DC Movies in Order: Chronological & Release Date
Aug. 20, 2023Even though full of potential, the track record of DCEU(DC Extended Universe) hasn’t been too good when it comes to live-action movies. One of the downsides that DC Studios has is the lack of a continuation in their series of events, resulting in a shattered and here-and-there movie universe. In spite of this fact, DC movies do have a certain chronology to them, and as James Gunn has already stated, he is working in full force to make DC live-action movie storylines as good as their animated universe storyline, you might want to catch up on what has been happening in the DCEU so far before the new rebooted DCU comes knocking on our doors with theBlue Beetle movie.
So in this article let me help you out to navigate through all the DC movies in Order!
DC Movies in Release Date Order
Now that you know how to watch DC movies in order of release date, here is another order to watch all DC movies – in chronological order.
Even though Gal Gadot’s wonder woman made her first appearance inBatman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice,her second appearance in her standalone Wonder Woman movie is set during the World War era making her the first Demi-God in the current DCEU, as well as the first superhero to appear in DCEU if we look at it chronologically.
Wonder Woman revolves around Diana who lives on an uncharted and hidden island named Themyscera along with her tribe of warrior women called the Amazons. Steve Trevor, a US spy accidentally crash-landed on Themyscera followed by German soldiers causing a huge standoff between Amazons and Germans. These events are followed by Diana and Steve going to London on a mission to stop the World War.
Wonder Woman 1984 is a period piece set in the year 1984 where Diana is still recovering from the loss of Steve. We see the origin of one of Wonder Woman’s greatest enemies, Cheetah, along with Maxwell Lord. This movie is set before any other DC Extended Universe superhero hence its prequel falls before any other DC movie when you set all the DC movies in order
Man of Steel was the movie that kickstarted the DC Extended Universe with the introduction of one of the most loved superheroes out there, Superman. This movie introduced Henry Cavill as Superman along with some of the most iconic Superman characters like Lois Lane and General Zod. Man of Steel starts off with the destruction of Krypton, Superman’s home planet, after which he was raised by the Kents. We see the character development of Clark Kent as a human being and Superman’s development of becoming a symbol of hope for the people of Earth.
Batman vs. Superman drew inspiration from the comic run ofThe Dark Knight ReturnsandDeath of Supermanwhere Batman and Superman battle each other over a conflict of ideas in the former comic title and Superman dies in the latter one. If we look at all the DC movies in order, this movie takes place eighteen months after the events of Man of Steel, and Bruce Wayne, or Batman is not in favor of being a superhero as powerful as Superman roaming free across the world.
This movie also introduces us to some of the most well-known characters in DC comics. We are introduced to The Flash played by Ezra Miller, Wonder Woman played by Gal Gadot, Aquaman played by Jason Momoa, and Cyborg played by Ray Fisher. We also meet Alfred Pennyworth played by Jeremy Irons, Batman’s trustworthy butler and the only family he has left. DC fans are also shown the live-action adaptation of Doomsday, the monster who kills Superman.
The first Suicide Squad movie was set almost after a year ofBatman vs. Supermanin a world where Superman is dead. The movie also features a cameo by Ben Affleck’s Batman. The Suicide Squad revolves around a group of dangerous criminals and supervillains recruited by Amanda Waller played by Viola Davis, officially named the Task Force X, to undertake seemingly impossible missions.
The Suicide Squad features an all-star cast with Will Smith playing Deadshot, Margot Robbie making her first-ever appearance on screen as Harley Quinn, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag, and Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang. This movie also introduces us to Jared Leto’s take on the iconic role of the Joker.
This movie contains an all-star cast which was shown to us inBatman vs. Superman,we once again see Batman played by Ben Afflick, Superman played by Henry Cavill, The Flash played by Ezra Miller, Wonder Woman played by Gal Gadot, Aquaman played by Jason Momoa, and Cyborg played by Ray Fisher along with Alfred Pennyworth played by Jeremy Irons. In this movie, we see Batman assembling a team of superheroes to stand against an imminent threat in the face of Steppenwolf and his Parademons. We also get a look at Darkside, DC’s ultimate supervillain.
