The Only Way To Save Marvel And DC Movies

If James Gunn’s upcoming DCU doesn’t pull off a miracle and Marvel never recovers from their Kang problem, the two rivals may have no choice but to help each other. The best way to do that would be to break out a rarely-used secret weapon both companies have at their disposal. That’s where the Amalgam universe comes in.

Amalgam Comics was a collaborative project between Marvel Comics and DC Comics that saw both their universes mashed together into a single entity. Dubbed the Amalgam universe, this jointly owned IP is home to such Frankensteins as Dark Claw, a combination of Wolverine and Batman, and Spider-Boy, a mixture of Superboy and Spider-Man. The Amalgam universe was born out of a Marvel vs. DC miniseries where fans could vote on the outcome of several intercompany matchups like Captain America vs. Batman.

In the story, two god-like brothers—a red one representing Marvel and a blue one representing DC come to blows, causing one universe to bleed into the other. Eventually, to save both universes, the Spectre and the Living Tribunal created the Amalgam universe—a single merged universe with equal parts Marvel and parts DC. This new universe led to all sorts of crazy character mash-ups, including Supers-Soldier, an amalgamation of Superman and Captain America, and Doctor Strangefate, a threeway combo of Doctors Strange and Fate, as well as the X-Men’s Charles Xavier.

Were Disney and Warner Bros. ever desperate enough to bring Amalgam to the big screen, curiosity alone would guarantee the movie makes at least a billion dollars at the box office. Even those fans most critical of Marvel and DC’s recent offerings would flock to the theater to see such an oddity. Who wouldn’t want to see Iron Lantern face off against Doctor Doomsday?

Of course, the project would only work if both studios were on board since they both own an equal share of the Amalgam universe. Getting Warner Bros. and Disney to team up on a film would be no easy feat, although there is precedence for such a union. The 1988 classic animation/live-action hybrid Who Framed Roger Rabbit? featured characters from both entertainment conglomerates interacting with each other, something once thought to be impossible. The big hurdle would be deciding who distributes the film and how much of the budget comes from each side.

We have an idea for that as well, though. Why not make a new Amalgam production company to produce an Amalgam movie? Think of the publicity such a move would generate!

It’s not as simple as we’re making it out to be, and any collaboration between Warner Bros. and Disney is bound to require a roomful of high-priced lawyers. The results, though, would almost surely be worth it. A Marvel meets DC movie? It’s practically a license to print money.

Or, you know, the two studios can continue with their present course and see their beloved properties die a slow death at the box office. We know which option we’d choose.