(Photo by Warner Bros./ courtesy Everett Collection)
DC Movies In Order: How to Watch All 15 DCEU Movies
Welcome to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU)! If you’re looking to watch these interconnected superhero DC movies and series in order as their events unfold chronologically, you’ll want to start with Wonder Woman, which takes place across 1918 in the midst of World War I. Next stop: Big action and even bigger hair with Wonder Woman 1984.
From there, the rest of the DCEU’s chronological order lines up with their movies’ releases. Get acquainted with Superman in Man of Steel, and then see him bond with Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Suicide Squad is up next before you get to witness the epic team-up Justice League. (Substitute in the four-hour Zack Snyder’s Justice League if you want more, though that is non-canon.)
From there, we go to Aquaman, Shazam!, and Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). 2021’s The Suicide Squad is set several years after the first Squad and largely distances itself from that original, though many characters return, including Quinn, Rick Flagg, and Amanda Waller. Though the adventures continue on HBO Max with hit series Peacemaker, everything’s wrapping up as James Gunn and Peter Safran take over and relaunch DC on the big screen. —Alex Vo
Now, continue on to see the full guide on how to watch the DC movies in order!
#1
Adjusted Score: 119994%
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]
#2
Adjusted Score: 85132%
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]
#3
Adjusted Score: 73283%
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]
#4
Adjusted Score: 50490%
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]
#5
Adjusted Score: 45128%
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]
#6
Adjusted Score: 62222%
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]
#7
Adjusted Score: 86974%
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]
#8
Adjusted Score: 89250%
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]
#9
Adjusted Score: 112342%
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]
#10
Adjusted Score: 105699%
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]
#11
Adjusted Score: 109785%
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]
Synopsis: A man fights for peace at any cost, no matter how many people he has to kill to get it....
[More]
#13
Adjusted Score: 55994%
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]
#14
Adjusted Score: 63680%
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]
#15
Adjusted Score: 85309%
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]
#16
Adjusted Score: 92521%
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]
93%
58%
71%
