TAGGED AS: dc, DC Comics, dceu, Superheroes
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After a long-running Superman series with Christopher Reeve in the iconic tights and cape (and one more with Brandon Routh), and compelling takes on Batman on both sides of the millennium, Warner Bros. put the reset on their DC Comics movies and created the DC Extended Universe. The first in this new constellation of comic book cinema was 2013’s Man of Steel, which took audiences back through the beefy boy from Krypton’s origins and his blossoming into the protector of mankind. The super-serious tone and dismissal of some of Superman’s key characteristics put off some, but this new take was bold enough to keep modern cynical audiences intrigued.
Inevitably, comparisons were incessant to the rival Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially as director Zack Snyder doubled down on the dourness with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In this day and age, fans on the internet expect an all-access pass on the production of their favorite properties, including leaks, rumors, and sneaky on-set photos. The publicly aired dirty laundry of the troubled Suicide Squad shoot colored audience perception of the film before it even released. It also wasn’t very good.
Wonder Woman, with its fleet touch and storytelling pizzazz, would become the first beacon of light for the DCEU, and its first Certified Fresh hit. Justice League followed that year, cramming huge characters into a truncated runtime (not to mention tonally inconsistent reshoots by Joss Whedon, and Henry Cavill’s phantom mustache), leading to rallying cries online of a fabled “Snyder Cut” of the movie.
It’d be more than a year later for the next DCEU entry: 2018’s Aquaman. Directed by James Wan, if the film wasn’t exactly drowning in critical praise, it at last was enough to keep the audiences worldwide satisfied and optimistic for the future. That paid off with Shazam!, a superhero comedy in the more classic vein, one that doesn’t bend over backwards to connect with the larger DC Universe. It worked there and with Birds of Prey, featuring. Wonder Woman 1984 didn’t quite continue the streak, The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker have become among the franchise’s best-reviewed.
In 2023, amidst a changing of the guard that included James Gunn now running the show with a rebooted Superman: Legacy, the company began wrapping up the DCEU with Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
See where how they all play out as we rank all DC Extended Universe movies! —Alex Vo
Peacemaker: Season 1 (2022) 94%
#1
Adjusted Score: 101703%
Critics Consensus: John Cena's still in solid form in Peacemaker, leading a bloody good time that gives writer-director James Gunn full permission to let his freak flag fly.
Starring: John Cena, Steve Agee, Jennifer Holland, Danielle Brooks
Directed By: James Gunn, Peter Safran, Matt Miller, James Gunn
#2
Wonder Woman (2017) 93%
#2
Adjusted Score: 120049%
Critics Consensus: Thrilling, earnest, and buoyed by Gal Gadot's charismatic performance, Wonder Woman succeeds in spectacular fashion.
Synopsis: Before she was Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior.... [More]
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright
Directed By: Patty Jenkins
#3
Shazam! (2019) 90%
#3
Adjusted Score: 112272%
Critics Consensus: An effortlessly entertaining blend of humor and heart, Shazam! is a superhero movie that never forgets the genre's real power: joyous wish fulfillment.
Synopsis: We all have a superhero inside of us -- it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out.... [More]
Starring: Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer
Directed By: David F. Sandberg
#4
The Suicide Squad (2021) 90%
#4
Adjusted Score: 109660%
Critics Consensus: Enlivened by writer-director James Gunn's singularly skewed vision, The Suicide Squad marks a funny, fast-paced rebound that plays to the source material's violent, anarchic strengths.
Synopsis: Welcome to hell--a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst... [More]
Starring: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Viola Davis
Directed By: James Gunn
#5
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020) 79%
#5
Adjusted Score: 105224%
Critics Consensus: With a fresh perspective, some new friends, and loads of fast-paced action, Birds of Prey captures the colorfully anarchic spirit of Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn.
Synopsis: It's open season on Harley Quinn when her explosive breakup with the Joker puts a big fat target on her... [More]
Starring: Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett
Directed By: Cathy Yan
#6
Blue Beetle (2023) 78%
#6
Adjusted Score: 93256%
Critics Consensus: Led by Xolo Maridueña's magnetic performance in the title role, Blue Beetle is a refreshingly family-focused superhero movie with plenty of humor and heart.
