Last Updated on February 24, 2022
Ever since 2013, Warner Bros. and DC have been releasing entries in their DC Extended Universe series of movies, which connect heroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and others across one superhero movie landscape. Of the eleven movies so far, a few have been solid, if even heroic, entries in the genre, while several others have been…yeah. Across them all, I’ve been watching each one and waiting — sometimes even eagerly — for the next additions, and in that time have assembled my list of the very best and very worst entries in our epic DCEU Movies Ranked list!.
This list is of course not the end-all-be-all, and we will update it as new movies come and go — and even as opinions change. But for now, these are how I feel the movies stack up amongst each other, although certainly your opinions may differ!
—————————————
11.) Suicide Squad
In 2014, Marvel and director James Gunn proved a rag-tag squad of virtually unrecognizable comic book heroes could not only work but become a cultural sensation with Guardians of the Galaxy. Two years later, DC assembled their own group of mostly nobodies (sans a couple of rather popular crime clowns) and unveiled to the world David Ayer’s studio-cut Suicide Squad – and while it did about as well at the box office and gave us the gift of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn – the actual quality of the movie was far from sensational. A mixture of the kind of gritty crime drama that Ayer has been known for and could be the only explanation for Jared Leto’s Joker looking like a low-level heroin runner and the sort of bonkers comic book thrills a set-up like this should have warranted resulted in an ugly, shockingly dull misfire. Filled with mostly forgettable characters that don’t live up to their comic book personas stranded in an aimless plot filled with henchmen that look like if you overcooked a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Squad tried to be the “fun” entry after the morose Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman, but only manages to be an over-long headache. That’s why it sinks to the bottom of our DCEU Movies Ranked list. That said, a David Ayer cut of this movie might place a whole lot higher!
Read Chris Bumbray’s review here!
10.) Justice League (2017)
Talking about movies that were supposed to be the “fun” entries in the DCEU, Justice League actually manages to achieve have a sense of light entertainment value — but then little else. Directed by Zack Snyder but reshot and finalized by Joss Whedon, JL is a concoction of two visions that ends up not being much of anything. Assembling the likes of Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, and newcomers The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg is a mess of introductions, expositions and eventual CGI chaos that only benefits from a strong cast and suitably not taking itself as seriously as past entries. Yes, it’s fun in spots, but it’s also choppy, empty, and features a horrendous villain, Steppenwolf, that reminds one more of a demon goat than a conqueror of worlds. People gave this movie a big pass for being the simple, fun flick it can often be, but once all that fades, it becomes painfully clear how nigh-unwatchable it really is, and it scrapes the bottom of our DCEU Movies Ranked list.
Read Chris Bumbray’s review here!
9.) Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
Around the release of Man of Steel, it was announced director Zack Snyder and writer David S. Goyer would be returning to work on a sequel, and about a month or so after, Snyder unveiled at that year’s San Diego Comic-Con that the follow-up would be the infamous, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Now, this movie is less a follow-up to MOS or an introduction of a new Batman, but much, much more a studio panicking that they were falling behind their Marvel counterparts in establishing a billion-dollar comic book franchise, and decided to take years of development and cram it into a single movie. Taking the dour tone of MOS and cranking it even higher (lower?), BVS is Snyder trying to somehow elevate the comic book genre by tackling ideas that very much exceed the movie’s grasp, nor has much going on between either Batman or Superman. There are several characters too many and the titular dawn of the incoming Justice League feels shoehorned into an already cluttered story. Admittedly, and to Snyder’s credit, where the movie stands above the previous two entries despite being the most critically-disapproved is that it, at the very least, is a, somewhat fascinating watch. Maybe it’s the boldness of what it’s trying to do, or in how much of a clusterf**k it is, but Snyder did make something that’s at least worth another watch or two. Factor in some genuinely great comic book movie moments (Warehouse scene, Wonder Woman’s arrival, etc.), BVS has a certain air about it that makes it unforgettable. I mean that in mostly negative ways, but still.
Read Chris Bumbray’s review here!