The movie is a whopping 4 hours and 2 minutes long but every second of it is worth the watch. The visually stunning sets as well as Zack Snyder’s signature cinematic style makes this movie an experience in itself.
Aquaman is the first-ever solo movie done by Jason Momoa as Aquaman. If we look at DC movies in order, the events of Aquaman take place after a year of the events of Justice League and give us a deeper look and understanding of Aquaman’s origin. This movie revolves around the story of Aquaman’s rise as the king of Atlantis as well as his attempt to protect Atlantis. We also get to see one of the most iconic Aquaman villains who is also his arch-nemesis, Black Manta.
One of the few characters in DC who wield the power of magic is Shazam. Shazam is an orphaned child named Billy Batson who is chosen by an ancient wizard to be his champion, granting him mystical powers whenever Billy says the word ” Shazam”. In the comics, when Billy says the word and turns into an adult superhero, he takes up the appearance of his late father. This is because the spell that turns Billy into a superhero, gives him the form of the person he adores the most.
Shazam is mostly a standalone movie but does contain certain references to other DC superheroes and a faceless cameo of Superman by the end of the movie, referencing the friendship between Superman and Shazam in DC comics.
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is another standalone film from DCEU. This movie takes place almost after 4 years of the events of Suicide Squad and revolves around Harley Quinn dealing with her breakup with the Joker. While still in her struggle of moving on from the Joker, she crosses paths with Roman Sionis, a crime lord. She is seen standing against Sionis to protect a young pickpocket named Cassandra Caine while forming an alliance with a disgraced cop named Renne Montoya, a vigilante who calls herself the Huntress, and Dinah Lance also known as Black Canary.
Shazam! Fury of Gods is a direct continuation of the first installment of the movie. This movie takes place after 2 years when the Batson siblings, who now have mystical powers are eventually growing up and Billy is bothered by the thought of them being separated from him. We see him trying to hold the family together but constantly failing to do so. Meanwhile, a new threat starts to surface against Billy and his siblings where three goddesses are trying to drain them of their powers and take over the planet Earth. As of now, it’s uncertain if Zachery Levi’s take on Shazam will make it to the newly rebooted DCU.
A loosely tied sequel to the earlier Suicide Squad, this version of the franchise is a new take on Task Force X and is directed by James Gunn. This DC movie does include certain characters that were previously seen in the franchise like Amanda Waller, Captain Boomerang, and Harley Quinn but the general storyline revolves mostly around Bloodsport and Peacemaker.
Even though the movie is largely disconnected from the ongoing storyline of the DCU it does contain a major easter egg in the form of the main villain of the movie, Starro the Conqueror. He is an intergalactic mind-controlling alien who was the first ever villain the Justice League fought in the original comic-book series.
Black Adam was meant to introduce a brand new set of superheroes into the DCU but sadly, was unable to perform that well and also received a lot of negative reviews all over the world. Also, the fact that now James Gunn has taken over the direction of the upcoming DCU, it is highly unlikely that we will get to see Dwyane Johnson as Black Adam again. Now, if we talk about where Black Adam fits in if we put DC movies in order of their timeline, the events of Black Adam take place after Justice League and Suicide Squad.
The Flash is the last project of DC under the banner of DC Extended Universe which follows Barry Allen, who while using his superspeed, discovers that he can travel back in time by tapping into the speed force. Barry uses his powers to go back in time and save his mom from dying but because of this small change in the series of events, everything changes in the world and now it’s up to Barry to fix the timeline.
In this movie we see Ezra Miller returning for his role as the Flash, even after the controversies surrounding him. We also witness a historical moment where Michael Keaton reprises his role of Batman and Sasha Callie takes up the role of Super Girl.
Kickstarting the brand new DCU under James Gunn’s wing, Blue Beetle is going to be the first superhero of DCU. Blue Beetle revolves around a freshly graduated young boy named Jaime Reyes who stumbles upon an ancient symbiotic bioweapon called the Scarab. The Scarab, chooses Jaime as its host and binds itself to his nervous system granting him an indestructible suit of armor and powers beyond compare. This movie explores themes that are new to DC movies like light heartedness, family, and humor.
If you found this article interesting you might also want to check out our another article covering the chronology of the complete Marvel Universe! Here’s how to watchMarvel Movies in Order.
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