DC Movies In Order: Chronological, By Release, And How To Watch

The first of this DC Movies In Order list is Wonder Woman. This movie begins with Zeus creating the Amazon warriors, all of whom live on the magical island of Themyscira, where they are protected and invisible to the world.

While fighting in World War I, US pilot Captain Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) found Themyscira by chance in 1918, meeting up with Wonder Woman, aka Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), who then goes on to help in the World War. “Present-day” scenes from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice serve as the movie’s “bookends.”

The events of the sequel Wonder Woman 1984 take place almost entirely in 1984, except for a prologue during Diana Prince’s (Wonder Woman) childhood.

Regarding DC superhero movies, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel is where things began in terms of production. The movie opens with the destruction of Krypton, which is followed by scenes of Clark Kent (Superman) as a child and a teenager growing up in Kansas before we arrive at the “present day,” where the protagonist is somewhere between his twenties.

The chronology of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is haphazard. There are flashbacks to Bruce Wayne’s childhood in 1981 when his parents were killed and flash-forwards to a barren Earth ruled by the villain Darkseid in the conclusion of Man of Steel, which Bruce Wayne sees from his perspective (the “Knightmare” sequences). Ben Affleck’s Batman is hardened and resentful of Superman by the end of the story, which takes place 18 months after the events of Man of Steel.

Because the death of Superman is mentioned in the movie, we know Suicide Squad takes place around a year after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. We even get a cameo from Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne meeting with Amanda Waller. She has now assumed a more significant leadership role among the super-powered group. It is revealed that previous to the events of Man of Steel, Batman pursued the Joker (Jared Leto) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie).

One of the most discussed movies on this DC Movies In Order list is Justice League. It was released two years after Batman v Superman and a year after Suicide Squad, and features a flashback to a time thousands of years ago when the monstrous Steppenwolf sought to rule Earth but was thwarted by an alliance of Amazons, Atlanteans, humans, and Olympian Gods. Justice League continues on from that plot, combining heroes from earlier and future movies.

Even though it is not part of the official canon, the four-hour epic version of Justice League, titled the Zack Snyder cut, is superior to the movie’s theatrical cut. So, if you have the option, when the Snyder cut (it makes more sense).

Aquaman was released in 2018 and was directed by James Man, starring Jason Momoa. It pits Aquaman against his half-brother King Orm, who wants to destroy the surface world. In terms of action movies, if you are looking for a Marvel-esque experience, this is the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) movie for you.

In Shazam!, most of the action takes place during the holiday season of 2018. However, director David F. Sandberg begins the movie with a flashback to the year 1974 to introduce Thaddeus Sivana, the movie’s main antagonist (Mark Strong).

Birds of Prey takes place four years after the events of Suicide Squad. It stars a colorful array of characters, specifically Harley Quinn, who after splitting up with the Joker is threatened by the Gotham City crime lord. What follows is an action-packed flick that doesn’t take itself too seriously – and is easily one of the better flicks on this DC Movies In Order list.

Directed by James Gunn, The Suicide Squad is a follow-up to the first Suicide Squad, despite having no #2 in its title. Once again, Viola Davis’ character, Amanda Waller forces Task Force X, aka the suicide squad, into action. The movie has some excellent moments and a bevy of interesting characters, including Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie).

Black Adam is the nemesis and mirror image of Shazam! (Formerly known as Captain Marvel.) In this film, though, he’s a maybe-sometimes good guy, who has very interesting ideas about how to achieve justice. Those ideas run afoul of the Justice Society, with mixed results.

After the events of the first film, in which Billy Batson and his fellow foster brothers and sisters discover their powers, they now must deal with being teenagers and superheroes. Not an easy task! Especially not when three angry gods show up and demand their magic back.

Barry Allen is fast. Really, really fast. So fast, he can travel back in time. He uses that power to go back in time to save his family from the disastrous events of Man of Steel, in which his parents are killed by the fighting between Superman and General Zod. But as we all know, changing the past can cause serious problems.

• Man of Steel (June 14, 2013)
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (March 25, 2016)
• Suicide Squad (August 5, 2016)
• Wonder Woman (June 2, 2017)
• Justice League (November 17, 2017)
• Aquaman (December 21, 2018)
• Shazam! (April 5, 2019)
• Birds of Prey (February 7, 2020)
• Wonder Woman 1984 (December 25, 2020)
• Zack Snyder’s Justice League (March 18, 2021)
• The Suicide Squad (August 6, 2021)
• Black Adam (2022)
• Shazam: Fury of the Gods (2023)
• The Flash (2023)

The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson is not part of the DCEU.