8.) Wonder Woman 1984
As far as sequels go, Wonder Woman 1984 is actually the only true one the DCEU has released so far — which is a bit surprising at this point. Batman v. Superman isn’t quite a Man of Steel sequel and Shazam 2 and Aquaman 2 are some time away, so in terms of having to live up to something that came before, WW84 had the most riding on it of any DCEU movie far. Sadly, it face-planted what should’ve been a perfect landing. While the first movie from director Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot made use of goddess Diana’s unflinching moral code and beacon of hope with a focused story that gave her an ideological war to fight on the WWI battlefield, WW84 is a bizarre mess, juggling multiple storylines and numerous logic inconsistencies while leaving our title character stranded to play second fiddle to a cat-lady and Pedro Pascal’s lame villain. There are some bright spots in terms of performances and, admittedly, many of the themes Jenkins sought to explore — and when you mix that with the occasionally entertaining moment of action or general weirdness it’s not totally a loss — but there’s virtually nothing about the movie from its plotting or character development that holds up to examination. Then there’s just the actual content. Kristen Wiig becomes a reject from Cats; Pascal takes massive bites out of the scenery as the only actor seeming to have fun here and; Chris Pine takes over the body of a random dude who will likely wake up with a gnarly hangover. There is so much going on in this movie, much of it pure lunacy, but none of it adds up to a compelling story that Wonder Woman deserved for her second big-screen outing. Maybe this could’ve been the fourth outing when everyone’s just about done with it all, but not the second time out.
Read JimmyO’s review here!
7.) Man of Steel
After the immense success of The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer pitched their idea for a retooling of Superman for the big-screen to Warner Bros., bringing the same kind of grounded approach to him as they did to Batman. Director Zack Snyder was eventually hired and, years later, Man of Steel hit theaters — and turns out — dramatic Superman isn’t quite as compelling as dramatic Batman. The nonlinear narrative starts with the epic destruction of Krypton and then spends time going back and forth between Kal-El/Clark Kent’s origins on Earth and his nomad years in obscurity, ultimately leading to him donning the suit and saving the world from complete destruction. Much like Wonder Woman, Superman is a beacon of justice and hope, but via the “character study” approach of MOS, this take on the character as he learns to be the hero for Earth feels mostly feels cold and aimless as it fails to establish an emotional link between the lead and anything he’s doing. There is something admirable about the approach — in trying to find a new way to tell the Superman origin story — but the execution doesn’t fit who Superman is and what the tone and style of his movies need to be. Like BVS, Snyder has undeniable vision as a filmmaker, and no one crafts destruction quite like he does, and the score from Hans Zimmer is (like his work on WW84) the best thing about the movie. Not to mention the cast does some solid work with what they can, and despite the movie they’re in, they do a good enough job to make you want to see more of them — especially Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel himself. For better or worse, Man of Steel marked a turning point in DC at the movies, and on its own, is a perfect middle-ground entry in the series.
Read Eric Walkuski’s review here!
6.) Birds of Prey
After stealing the show in Suicide Squad, it made sense to give Robbie’s Quinn her very own movie far away from goth witches and dudes named Rick. Okay, even the title gives away its not entirely her own solo movie, but rather her story brings together several other kick-ass women from the DC universe so they can come together and, well, kick ass. A far cry from the rest of its DCEU peers, Birds of Prey embraces a low-budget and an R-rating, making grisled ol’ Batman look like a real Boy Scout. Directed by Cathy Yan and written by Christina Hodson, the movie works at its very best when it’s embracing its colorful, wild self, which is basically every time Harley is on-screen or when Ewan McGregor can devour the scenery as Roman Sionis/Black Mask. It’s got a wicked sense of humor, some kinetic, bloody action, and best of all, allows Robbie to dig into the character of Quinn with far more depth. It’s a shame the rest of the characters — like Black Canary or Huntress — don’t get the same treatment. A cluttered script and not the most compelling plot makes it feel like several stories crammed together, even though the theme of them all breaking free of male oppression comes through in the end. While much of the character work and storytelling is a big crux in making it the focused Quinn solo movie it should’ve been, there’s plenty of style, attitude and great performances to make it an often bonkers standout in the series (and a controversial placing in our DCEU Movies Ranked list)
Read JimmyO’s review here!
5.) Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Before the dust from the disappointment of the 2017 Justice League could settle, fans who had committed to director Zack Snyder’s vision behind MOS and BVS were demanding Warner Bros. give him a chance to complete and release his true version of the movie. While odds understandably seemed low, the folks at WB, in need of releases for the service HBO Max, listened to the fan pleas that had literally reached the sky and gave Snyder (with $70 million) his shot. The result hit HBO Max last week, and for many, it was worth the long wait. The visual effects were greatly improved; the overall visual style was more consistent; the doubled runtime allowed for new character details and wholly different arcs (namely, Cyborg) and; it delivered on the spectacle that makes Snyder one of the most distinct directors around, for better or worse. The film is far from perfect (although I imagine many would argue it belongs much higher on our DCEU Movies Ranked list), and even the bloated runtime can’t fix the narrative problems from the first version, making said runtime not always feel justified. But even without comparison to the 2017 version, Snyder’s Justice League stands on its own as the director’s best take on DC heroes of his three outings, crafting a unique epic that happens to have kind of emotional depth his movies are not often known for.
