Since the days of comics Marvel and DC Comics have warred over its material and many of the heroes tend to be very similar. Green Lantern and Captain Marvel are practically identical characters, there’s The Flash and Quicksilver, Batman is a rich and super smart vigilante and Iron Man is a rich and super smart superhero, oh the list could go on and on but you get the point.
Now, even the movies are very much alike. Batman vs. Superman is Captain America: Civil War, Suicide Squad is Guardians of the Galaxy, Justice League tried to be The Avengers, they even have the same director, and Shazam! is Spider-Man: Homecoming. That’s why I thought it perfect to compare these two films and determine which is better. Enjoy!
Story
Shazam! is the origin story of a fourteen-year-old kid who finds a magic staff that turns him into a buff superhero who’s basically Superman, minus the laser eyes. Of course, in the midst of this basic plot we learn he’s a foster kid who struggles with trusting people, adding character development and menial drama to the overall stakes. It’s a cute tale about a cute character who becomes a cute superhero in a cute movie.
And then there’s Spider-Man: Homecoming which is a bit of a different origin story. When we meet him in this film he already has his superpowers, he’s already lost his Uncle Ben, but now he must learn what it takes to be an Avenger-level hero. He faces a formidable villain in The Vulture, has his first crush, and tries to catch the approval of Tony Stark’s mentorship.
Ultimately, both of these stories are well-written and leave me with a smile on my face, but it is Spider-Man: Homecoming that wins this category.
Spider-Man: Homecoming: 1 pt.
Heroes
Spider-Man is awesome and Marvel Studios only made him that much better. His technical suit has so many still unknown properties and who doesn’t love Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. He’s so freaking cute!
And then there’s Zachary Levi’s Shazam who I thought was going to be annoying but he’s actually really funny and fun to watch. Yeah, his suit could be better but that’s part of what makes his character so hilarious. And Zachary Levi did such a marvelous job embodying the idea that he was a kid inside of that body. I love it!
I thought I would be giving this category to Spider-Man but I’ve got them at a tie.
Spider-Man: Homecoming: 2 pts.
Shazam!: 1 pt.
Humor
Here’s another difficult category because both films are actually really funny. Spider-Man: Homecoming has that classic Marvel humor that makes you laugh every time you watch it but Shazam!, surprisingly, has some great humor as well. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m going to give this category to Shazam!
Spider-Man: Homecoming: 2 pts.
Shazam!: 2 pts.
Action Scenes
Once again, I’m at a bit of a loss. I like the action scenes in Spider-Man: Homecoming but they don’t fill me with exhilaration. And Shazam! has some fun action scenes but after a while I often find myself saying, “Just beat the villain already!”
This category actually wasn’t that hard after all.
Spider-Man: Homecoming: 3 pts.
Shazam!: 2 pts.
Those Surprises!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
Spider-Man: Homecoming has one of the greatest surprises in the MCU as we learn that Liz’s father is in fact, Mr. Toomes/The Vulture. Peter Parker’s excitement for the prom is totally upended as he hilariously freaks out quietly. It’s as if his face is screaming, “HELP!”
And then there was this moment that made me and my family clap when we watched it for the first time in the movie theater. Having Billy and his foster family all become Shazams! was just…oh it still makes me smile to this day.
Honestly, this category is a little lopsided because I had read the Spider-Man: Homecoming spoiler months before but Peter’s reaction was still a treat and still manages to make me laugh to this day. But yeah, I like the surprise in Shazam! a whole lot more because it sets up what should be a great sequel!
Spider-Man: Homecoming: 3 pts.
Shazam!: 3 pts.
Well, after those five categories it seems that I regard these films with the same sense of joy and that makes sense. If they’re on television I’ll watch them and ultimately enjoy them both. (Yeah, Shazam! is definitely my favorite DCEU movie.)
Which is your favorite between these two choices? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
I thank you for reading and I hope you have a beautiful day.
Annlyel Online 