournament.

For definition, these were my rules for getting into this tournament:

1. Had to be officially licensed from DC or Marvel. Sorry to 3 Mighty Men, I love ya' but you're as unofficial as they come.

2. Had to in some development phase been considered for theaters. Most such as Punisher 89, Captain America 90, and Man-Thing did play in theaters in foreign markets anyway, fulfilling that obligation. Batman Ninja technically falls under this category, though it fulfilled its release in its country of origin, which in many ways makes it a truer inclusion than the above three.

3. Direct to video films that were given slight Fathom Event theatrical windows such as The Killing Joke are disqualified. To consider those theatrical films is like considering a Doctor Who season premiere a theatrical film because you saw it in theaters. This one is too much of a grey territory.

4. Roger Corman's Fantastic Four counts, because I want it to.

The Wolverine

Y'all had to steal my Thunder of being the only vote this round.

I've never used not viewing a film as an impediment to making a blind choice.

Yet, it's always there. Staring at you. Whispering to you. Haunting you. It will always be there.

This one?



While it's true I haven't looked at Japanese Spider-Man for some time (it's wonderfully bonkers, from memory), I feel no guilt in leaving this off as it runs less than 25 minutes. Since it doesn't hit the required 45 minutes for feature length, that makes this a short film.

THE FINAL VOTE:
The Wolverine
Even ignoring the slightly amusing pairing link of both these movies bringing their heroes to Japan, these two movies also echo each other in that they get progressively sillier until going completely bonkers for the final act.  A lot of people think The Wolverine's third act weakens the film by going full superhero in the midst of what's really just a drama with superpowers.  While Batman Ninja is really just a silly superhero movie with time travel for its entire duration, it's third act is even more of a "WTF THIS MOVIE MADE A LEFT TURN" than The Wolverine's, as villains headquarters turn into giant robots, the Joker makes them combine into some sort of "Joker Megazord," and the good guys use an army of monkeys and an army of bats that fuse together to make a giant monkey and a giant Batman to fight this machine.  It's almost funny enough to make the movie more enjoyable, but it gets chaotic and confusing, while The Wolverine is mostly straightforward and watchable.  The Wolverine takes my vote, especially with that badass extended cut.

The Score
Batman Ninja:  0
The Wolverine:  5



All attempts to disqualify Batman Ninja turn up empty, and the match is just Wolverine staring at Batman in his stupid samurai outfit until the bell rings and a winner is determined based on a technicality:  "Your giant robot is less stupid than his giant robot."

DC:  18
Marvel:  18
Draw:  2

ROUND 39!

IN THIS CORNER


Superheroes:  Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg, Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash, Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth
Supervillains:  Ciaran Hinds as Steppenwolf
Civilians:  Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, JK Simmons as James Gordon, Connie Nielson as Hippolyta, Amber Heard as Mera, Joe Morton as Silas Stone
Run Time:  2 Hours (Theatrical Cut), 12 Hours 58 Minutes (Snyder Cut)
Director:  Zack Snyder (Watchmen, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman:  Dawn of Justice), Joss Whedon (The Avengers)
Writer:  Chris Terrio (Batman v Superman:  Dawn of Justice), Joss Whedon (The Avengers)
Music:  Danny Elfman (Batman, Batman Returns, Men in Black, Spider-Man, Men in Black II, Hulk, Spider-Man 2, Men in Black 3)
Cinematography:  Fabian Wagner (Game of Thrones, Overlord, Victor Frankenstein)
Tomatometer:  40%
IMDB:  6.3
Story:  An alien who believes himself to be a god and wears a horned helmet beams down to Earth where he will use a cosmic cube to rule humanity for his master in space.  Earth's mightiest heroes must unite and stop him.

Oh wait, that's the plot of Avengers.  Hang on a minute...wait...well son of a bitch...

They also have to bring Superman back to life so...that's different...

Pros:  Anything is a step up from this Justice League movie.
Cons:  If there were an Academy Award for "Most Humiliating Fumble of the Year," this movie would be a frontrunner.



AND IN THIS CORNER


Superheroes:  Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Dave Lizewski/Kick-Ass, Chloe Grace Moretz as Mindy Macready/Hit-Girl, Jim Carrey as Sal Bertolinni/Colonel Stars and Stripes, Clark Duke as Marty/Battle-Guy, Donald Faison as Samuel Keers/Doctor Gravity, Lindy Booth as Miranda Swedlow/Night-Bitch, Augustus Prew as Todd/Ass-Kicker, Robert Emms as David Keers/Insect-Man, Steven Mackintosh as Tommy's Father, Monica Dolan as Tommy's Mother
Supervillains:  Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Chris D'Amico/The Mother Fucker, Ian Glenn as Ralph D'Amico, Andy Nyman as the Tumor, Daniel Kaluuya as Black Death, Tom Wu as Genghis Carnage, Olga Kurkulina as Katrina Dombrovski/Mother Russia
Civilians:  Morris Cestnut as Marcus Williams, John Leguizamo as Javier, Garrett M. Brown as Mr. Lizewski, Yancy Butler as Mrs. D'Amico, Claudia Lee as Brooke, Lindsey Fonseca as Katie Deauxma
Run Time:  1 Hour 43 Minutes
Director:  Jeff Wadlow (Fantasy Island)
Writer:  Jeff Wadlow (Fantasy Island)
Music:  Henry Jackman (Kick-Ass, X-Men:  First Class), Matthew Margeson (Rocketman, Skyline, Rings)
Cinematographer:  Tim Maurice Jones
Tomatometer:  32%
IMDB:  6.5
Story:  After being retired from being Kick-Ass for a few years, Dave Lizewski grows bored and decides to train to become a true hero just as Mindy Macready AKA Hit-Girl is convinced by her guardian Marcus to give up her life of crime fighting and live life as a normal teenage girl.  As Mindy tries to survive high school and being bullied by the popular girls, Dave dons the Kick-Ass persona again and joins the Justice Forever superhero team, a group of heroes inspired to make a difference by Kick-Ass's example several years ago.  Meanwhile, former Red Mist Chris D'Amico starts to lose his sanity as he accidentally kills his mother in a tanning bed accident.  Donning the new supervillain identity of the Mother Fucker, he vows vengeance on Kick-Ass for the death of his father and joins a group of supervillains called the Toxic Mega ****s to kill him and every member of Justice Forever.

Pros:  A Kick-Ass sequel with Jim Carrey in it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Cons:  I mean...Jeff Wadlow, man.  Is there anybody in Hollywood with less talent than this guy?  I mean, besides Doomsday.

FIGHT!