Marvel And DC Crossovers We'd Love To See

With the DC Cinematic Universe set to catch up to Marvel's head start at the movies, it seems like the two biggest comic book publishers could both dominate the box office for years to come. For true fans, this is awesome. It could mean a new comic book movie virtually every month once things get going. But once all the main stories are out of the way, is there room for both companies to collaborate on something even bigger? It's happened on paper, so why not on screen?

The key to any good comic book crossover movie lies in atmosphere and balance. You can't make Batman fight the Hulk because audiences would never believe Bruce Wayne could survive a single punch from the big, green rage machine. Plus, we only want to see heroes as enemies briefly until they team up and square off against a real foe. You need complimentary characters, which is why Batman and Blade go together like two bats in a cave. Both Blade and Batman have mastered the dark aesthetic on film and live in foreboding worlds with serious bad guys who are willing to murder for kicks. Blade's enemies are supernatural, while Batman's are calculating and maniacal, but none of them ever seem to walk in the sunlight. Have the two battle each other until they need to face off against Scarecrow and Blade's vampire father Lucas Cross. Deadpool and Blade have proven there's a market for dark, R-rated comic book movies out there, and the addition of Batman would seriously up the ante to make this a hell of an action film.

The problem with Superman has long been Superman. He's basically indestructible, so no matter what villain he comes up against, it seems like there's no real tension. Even when he dies in the comics, the writers brought him back, removing any sense of dread or trepidation about any fight he may get into in the future. You know Supes is going to be just fine. Or so it would seem. If there's one being in the combined universes of Marvel and DC who could give the Man of Steel a run for his money, and not come across as goofy while doing it, it's the Phoenix. Jean Grey, possessed by the Phoenix Force, basically wields the powers of Cosmic Creation. The Phoenix is an immortal and indestructible manifestation of the forces of life itself. The whole DC universe would be hard pressed to stand united against the Phoenix, so a match against Superman would be one for the ages.

The perfect match up between two universes, Wonder Woman versus Thor, pits demigod versus god in what could be the most even match-up between Marvel and DC. Both heroes have a sense of decorum and obligation, both are part of a greater pantheon and value honor and integrity. Both can throw cars. The two could square off over a misunderstanding of some kind. A good catalyst for a crossover would be Circe and Loki joining forces as their similar powers would work together nicely. Thor and Wonder Woman throw down until they realize who their true foes are and then: bam. It's team-up time.

With the success of Deadpool, this is a no-brainer. Deathstroke has long been acknowledged as the character Rob Liefeld ripped off to crate Deadpool, so why not pit the two of them against each other? Both have sketchy moral compasses and while Deadpool seems to have the edge on paper in terms of skills and abilities, one can never underestimate what a master tactician Deathstroke is. Try to imagine the nearly immortal insanity of Deadpool head to head against a cold, calculating genius who could arguably think of a way to stop Superman if he were forced into it. Having Deadpool be crazy and zany but throwing him into a serious situation brought on by a legitimate threat of an enemy would make for a fantastic atmosphere. Plus, since his opponent really is himself, in a sense, it's still the same sort of hyper subversive story that Deadpool should star in, only couched hidden in the appearance of a more serious film.

There have been rumblings for years now about a female focused superhero movie and the inherent sexism behind a lot of the current films and their marketing. Go looking for Avengers toys and don't be surprised if you can't find Black Widow anywhere. And while we have a Wonder Woman movie on the way, is that going to be enough? Of course not. What better movie to get everyone's interest than one featuring two of the most badass ladies in both Marvel and DC? With Black Widow's background as a spy and Catwoman's history as a high profile thief, you have the perfect pedigree for an action thriller along the lines of Mission: Impossible, but with a superhero slant. This could be a perfect mix of sexy intrigue and kick-ass martial arts action. No need for anyone to even have super powers at all in the movie—except maybe a common foe, like Poison Ivy.

This may be cheating a little bit, but let's go with it. Back in 1996, Marvel and DC merged to form Amalgam comics for a very limited run. It wasn't just a crossover event; it was a melding of universes where popular characters from both publishers were combined into single heroes. Spider-Man and Superboy merged into Spider-Boy, while Captain America and Superman merged into Super Soldier. But the coolest merge of all was Batman and Wolverine combining to become Dark Claw.

Dark Claw is the story of the orphaned Logan Wayne, who joins the Weapon X project and has adamantium bonded to his skeleton and learns of his mutant nature. When the project is shut down, he travels the world developing is skills as a fighter and detective in an effort to fight crime and avenge the death of his parents. His true identity is only known to his sidekick Sparrow, an amalgamation of Robin and Jubilee, as well as his arch-nemesis Hyena, which smooshed Sabertooth and the Joker together. The story obviously didn't last long in comics, but the visual alone of Wolverine and Batman in the same body was more than worth it.