Over the years, the DC extended universe has given some of the most brilliant superhero movies of all time, but it is true that the movies from the DC universe witnessed a rough start compared to the Marvel Universe. Over the past seven years, even DC movies have followed a set of timelines. The first ever major hit that the DC extended universe witnessed was in the year 2013 when Man of Steel, featuring the iconic Superhero was released. Ever since then, DC has come out with some highest-grossing movies of all time including Aquaman, Justice League, suicide squad, The batman, and many more. Further in the article we will be talking about a bunch of DC movies placed in chronological order according to a set of events. The article will also be discussing each of these movies in detail followed by a quick description of the storyline, cast members, release date, directors, producers, run length of the film, rating received by the audience, streaming platforms, and much more.
How to Watch the DC Movies in Release Order
| Movie | IMDb rating | Release Date |
| Man of Steel | 7.1 | 14 June 2014 |
| Batman Vs Superman-Dawn of Justice | 6.4 | 25 March 2016 |
| Suicide Squad | 5.9 | 5 August 2016 |
| Wonder Woman | 7.4 | 2 June 2017 |
| Justice League | 6.1 | 17 November 2017 |
| Aquaman | 6.8 | 21 December 2018 |
| Shazam! | 7 | 5 April 2019 |
| Birds of Prey | 6 | 7 February 2020 |
| Wonder Woman 1984 | 5.4 | 25 December 2020 |
| Zack Snyder’s Justice League | 8 | 18 March 2021 |
| The Suicide Squad | 7.2 | 6 August 2021 |
| The Batman | 7.8 | 4 March 2022 |
| Black Adam | 6.7 | 21 October 2022 |
Man of Steel
Man of Steel is the 2013 released Superhero film which is based on the famous DC comic character, Superman. Warner Bros. started with the film’s production after acquiring potential pitches from comic book writers, screenwriters, and directors with the aim of rebooting the Superman Franchise. The film was made with an overall budget of 200–225 million dollars and managed to make a grand profit of 668 million dollars. Henry Cavill is seen in the protagonist role of Clar Kent Aka Superman, who finds out that he has some amazing superpowers and is originally an alien from the planet Krypton. Assuming and playing out his role as the protector of the human race and Planet Earth from all the potential threats and dangers, Superman in this movie is seen battling with General Zod who is hell bent on destroying humanity. The movie has an average run length of 143 minutes and was officially released on 14th June 2013. The director of the movie, Man of Steel is Zack Snyder and its respective producers are Charles Roven, Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, and Deborah Snyder. Having gained an IMDB rating of 7.1, the movie managed to win the hearts of the audience with its incredible storyline and action number featuring the all-time favorite superman in the lead role.
Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Meloni, and Russell Crowe.
Release date: 14th June 2013
Available to stream on: The movie is currently available to stream on the online streaming platform Netflix.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the 2016 released American Superhero action film featuring two of the most famous DC comic characters called Batman and Superman. The movie is said to be a sequel to the 2013 released film called the Man of steel which only featured superman. Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill are seen playing the role of Batman and Superman. What makes the movie more interesting is the live-action cinematic display of Wonder woman. After being feared by the unchecked actions of Superman, the other protector of the world takes over the job to protect mankind. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor (played by Jesse Eisenberg) starts his own mission to end the reign of Man of steel on Earth. The movie features some brilliant action scenes between the two most powerful characters of the DC comic series. The movie is directed by Zack Snyder, and the writers include Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer. The movie was originally made with an estimated budget of 250-300 million dollars and managed to make a box office profit of about 873.6 million dollars. Thus, emerging as one of the highest-grossing DC films ever made. Fans showered the movie with lots of love and critics from all over the world praised the writers for its brilliant storyline, the performance of the characters, and amazing visual effects. The average run length of the film is 152 minutes.
Cast: Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, and Gal Gadot.
Release date: 25th March 2016
Available to stream on: It is currently available for the audience to stream on the various online streaming platforms including Netflix, Amazon prime videos, and Apple Tv plus.
Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad is a 2016 released superhero action film starring some of the all-time favorite DC comic villains. In the hopes of the formation of a defensive task force, a secret government agency takes up the challenge to recruit some of the famous and deadliest Villains. The first-ever mission of these villains is to save the planet and humankind from an impending apocalypse. Given an IMDB rating of 5.9, the Suicide squad managed to win the hearts of the audience with the crazy rollercoaster ride of madness and fun. The film is directed and written by David Ayer. The producers involved with the movie are Charles Roven and Richard Suckle. Made with a budget of 175 million dollars, the suicide squad managed to make a box office profit of 746.8 million dollars. The response team of criminals and the most dangerous villains of all time gave the fans unlimited fun.
Cast: Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ike Barinholtz, Scott Eastwood, and Cara Delevingne.
Release Date: August 5, 2016
Available to stream on: The movie is current available to stream on various online streaming platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple Tv Plus.
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a 2017 released DC films. The movie is based on one of the most famous DC comics and the titular character Wonder Woman. Directed by Patty Jenkins, the movie managed to become a box office success and made an approximate profit of 822.8 million dollars. After a pilot crashes and faces the outside world emerging with conflicts. Diana, the protector, and an Amazonian warrior decide to leave her house to find her identity and discover the true nature of her powers. Having received an IMDB rating of 7.4, the movie was a blast at the box office. Gal Gadot playing the role of Wonder Woman was seen in a terrific role and she was immensely loved and praised by the audience and the critics for her remarkable acting and performance of the action sequences. Princess Diana, in this movie, is seen venturing her way to Earth trying to save humanity from the deadly attacks of the God of War named Ares.
Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen, and Elena Anaya.
Release Date: 2 June 2017
Available to stream on: The movie is currently available to stream on various online streaming platforms including Amazon Prime Video.
Justice League
Justice League is a 2017 released DC film starring some of the top DC superheroes. The movie was directed by Zack Snyder, and it is based on the DC comics team name “Justice League”. The film was made with an estimated budget of 300 million dollars and managed to make a box office profit of 657.9 million dollars with its super cast and storyline. When Steppenwolf and his parademons make their comeback on Earth after eons in the hopes of capturing and destroying mankind completely. It is then that the savior of Gotham city and the one and only superhero of all time, Batman takes charge of saving the planet from approaching evils. Batman takes help from Princess Diana/ Wonder Woman to recruit and assemble an army of superheroes including Flash, Cyborg, superman, and Aquaman to fight the ultimate battle. The movie with an IMDB rating of 6.1 does not fail to deliver the utmost thrill and action. The display of all the amazing DC characters in one frame is just a sight for sore eyes. The 120-minute-long film delivered some brilliant action sequences, and the plot was also remarkable and well-put together. The film is based on different DC characters and was produced by Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, Jon Berg, and Geoff Johns.
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and J. K. Simmons.
Release Date: November 17, 2017
Available to stream on: The movie is currently available to stream on various online streaming platforms including Netflix.
Aquaman
Aquaman is a 2018 released American Superhero film starring one of the most powerful DC comics characters called Aquaman. The director of the movie is James Wann and produced by Peter Safran and Rob Cowan. The movie features the DC comic character Aquaman, who happens to be a half-human and half-Atlantean named Arthur, who was raised in the human realm but was born with the ability and powers to manage waves and communicate with marine creatures. Further on in the movie, Arthur/Aquaman is seen venturing out in the hopes of finding the lost trident of Atlan trying to save the water people and the kingdom from the destroyers out in the action. The movie was praised for its brilliant visual effects, the underwater scenes were absolutely amazing. Even the action sequences were something to talk about. The performance of the cast members and the storyline were amazing and top-notch. The 143-minute-long film managed to make a box office profit of 1.148 billion dollars and is listed as one of the highest-grossing films of all time. The actual development of the film started in 2004 and but nothing solid was done until Man of Steel was released in 2013.
Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Nicole Kidman.
Release Date: December 21, 2018
Available to stream on: The movie is currently available to stream on the online streaming platform Amazon Prime Video.
Shazam!
Shazam is a 2019 released DC film based on a superhero character named Shazam. The film was directed and produced by David F. Sandberg and Peter Safran. The titular DC comic character was seen exploring his newly acquired magical powers. Shazam, who also goes by the name of Billy Batson, was seen navigating her way through her teenage years, trying to look for her parents and settling with a new foster family. Things for Billy took a great turn when he ran into a powerful wizard and took the mantle of shazam which in turn left him with an all-new and different body, powers, and a confusing face. While navigating his way through his newly acquired magical powers, he was also seen fighting off the evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana who was trying to steal Shazam’s magical abilities. Zachary Levi is seen in the titular role. The fans praised him for his amazing performance. The overall movie was not such a massive hit but anyhow managed to gain a box office profit of 366.1 million dollars. The sequel is in production, and fans might expect it to be released in 2023.
Cast: Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Djimon Hounsou.
Release Date: April 5, 2019
Available to stream on: The movie is currently available to rent on the online streaming platform Amazon Prime Video.
Birds of Prey
Birds of prey is a 2020 released DC film based on the famous DC comics villain Harkey Quinn. The movie is directed by Cathy Yan and the producers involved are Margot Robbie, Bryan Unkeless, and Sue Kroll. The well-known Hollywood actress Margot Robbie is seen playing the main character of Harkey Quinn. The storyline follows the events in the life of the crazy DC villain Harkey Quinn, who after being rejected and thrown out on the streets by Joker discovers a life of her own and picks herself up. She further forms a team with other super villains including Huntress, Black Canary, and Renee Montoya in an attempt of defeating an evil gangster and trying to rescue a girl. This action- adventure 109 minutes long film received an IMDB rating of 6 and got a good response from the audience. The movie managed to gain a box office profit of 205.3 million dollars and was well-praised by critics for its action sequences and the maddening performance of the villains.
Cast: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, and Ewan McGregor.
Release Date: 7 February 2020
Available to stream on: The movie is currently available to stream on the online streaming platform Amazon Prime Video.
Wonder Woman 1984
Wonder Woman 1984 is an action- fantasy 2020 released DC film starring the titular character “wonder woman”. The movie is said to be the sequel to the 2017 released film named Wonder Woman. The movie is directed by Patty Jenkins and is known to be set in the 1984 era, where princess Diana/ Wonder woman meets her past lover, Steve Trevor. In this sequel, the superhero Wonder Woman is seen trying to fight off two enemies named Maxwell Lord, who happens to be a shrewd entrepreneur, and Barbara Minerva, a friend turned into an enemy. While battling with the enemies Princess Diana/ Wonder Woman crosses paths with a potential love interest. The movie received a 5.4 IMDB rating and was not an enormous success at the box office due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 151 minutes long film made a box office profit of about 169.9 million dollars and was made with an overall budget of 200 million dollars. The movie was produced by Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Patty Jenkins, Gal Gadot, and Stephen Jones.
Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Robin Wright, and Connie Nielsen.
Release Date: 16 December 2020
Available to stream on: The movie is currently available to stream on the online streaming platform Netflix.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a 2021 released director’s cut of the famous 2017 released DC film titled Justice League, which featured a bunch of DC superheroes and villains. The movie was made with a vivid vision of director Zack Snyder to match the original vision for the 2017 released Justice League. The story is directed by Chris Terrio, Zack Snyder, and Will Beall, and the movie is produced by Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder. The movies feature the brilliant DC superheroes and start with Bruce Wayne Aka Batman and Princess Diana Aka Wonder Woman, trying to bring together the metahumans of the earth after the tragic death of the beloved Clark Kent Aka Superman. The heroes had to handle the evil force proceeding toward the planet earth, Dark Seid had sent Steppenwolf followed by a vast army to capture mankind. The movie was made with an estimated budget of 70 million dollars. The 242 minutes long film managed to win the hearts of the audience and received an IMDB rating of 8 for its brilliant storyline and the outstanding performances of all the DC superheroes. Fans were optimistic about this second installment and given the success that the 2017 Justice League managed to gain it was only fair to expect good things from this as well. The movie managed to meet the expectations of the fans and was an immense success on online streaming platforms. It had created a buzz during the time of its official release.
