James Gunn hit a jackpot with the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies. They were hilarious, full of intriguing heroes, and introduced the space side of Marvel to the audience. After he was temporarily fired from the third Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn crossed over to the DCEU instead and filmed the new version of the Suicide Squad.

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That gives the fans of both of these superhero cinematic universes the unique chance to compare the films and find out which James Gunn superhero movie is better, whether his Marvel work or the DC one.

10 Suicide Squad: It Gives Space To Villains

King Shark tries to eat Ratcatcher 2 in Suicide Squad

It's still somewhat rare to get a comic book film about people who are far from heroic. Suicide Squad gives the audience the chance to get a glimpse into the lives of protagonists who are very different from traditional superheroes.

Even the most heroic character in the film, Rick Flag, isn't without faults, which makes it a fascinating watch.

9 Guardians Of The Galaxy: Lovable Losers

Guardians of the Galaxy James Gunn

However, sympathy-wise, Guardians of the Galaxy win. Mostly because they're more traditionally heroic. True, most of them initially just want to be left in peace and do their own thing but they grew as people over time.

In the end, it's in their nature to help others. That's something not every member of the Suicide Squad can say (such as the Peacemaker who doesn't care whom he hurts as long as he achieves his goal).

8 Suicide Squad: Harley Quinn

The Suicide Squad Harley Quinn Margot Robbie

Harley's presence continues to be one of the biggest draws of Suicide Squad. Margot Robbie's Harley stole the first Suicide Squad (2016) for herself.

She was dominant in Birds of Prey (2020), and she's just as prominent in the new Suicide Squad. Even though Harley's a part of an ensemble, in this case, she still easily steals any scene she appears in for herself.

7 Guardians Of The Galaxy: Better Fleshed-Out Characters

michael rooker yondu guardians of the galaxy 3

Overall, since Suicide Squad moves forward so fast, it doesn't exactly draw out its characters in greater detail. The Guardians of the Galaxy movies do the opposite. They take the time to establish the individual strengths and weaknesses of the main characters, as well as their mutual complicated relationships.

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For example, the whole line of Yondu sacrificing his life to save Peter or Groot taking one for the team and dying for them wouldn't work if the characters weren't fleshed out well.

6 Suicide Squad: It Shows Another Side Of The DC Comics World

Suicide Squad arrives in Corto Maltese

Most of the film takes place in Corto Maltese. Despite this place's prominence in the comics, it only previously played a bigger part on Arrow. Just for a reminder, Thea Queen went to Corto Maltese to learn from her biological father, Malcolm Merlyn, how to fight.

The Corto Maltese in the Suicide Squad is very different and it provides the audience with another important bit of the lore of this world.

5 Guardians Of The Galaxy: It's A Space Ride

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2 Screenshot Of Ego

Unlike the previous MCU movies that mostly stayed on Earth (with Thor being the one notable exception), Guardians of the Galaxy are a good old space opera.

That's a highly popular genre and also something that allows to show off many fascinating places, planets, and alien species. This is something the Suicide Squad simply can't do. The closest the film came to showing more of the vastness of space was including Starro as the main big baddie.

4 Suicide Squad: It's Hilarious

Weasel goes on a mission in Suicide Squad

One thing that no one can complain about is Suicide Squad not being funny. Even when the stakes are high, the film is still able to make the audience laugh repeatedly.

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Either thanks to the way the characters behave or simply because of the absurdity of the situations they get in. The cadence of jokes in the film is high which makes it a delightful watch.

3 Guardians Of The Galaxy: It Better Combines Drama And Humor

Baby Groot

That doesn't mean Guardians of the Galaxy aren't funny. The heroes argue, insult each other, work together against their will, and all of this can often make the audience laugh. However, Guardians of the Galaxy are better at combining drama and humor.

One minute, the viewers can feel sorry for baby Groot being tormented by his captors. And the next moment, they can laugh at baby Groot trying to understand what it is that Rocket's asking him to bring.

2 Suicide Squad: It Works As A Stand-Alone Movie

The Suicide Squad team gets together

Despite the way how the DCEU is connected, it's possible to watch the Suicide Squad without any previous knowledge of any other movies from this universe - including the first Suicide Squad film.

Of course, the audience will enjoy it better if they know what happened in Harley's past, for example. But for the most part, the film works all on its own.

1 Guardians Of The Galaxy: It Has Better Romances

Gamora and Peter dance in Guardians of the Galaxy

Romantic relationships are an important part of many superhero movies. The Suicide Squad doesn't excel in this area. The closest it gets to it is when Harley has a brief and ultimately unfortunate fling with Silvio Luna.

Guardians of the Galaxy, on the other hand, have managed to enrich the story by including complex romances. Most notably the developing relationship between Gamora and Peter Quill goes from scorn to love.

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