DC movies are in a weird place right now. Four of the DC Extended Universe films are being released this year, and two of them, Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash, have already hit theaters. What makes it strange is that the DCEU as we know it is going to come to an end with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in December 2023. In 2025, James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios films will start the new DC Universe with Superman: Legacy, which will be a true fresh start for the franchise.
Where does that leave fans of the DCEU? All of those DC movies are still on Max (formerly HBO), and those films aren’t going anywhere unless Warner Bros. Discovery really wants another huge tax break. That means you can watch any and all of them at a moment’s notice, except for The Flash which has only just hit theaters. As for the rest, you have two options to watch them in order: Chronologically or by release date. And in this post, we’ll give you the correct order for both.
How to watch DC movies in chronological order
When you have main characters that are essentially immortal, come from other planets, or have trouble remembering what day it is, then timelines can get a little tricky. This list is for those who prefer to watch things as they unfold from past to present, moving through time in a logical way (well, as logical as we can get it).
Note: We’ll let you decide if Justice League and the immensely long full-cut of Zack Snyder’s Justice League are the same movie or not. Hardcore fans will want to watch the re-made, uncut version (which feels more like a miniseries) after the original movie. If you want to save some time, you can choose one or the other, and if you want to save the most time, just watch the originally released film.
Wonder Woman (2017)
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Man of Steel (2013)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Storylines and personalities clash in this sequel that sees Batman (Ben Affleck) following a dark path that makes him wary of Superman’s (Cavill) power, while Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) plots to turn the world against Superman. These plans birth a monstrosity that can only be taken down when the two heroes stop fighting and help each other … but the victory costs the life of Superman. Dawn of Justice serves as a sequel to Superman’s story, along with the introduction of a DCEU Batman and eventually Wonder Woman (Gadot), who finally shows up in the “present day.”
Suicide Squad (2016)
Intelligence officer Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) puts together a team of expendable (and dangerous) criminals to battle an ancient magical threat. The team, including members like Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and Deadshot (Will Smith), battle evil forces, face off against The Joker (Jared Leto), and get in lots of trouble. The threat is eventually sealed away, with only a few of the squad left alive. Based on the references to other events, this particular Suicide Squad is put together sometime after Dawn of Justice but before the gang gets together in Justice League.
Justice League (2017)
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Aquaman (2018)
Shazam! (2019)
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Black Adam (2022)
“The hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change.” In retrospect, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson may have overhyped the importance of Black Adam. Suffice to say, Johnson’s character, Teth-Adam/Black Adam, did not become the most popular antihero in the DC Universe. But he did get his own movie.
Within the film, Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi) awakens Teth-Adam after he was imprisoned for thousands of years. Both Adrianna and her son, Amon (Bodhi Sabongui), believe that Teth-Adam is the legendary champion of Kahndaq. However, the Justice Society of America, sees Teth-Adam as a potential threat. Soon enough, Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) confront Teth-Adam on his own turf. But he is far too powerful for even their combined might.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)
The Shazam family has the power of the gods, and now the gods want their power back. Or more specifically, the daughters of Atlas want the power in Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Billy Batson truly seems like two different people in this sequel, with his younger self (Asher Angel) nervously approaching adulthood while his superhero alter ego (Zachary Levi) is an overgrown and immature child in an adult’s body.
Djimon Hounsou’s Shazam returns from the grave to warn Billy that Hespera (Helen Mirren), Kalypso (Lucy Liu), and Anthea (Rachel Zegler) are coming. However, those warnings come too late to prevent Billy’s foster brother, Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer), from being depowered. And if Billy isn’t careful, the entire family may lose their powers as well.
The Flash (2023)
The Flash isn’t on Max yet, but give it time. It may be going there sooner than expected. Ezra Miller reprises his role as Barry Allen/The Flash, the fastest man alive. Yet Barry feels powerless to change his life or to free his father, Henry Allen (Ron Livingston), from prison after spending two decades in prison for supposedly murdering his wife (and Barry’s mother), Nora Allen (Maribel Verdú).
Upon realizing that he can go back in time and save both of his parents, Barry inadvertently creates a new timeline with some problematic elements. That includes a duplicate of Barry himself and a Kryptonian invasion. Fortunately, there’s a Batman (Michael Keaton) and a Supergirl (Sasha Calle) who may be able to help the Barrys save the world.
How to watch DC movies in release order
This option is for viewers who prefer to watch the movies in the order that they hit theaters. For some, this feels like a more authentic experience and can help more clearly explain the difference in tone or style as the movies progress — as well as any small retcons that may otherwise be confusing. Here’s how to watch:
- Man of Steel (2013)
- Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
- Suicide Squad (2016)
- Wonder Woman (2017)
- Justice League (2017)
- Aquaman (2018)
- Shazam! (2019)
- Birds of Prey (2020)
- Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
- Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
- The Suicide Squad (2021)
- Black Adam (2022)
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)
- The Flash (2023)
What about The Batman?
Matt Reeves’ The Batman is not on our list because is it a standalone story that is unconnected to the DCEU. It’s just not part of the timeline or even the DCEU multiverse as a whole. Like Joker before it, The Batman exists all on its own, and you shouldn’t expect its characters to make appearances in other DC movies until its sequel.
OK, what about future releases?
Our list works for the DC movies released so far — but true fans are probably wondering about future releases, too! Don’t worry; we’ll keep our list updated. But for now, it’s important to know that 2023 is going to be the last year for the DC Extended Universe before James Gunn and Peter Safran begin the new DC Universe in 2025. Here are the confirmed titles coming in the future months and years that will change our list.
- Blue Beetle (August 18, 2023)
- Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (December 20, 2023)
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