While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has built a cohesive and diverse franchise with each entry, Warner Bros. has decided to branch out in a different direction with its characters from DC Comics. A great example of this is how the studio has reached a younger demographic with the newest film DC League of Super-Pets. But even though both franchises have taken their own directions, that doesn't mean that the latter is afraid to poke fun at the competition.

DC League of Super-Pets follows Superman's dog Krypto (Dwayne Johnson), who must team up with Ace (Kevin Hart) and other pets from Metropolis to save his owner and the rest of the Justice League from a villainous guinea pig. But since this new enemy has powers of her own, the team has had to even the playing field. As a result, each pet, aside from Krypto, has developed their own superpower to help save the other heroes. For example, Ace is now impervious to damage, similar to Superman. But since they're new to their abilities, a learning curve leads to hilarious results.

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DC League of Super Pets Ace

In the newest trailer, as a projectile hurdles toward the Super-Pets, Krypto tells Ace to activate his super shield, and the heroes put Ace in front of them to take the brunt of the explosion. As the others land gracefully, Ace takes a hard landing and is nothing short of winded when he comes to his senses. Although he's alright, Ace comments on how he wished he had gotten a magic hammer rather than invincibility, similar to Thor. The scene was a clever nod to the MCU, but it was also the second joke in the film's trend of making harmless jabs at their competition.

The film's first trailer also had a scene where Superman used his heat vision to iron out a wrinkle before commenting on how he should be called Iron Man. While the puns aren't the most creative in terms of humor, they speak to the larger fact that even in the DC film's universe, the Marvel Studios brand has become so big that they're part of a cultural zeitgeist. Because of this, small jokes made about its characters are part of the norm. However, because the property is also from DC, it makes the joke even funnier, as it shows that even its rivals know how to have fun with the property.

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Thor with Mjolnir in combat

There's also a high degree of recognition with the Marvel Universe as a whole, and for DC to joke about its rivals shows that the company is also aware of the attention their characters bring. Although it's no secret that these two companies have been rivals for decades, their mention via passing jokes shows the healthy competition between them. It also shows how the recognition between the characters could help both brands, as it helps each project stay in the minds of its viewers ahead of release.

Considering the jokes present in DC League of Super-Pets, both Marvel and non-Marvel related, there will likely be a treasure trove of humorous meta moments to get a laugh from fans of the genre. But even if the two Marvel jokes shown in the trailer are the only ones in the film, they show the importance of healthy competition and represent how both brands recognize each other's success. In the end, the jokes hit even more because they aren't mean-spirited but instead a way for the companies to push one another, whether in action, drama or humor.

DC League of Super-Pets hits theaters on July 29.