As we all know, in today’s world there is no dispute more intractable, and no divide more impassable, than that which exists between devotees of Marvel and those of DC. Quite how it escalated to this borderline apocalyptic level — inarguably the defining conflict of our time — will be for future historians to piece together from the remnants of our shattered societies. But suffice to say these days, swearing fealty to one or either side is as fraught, yet vital, a process as choosing between the Crips and the Bloods in 1970s South Central, only on a far bigger scale. Not merely worldwide, it spans entire universes.
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The cultural artifacts of each of these superpowers have themselves begun to reflect this heartbreaking brother-against-brother, parent-against-child turmoil: The two most recent superhero films to land at the box office — last month’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice” and this weekend’s “Captain America: Civil War” (because apparently the only thing these sworn mortal enemies agree on is the franchise usefulness of the colon) — both deal with internecine conflicts in which their own heroes turn against one another. Is there no hope for a less bleak future?
Surely there must be. If no fewer than 49 actors (that we could find, tell us if we’ve missed some) can suppress their ideological differences and get named speaking roles in both Marvel and DC films and television shows, perhaps humanity can ride this thing out. After all, the A to Z (Affleck to Zurer) list above proves that neither comics titan has the exclusive claim on quality or even the exclusive claim on Your Favorite Acting Celebrities. There truly is more that unites us than drives us apart, people: Can’t we all just try to get along?