EJ Moreno ranks the DC Extended Universe…
Let’s get this out of the way first: everything you are about to read comes from someone who was once a DCEU super-fan. Admitting that feels like the step to recovery, as does reflecting on the journey that began over a decade ago.
Man of Steel, the 2013 film by Zack Snyder, launched a cinematic universe that, for better or worse, has become a significant part of the pop culture conversation. While it never reached the heights of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DC Extended Universe burned bright and fast, certainly making a wild ride for the viewers.
Over the years, the work from the DCEU has ranged from some of my favorite comic book movies of all time to the worst moments in modern filmmaking. If you ask me, it’s quite a glorious range, which makes reflecting on the sixteen films of the DC Extended Universe a delight.
So join me as someone who once threw all his passion into the brand for a reflection (and in-memoriam) of the last DC movie era…
Justice League (2017)
2017’s Justice League showcases one of the lowest points for any major film franchise. Not only is the film less-than-stellar, but the drama surrounding it went down in history. Still, on its own, it’s one of the worst blockbusters ever.
In what feels like a lesson of how two filmmakers can get the same material and deliver vastly different work, Joss Whedon took the pieces of what would be Snyder’s epic and tore them apart in every way. The look of the film is grotesque, the performances feel mostly stilted, and any of the new material is some of the worst DC content ever.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
2023 will go down as one of the worst years for DC Comics and the films attached to it, and to kick off the bad year, we got the painfully dull Shazam! Fury of the Gods. There’s only one thing worse than being a bad movie, and that’s a boring one.
Everything about this sequel is utterly forgettable, with David F. Sandberg seemingly phoning it in due to the writing on the walls at DC Studios. We also get a far worse performance from Zachary Levi, someone who struggled with finding his balance in the original outing. That makes for a terrible watch with some lame villains and ugly VFX.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
With 2023 starting so rough, it didn’t get any better as the year ended. Enter the final DCEU film: the recent Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. It’s genuinely a wet fart of a movie, ending the era so poorly that most of the fans just ignored it entirely.
Jason Momoa leads an utterly forgettable excursion with solid elements but is racked with many “Why do we even care?” pieces. The villain feels lackluster, and including a child (and the exclusion of Amber Heard) is ridiculous, but at least Momoa and Patrick Wilson are charming enough in their buddy cop bromance bits.
Black Adam
We all know the hierarchy of DC was set to change after this movie, but no one could see what happened when Black Adam dropped. Not only has this film shaken Dwayne Johnson’s career, but it has also become one of the most divisive amongst DC fans.
For me, especially, what keeps the film going is the inclusion of some very different DC characters. Doctor Fate and Hawkman finally showing up on the big screen was a delight to see, and they do get some key points to make them look cool, but it’s all clouded by Johnson’s and his lacking take on Black Adam. He just didn’t “get it.”
Suicide Squad
As we wrap up the slight push for ‘Release The Ayer Cut,’ we can now say Suicide Squad from 2016 was not a good film. While I am one of the few who can see the intended vision, it’s so muddled by too much style and an abrasive edit that lives on infamy.
Director David Ayer really wanted to strip back a lot of the fantasy and ground the DCEU further into the magic realism that Snyder established, but with the cut we saw as fans; it was a tonal disaster. Luckily, the film is packed with actors and characters, making the viewing experience slightly easier to digest. It’s still a hard watch, especially with more time away.
Wonder Woman 1984
At the time of release, WW84 got a bit of a pass due to the lack of blockbusters, and most DCEU fans still wanted to hold to the fleeting glory days (not so glorious in some cases). But as we stand now with this universe wrapped, Wonder Woman 1984 is one of the weakest.
The first film wasn’t perfect, but it felt like Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot knew what they wanted to do. This film feels lost in its message and tone and somehow gives us a weak Pedro Pascal performance during his peak. And while no one was promised Gal Gadot as a top-tier actress, her work here feels way under whatever she did in the DCEU until this point.
Blue Beetle
As part of the messy 2023 releases, we closed the universe with a promising yet lackluster introduction to a new hero. As things ended, both DC regimes wanted to give Blue Beetle a chance, feeling he could work, and it could…under different circumstances.
Our hero is lovely to follow, brought to life wonderfully by Xolo Maridueña. The character of Jaime Reyes and his family remind you of the good parts of comic books: bringing together people to fight evil. But sadly, it’s an overall forgettable film that would easily be a great starter film if the character wasn’t on the chopping block months later.
The Flash
Admittedly, I’m kinder to The Flash than it deserves, which is why it ranks so high, but it won’t even touch the top 5 due to all its flaws. Even though it feels like a love letter to all things DC, there’s too much working against the film for it to be considered more than meh.
With a movie that looks ugly and a dueling performance from the same tedious leading man, it’s easy to see why people often dismiss this movie. The Flash isn’t great, but it keeps your eyes glued to the screen. It’s chaotic and weird, but that’s also what some of really enjoy about DC Comics. It just feels lost in what it wants to do.