Synopsis: Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not... [More]
Starring: Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo
Directed By: Angel Manuel Soto
#7
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) 71%
#7
Adjusted Score: 86830%
Critics Consensus: Zack Snyder's Justice League lives up to its title with a sprawling cut that expands to fit the director's vision -- and should satisfy the fans who willed it into existence.
Synopsis: In ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE, determined to ensure Superman's (Henry Cavill) ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Ben... [More]
Starring: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#8
Aquaman (2018) 65%
#8
Adjusted Score: 88302%
Critics Consensus: Aquaman swims with its entertainingly ludicrous tide, offering up CGI superhero spectacle that delivers energetic action with an emphasis on good old-fashioned fun.
Synopsis: Once home to the most advanced civilization on Earth, the city of Atlantis is now an underwater kingdom ruled by... [More]
Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson
Directed By: James Wan
#9
The Flash (2023) 63%
#9
Adjusted Score: 85020%
Critics Consensus: The Flash is funny, fittingly fast-paced, and overall ranks as one of the best DC movies in recent years.
Synopsis: Worlds collide in "The Flash" when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the... [More]
Starring: Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon
Directed By: Andy Muschietti
#10
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) 58%
#10
Adjusted Score: 84661%
Critics Consensus: Wonder Woman 1984 struggles with sequel overload, but still offers enough vibrant escapism to satisfy fans of the franchise and its classic central character.
Synopsis: Diana Prince lives quietly among mortals in the vibrant, sleek 1980s -- an era of excess driven by the pursuit... [More]
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal
Directed By: Patty Jenkins
#11
Man of Steel (2013) 56%
#11
Adjusted Score: 72243%
Critics Consensus: Man of Steel's exhilarating action and spectacle can't fully overcome its detours into generic blockbuster territory.
Synopsis: With the imminent destruction of Krypton, their home planet, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and his wife seek to preserve their race... [More]
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#12
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) 48%
#12
Adjusted Score: 62426%
Critics Consensus: More unfocused and less satisfying than its predecessor, Shazam! Fury of the Gods still retains almost enough of the source material's silly charm to save the day.
Synopsis: From New Line Cinema comes "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," which continues the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon... [More]
Starring: Zachary Levi, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Asher Angel
Directed By: David F. Sandberg
#13
Justice League (2017) 40%
#13
Adjusted Score: 63126%
Critics Consensus: Justice League leaps over a number of DC movies, but its single bound isn't enough to shed the murky aesthetic, thin characters, and chaotic action that continue to dog the franchise.
Synopsis: Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists newfound ally Diana Prince... [More]
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#14
Black Adam (2022) 38%
#14
Adjusted Score: 54600%
Critics Consensus: Black Adam may end up pointing the way to an exciting future for DC films, but as a standalone experience, it's a wildly uneven letdown.
Synopsis: Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the ancient gods--and imprisoned just as quickly--Black Adam... [More]
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi
Directed By: Jaume Collet-Serra
#15
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) 34%
#15
Adjusted Score: 45400%
Critics Consensus: Jason Momoa remains a capable and committed leading man, but even DC diehards may feel that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom sticks to familiar waters.
Synopsis: After failing to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta wields the power of the mythic Black Trident to unleash... [More]
Starring: Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Amber Heard
Directed By: James Wan
#16
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) 29%
#16
Adjusted Score: 50460%
Critics Consensus: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice smothers a potentially powerful story -- and some of America's most iconic superheroes -- in a grim whirlwind of effects-driven action.
Synopsis: It's been nearly two years since Superman's (Henry Cavill) colossal battle with Zod (Michael Shannon) devastated the city of Metropolis.... [More]
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#17
Suicide Squad (2016) 26%
#17
Adjusted Score: 45144%
Critics Consensus: Suicide Squad boasts a talented cast and a little more humor than previous DCEU efforts, but they aren't enough to save the disappointing end result from a muddled plot, thinly written characters, and choppy directing.
Synopsis: Figuring they're all expendable, a U.S. intelligence officer decides to assemble a team of dangerous, incarcerated supervillains for a top-secret... [More]
Starring: Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman
Directed By: David Ayer
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