Captain Marvel is set to premiere this weekend on TNT, which marks its TV debut. This is probably good news for casual Marvel fans who may have missed it, or for those who may want to put it on their DVR. But in what might be referred to as an odd flex, the cable network has decided to air a marathon of DC movies ahead of the 2019 Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster. It is certainly an odd choice, considering there are plenty of Marvel movies that could be used as a lead in to the big premiere.
TNT’s lineup for the weekend heading into the Captain Marvel premiere on Sunday, January 10 is loaded down with DC movies. The selection includes Justice League, Suicide Squad, Batman Begins, Wonder Woman, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Man of Steel. No other Marvel movies in sight. And it’s not as though the network doesn’t showcase MCU titles. The network recently showed Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame back-to-back. That makes one wonder why whoever is in charge of programming at TNT decided to showcase DC superheroes all weekend ahead of Brie Larson’s grand entrance as Carol Danvers on cable TV. The full schedule is as follows.
Friday, January 8: Justice League (8 p.m. E.T.), Suicide Squad (10: 30 p.m E.T.)
Saturday, January 9: Suicide Squad (3 p.m. E.T.), Justice League (5:30 p.m. E.T.), Wonder Woman (8 p.m. E.T.), Batman Begins (11 p.m. E.T.)
Sunday, January 10: Batman Begins (11 a.m. E.T.), Man of Steel (2 p.m. E.T.), Wonder Woman (5 p.m. E.T.), Captain Marvel (8 p.m. E.T.)
This is not to say there should be a feud between DC and Marvel. A line drawn in the sand. Many fans of superheroes love characters and stories from both universes. Even creators such as James Gunn, known for directing Guardians of the Galaxy for Marvel, is doing The Suicide Squad right now before circling back to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It just seems odd, from a programming perspective, to lead up to the network premiere of a huge Marvel movie with a batch of DC movies.
Captain Marvel proved to be a truly massive hit for Disney and Marvel Studios. With Oscar-winner Brie Larson in the lead role, the movie was directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. It takes place in the 90s, with Samuel L. Jackson returning as a younger Nick Fury. It was a winning formula, generating $1.1 billion at the global box office. Larson also played the role in Avengers: Endgame, which went on to become the highest-grossing movie in history.
Marvel is currently gearing up for Captain Marvel 2, which will be directed by Nia DaCosta. In addition to Brie Larson, Ms. Marvel star Iman Vellani will appear as Kamala Khan. Captain Marvel premieres on TNT this Sunday. You can check out the network’s full schedule over at TNTdrama.com.