How James Gunn Could Retaliate If The MCU Debuts Marvel's Justice League Parody
The friendly rivalry between Marvel and DC Comics is almost as famous as the one between "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" franchises. This is because both comic companies make their fortunes in peddling tales of powerful superheroes that often give readers an escape from reality. Naturally, there have been plenty of comparisons between the companies and their characters, like Thanos being fairly close to Darkseid, and Deadpool seemingly borrowing elements from Deathstroke. Both DC and Marvel have both created parody versions of each other's marquee teams, and it seems a rumor is circulating that says Marvel may be bringing their DC iteration into the MCU timeline.
The Marvel parody version of DC Comics' Justice League is known as the Squadron Supreme, and it contains analogues of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern. According to The Direct, there are rumors circulating that say Marvel is aiming to bring the Squadron Supreme into the MCU, with some speculation assuming that it will be in a "Thunderbolts" property.
However, considering that James Gunn is now the captain of the ship that is the DC Universe, the director and creator can return fire by bringing to the big screen DC's iteration of the Avengers — the Retaliators.
If Marvel wants to poke fun with their somewhat evil Justice League clone, DC has an answer
The rumors and supposed leaks surrounding Marvel's wish to bring the Squadron Supreme to bare have been well documented. Den of Geek speculates that Marvel wishes to adapt the DC knock-off in the same light as Amazon's raunchy television series "The Boys," but this may be a hard sell for its family-orientated parent company, Disney. However, if Marvel decides to unleash the Squadron Supreme on the MCU, DC and James Gunn can answer in kind.
As mentioned earlier, DC has its own version of the Avengers. The Retaliators made their first comic appearance in 2014 and clearly drew inspiration from the Avengers. The Retaliators are just as on the nose as the Squadron Supreme and even go so far as to have rallying cries that overtly mimic those of the Avengers.
In other words, if Marvel wants to poke fun, DC is more than capable of responding. However, Gunn is probably much more unfettered in his creative vision, since DC has no qualms about releasing R-rated materials. Though there hasn't been any real confirmation of any of the rumors mentioned above, the groundwork is certainly there for either company, should they choose to go down the road of poking fun at their business rivals.