Read Chris Bumbray’s review here!
4.) Aquaman
With his comic book movie debut, Aquaman, James Wan managed to do the impossible: He took a hero whose claim to fame was conversing with tuna – and turning him into the DCEU’s resident badass. It goes without saying, just as much, if not more credit goes to the naturally badass Jason Momoa, and Wan knew just how to craft a truly wild, visually arresting comic book movie unlike any other around his imposing-yet-lovable leading man. Like what Taika Waititi did approaching with Thor: Ragnarok, Wan realized a movie featuring an underwater society going to war with the surface world and the only man who can stop it can command all creatures of the deep can’t take itself too seriously, which means Aquaman is never not a blast to watch. The story is whatever and the script has holes for depths, but there’s an octopus playing drums before Momoa and Patrick Wilson’s Orm have an underwater trident fight, which comes after Nicole Kidman doing flips over deep-sea soldiers and before a final fight that involves a sort of Kraken and sharks clashing with, I wanna say, crab people. It’s a visual feast that was made by people who knew exactly the movie they were making, and in the end, daring the audience to find something not to like about it. As long as they maintain that style, the sequel has nowhere to go but up. Heck, maybe when Aquaman 2 comes out it’ll top our list of DCEU Movies Ranked!
Read Chris Bumbray’s review here!
3.) The Suicide Squad
Here’s our latest edition to our DCEU Movies Ranked list! After helming two (soon to be three) Guardians of the Galaxy movies, James Gunn seemed like a natural fit to give the comic book team The Suicide Squad a new lease on life after Warner Bros.’s first attempt in 2016. To say he nailed the gig wouldn’t quite be giving his work the proper celebration. Rather, he blew it out of the park with C4 resulting in a colorful firework display of chaos and gore with a perfect cast surrounding the mayhem and making it a ballet of destruction worth marveling at. Gunn leans into his trademarks with no restrictions for an uber-violent, uber-hilarious team-up flick that takes no prisoners and manages to make you care about and laugh with the cast of outcasts and villains at its core. The narrative won’t change the game, but its flaws are easily washed away in a sea of red that’s R-rated comic book moviemaking at some of its most fun and worthy of repeat viewings.
Read JimmyO’s Review here!
2.) Shazam!
Considering all of the movies on this DCEU Movies Ranked list, Shazam! is the one that had the most right to not work at all. With the name recognition of a pre-2015 Ant-Man, very few outside the comic fandom knew who this hero was, and selling the story of a boy who can transform into a mighty hero after given powers by a wizard named Shazam couldn’t have been an easy sell. But, amazingly, Shazam! came out one of the very best the DCEU has to offer, and it’s all thanks to how it embraces the more relatable angle of the Billy Batson story. Bouncing from foster home to foster home, the true core of the story is how Billy (Asher Angel) learns to embrace becoming part of his new family, and how that comes in tandem with becoming a hero. The two strands are seamlessly woven together by director David F. Sandberg and writer Henry Gayden, and the tone resembles the likes of Big with Tom Hanks than a comic book movie. That means it may not have a ton of action, but it more than makes up for it with constant laughs, an ensemble of likable characters, winning performances from Zachary Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer, and a massive heart.
Read Chris Bumbray’s review here!
1.) Wonder Woman
And here we are! As it stands the original Wonder Woman tops our list of DCEU Movies Ranked, and I can’t imagine you should be surprised. Over the years the DCEU has seen wild misfires and purely fun movies join its ranks, but nothing has the blend of spectacle and soul like Wonder Woman. Going back a solid 100 years from when we first saw her in BVS, the story traces Diana’s upbringing as the only child around on Themyscira, surrounded by warrior women hidden away from the rest of the world. Upholding the values of truth, justice, hope and peace, Diana accompanies the dashing Steve Trevor to the human world to put an end to World War I — which she believes is being caused by the God of War, Ares. At one point a charming fish-out-water story that gives rise to one of the most heroic moments put to film in the heart of No Man’s Land, Wonder Woman was made with confidence by Patty Jenkins, led with a statuesque command by Gal Gadot and told with a focused story that allows Diana to live up to her most heroic qualities. Even in a messy final fight, the morals of Diana shine through and the heart of the story is never lost, and the movie itself came at a time when the DCEU movies were lacking in just that — a heart. On its own and away from the others on the list, Wonder Woman is a towering achievement in the genre and deserves its place as one of the very best comic book origin stories yet.
Read JimmyO’s review here!
Do you agree with Matt’s order? Talk back (nicely) below!
Follow the JOBLO MOVIE NETWORK
Follow us on YOUTUBE
Follow ARROW IN THE HEAD
Follow AITH on YOUTUBE