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Willem Dafoe, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and J. K. Simmons.
Release Date: 18 March 2021
Available to stream on: The movie is currently available to stream on the online streaming platform Amazon Prime Videos.
The Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad is a 2021 released action-adventure film coming from the extended DC universe, directed, and written by James Gunn. The movie is expected to be a sequel to the 2016 released “Suicide Squad”, which was a huge hit at the box office. The sequel also features a bunch of supervillains and a government agent who tried to manipulate these villains to take part in a dangerous plan in the hopes of exchanging for reduced life sentences. The plans come into action and the group of these supervillains gets sent to Corto Maltese in an attempt of destroying a laboratory. Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker, King Shark, Polka-Dot Man, and Ratcatcher 2 venture out to the South American island trying to locate the evil scientist who oversaw the shady Project Starfish. The movie was again a hit and won the hearts of the audience with its brilliant cast and storyline. It also managed to get an IMDB rating of 7.2 and made a box office profit of 171.7 million dollars. The producers of the film include Charles Roven and Peter Safran.
Cast: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Sylvester Stallone, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, and Peter Capaldi.
Release Date: 30 July 2021
Available to stream on: The movie is currently available to stream on online streaming platform Netflix.
The Batman
Batman is a 2022 released Action- adventure film starring Robert Pattinson in the titular role. The movie features the famous DC comics superhero Batman once again trying to save Gotham City from the perils of existence. The movie was a huge hit at the box office and the fact that Robert Pattinson had been cast in the role of Batman made things extra spicy and interesting. The movie is directed by Dylan Clark and Matt Reeves. After the death of the mayor of Gotham City, Batman intervenes trying to search for answers and save the city from the lurking danger. He gets help from Catwoman played by Zoë Kravitz. It is during his time solving the murder of the mayor he gets more entangled with the dangerous and unknown enemy, trying to be a step ahead with his every move and giving him a tough fight. The 176-minute film gained a box office profit of 770.8 million dollars and entered the list of the highest-grossing DC films. The producer of the film includes Dylan Clark and Matt Reeves. Fans and critics from around the world praised the cast members’ performance and gave good remarks for the film’s setting and storyline.
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell.
Release Date: March 4, 2022
Available to stream on: The movie is currently available to stream on the online streaming platform Amazon Prime Video.
Black Adam
Black Adam is a 2022 released DC film starring the famous Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson playing the titular Dc comic Superhero. Black Adam after being liberated from his earthly binds finds a way to unleash his almighty powers of the gods that he was bestowed with. In Ancient times, Teth Adam was bestowed with godly powers, but after using them for vengeance, he got imprisoned for becoming Black Adam. After several years and fading away as a mythic legend, Black Adam gets hold of his Godly powers. This time born out of rage his powers were more powerful and deadlier than before. He takes part in the justice society along with the modern world heroes including Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone. The 125 minutes long movie managed to make a box office profit of 393 million dollars and was loved by the fans. The famous DC comic character was introduced to the audience for the very first time and it was played by none other than Dwayne Johnson is what makes the film more exciting and watch-worthy. The action sequences were just remarkable and mind-blowing. Fans are surely expecting a sequel. The movie was produced by Beau Flynn, Hiram Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, and Dany Garcia. The director of the film is Jaume Collet-Serra.
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari, Quintessa Swindell, and Pierce Brosnan.
Release Date: October 21, 2022
Available to stream on: The movie is currently available to stream on various online streaming platforms, including HBO Max, Spectrum TV, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Redbox, and Apple TV.