NEST Speculative: Marvel VS DC Part Two- Taking on Television

Gap in the Market

As I discussed in my last NEST Speculative, Marvel has almost indisputably won the battle for the big screen. However, as of the writing of this piece, Marvel hasn't had a live-action television that was part of their cinematic universe relaunching, except the still forthcoming Agents of Shield. DC, on the other hand, has. Smallville was incredibly long-running at ten seasons, and the more recent Arrow has had one amazing season so far and is set to return later this year.

New Screen, New Rules

DC's recent attempts to ground their heroes in real-world logic have been more successful on television. The simple reason for this is length of the piece. 217 episodes of Smallville aired, and sans commercials that equals roughly 163 hours of the show, compared to the two-hour Man of Steel. A movie that focuses on high-octane superhero action like Man of Steel or The Avengers cannot sustain itself for even a single season. DC's current superhero show, Arrow, focuses strongly on the interpersonal relationships between the characters, which helps sustain the action and keeps viewers between episodes.
Unlike DC, Marvel may not be as comfortable on television. The Avengers was undoubtedly a great film but a show with that style would outstay its welcome far too fast. That's not to say Agents of Shield won't be as high-quality as the Marvel films; Joss Whedon has had plenty of experience with television and I am sure Agents of Shield will be a high quality show.

Find out this Fall

The battle for television will likely be decided this fall, with Agents of Shield going head-to-head with Arrow and quite possibly the Arrow Spinoff Flash. If Arrow continues with its current quality and direction, Marvel and Disney have their work cut out for them.
What's your opinion? Tell me in the comments.