Shazam!
Shazam! was one of this writer’s least favorite DC movies when it dropped. It felt like more of the DCEU having identity issues regarding the tone and type of storytelling. But the original entry’s charm has shone as the years have passed, and the sequel has worsened.
The vague Christmas backdrop, the Shazam family, and an endearing role from Asher Angel have all the makings of those 80s family films with a dark edge. Zachary Levi ranges from humorous to insufferable, but it’s what you’d expect from this character. Sandberg delivered a fine DCEU entry when the franchise needed more.
Aquaman
The only billion-dollar entry for the DCEU was somehow Aquaman, which is surprising, but watching it back for the first time in years, it reeks of charm and charisma. And what works is how much it still feels in line with what the DCEU attempted without losing personality.
It’s a straightforward story, attempting to ground even the most absurd in a realistic tone. Yes, the octopus played drums, but it still came off with excess and grander. Jason Momoa is all over the place with his acting, but his supporting cast guided him to a fun romp. Who knew we’d miss for times like these in our DC movies?
Birds of Prey
When all else failed in the DCEU, Harley Quinn always felt like a surefire bet. The reaction to the character in 2016’s Suicide Squad was massive, so getting her own solo film was easy to greenlight. Sadly, Birds of Prey came out at the wrong time for many reasons.
The pandemic shot this movie in the foot just as much as the lazy fan outrage did. It felt like the film wasn’t allowed to get itself off the ground, but with that aside, it’s possibly the most fun you’ll have in any DCEU project. It’s also the campiest DC movie since Batman & Robin, which could scare off any bro.
The Suicide Squad
James Gunn got the gig as DC Studios c0-chair based on how much he rocked The Suicide Squad, and this is coming from someone who has disliked most of his output. Gunn understood the exact tone, humor, violence, and DC lore needed to make this work, and it did.
Anyone bold enough to put Starro in a film deserves a top 5 placement, and James Gunn held nothing back with his DC love. There were so many wild choices made throughout, and it felt like someone knew what to do with the characters given, something rare in comic book filmmaking. Can Gunn do it again in 2025? Only time will tell.
Regardless, the Suicide Squad finally got a proper showing, filled with blood, crude jokes, and some of the best Harley scenes.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Ultimate Edition
DCEU haters and people angered by Zack Snyder will see the high placement of Batman v Superman and begin to key smash, but anyone outside of those two groups can see that this film has aged like fine wine. But getting to this point has never been easy.
The fallout from the BvS backlash is still being felt to this day, but it was such a wild experience seeing this film for the first time and countless times afterward. It’s a post-9/11 look at superheroes, giving us a mirror reflection of how society views heroes and villains. It’s a dry drama just as much as a fun comic book movie, a true rarity, and my favorite.
With 2016 far removed, it’s time people look back on Batman v Superman and give it a fair shake. Outside of Martha, it’s so special.
Wonder Woman
Even during the dark post-2016 days of the DCEU, seeing everyone agree on Wonder Woman was wild. While the reaction ranged from beloved to “that was fine,” it was still refreshing to see a modern DC film met with something other than pitchforks.
Another example of mixing traditional drama elements within the world of gods & monsters, Patty Jenkins’ big blockbuster was a breath of fresh air. The action scenes were top-notch, with the No Man’s Land scene remaining the top scene of almost any DC film of all time. Let’s hope we can go back to the days of movies like this as we go forward.
2017’s Wonder Woman proved audiences wanted iconic DC tales, female heroes, and more serious tones; now, let’s return to that.
Man of Steel
There is no DCEU without Man of Steel, the launch of modern DC movies & a canon event for so many of those involved. Looking back at the film, it’s wild, which feels so different from anything before or after. It’s almost so simple that it gets better with time.
Snyder’s Man of Steel is mainly known for its shocking ending, which is unfair to ignore the utterly introspective look at the most iconic character in pop culture history. The film comes off like an indie drama rather than a blockbuster, which we needed post-Nolan Batman and in the sea of Marvel. When Snyder scales back, he can create magic.
As we look at the start, it’s wild to see the journey we’ve been on with these movies for over a decade.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
While Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom get the “honor” of closing out the DCEU, many consider the Snyder Cut, known adequately as Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the final chapter in the true DCEU. This feels like the glorious send-off to what was initially intended.
Never in my life would I think the entire Justice League would get their moment in the spotlight, but the film was so ridiculously packed with extraordinary moments that any DC fan should love. From including the iconic Darkseid to the “Oscar-winning” scene where The Flash stops time, we were treated to a moment of true passion as DC fans.
As torture as it was to get Zack Snyder’s Justice League, it paid off with the best DCEU film ever.
What do you make of this list? Where do you rank the DCEU entries? Let us know on our socials @FlickeringMyth…
EJ Moreno
