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On July 11 the first DCU film, “Superman”, hits theaters. That beginning also marks the official final nail in the coffin of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) which kicked off with 2011’s “Man of Steel”.
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So we thought it was time to give you our assessment of the DCEU. Here are all the films, ranked from worst to best.
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16. ‘Black Adam’
It’s a wonderful opportunity for The Rock to stand around and look really mean. And Pierce Brosnan is brilliant as Doctor Fate. Otherwise, it’s a massive waste of time.
15. ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’
Like the first movie, but unfocused and charmless.
14. ‘The Flash’
If you can get past the controversies of its lead, then maybe it will make a higher mark on this list. As it stands, it hardly seems worth giving Ezra Miller a second chance.
13. ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’
The first movie was so good, that the filmmakers decided to just remake it with a longer name.
12. ‘Wonder Woman 1984’
Not as bad as the worst of the worst, but considering its predecessor, few DCEU movies were as utterly disappointing as “Wonder Woman 1984”.
11. ‘Justice League’
Joss Whedon made “The Avengers” great but he was nothing but an albatross around the neck of a film that deserved so much better.
10. ‘Suicide Squad’
Confusion + sensory overload + the worst Joker ever = “Suicide Squad”.
9. ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice”
A too-long name for a too-long movie whose title fight is perhaps the most boring superhero battle scene in the history of the genre.
8. ‘Aquaman’
“Aquaman” was a visually gorgeous and fun, action-packed film that made millions of believers out of fans who likely would’ve been making cracks about its hero the day before.
7. ‘Blue Beetle’
Funny, suspenseful, with a winning lead (Xolo Maridueña), “Blue Beetle” is the kind of superhero fun the DCEU needed much more of. There was a lot of talk of it being “too much” like Spider-Man, but that is not exactly a big problem.
6. ‘Shazam!’
“Big” meets “Superman”. “Shazam!” is about as family-friendly as a superhero movie could be while still being riveting enough for the adults.
5. ‘Birds of Prey’
The perfectly paced Harley Quinn Movie; so much so that one of the most solid complaints you could make about it is that it shouldn’t have been named “Birds of Prey” but simply “Harley Quinn”.
4. ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’
It forces you to see exactly what “Justice League” could have been. Its “Knightmare” sequence is so good, it manages for a few moments to make you realize why someone cast Jared Leto as the Joker.
3. ‘Man of Steel’
A flawed but powerful depiction of Superman that sometimes cherishes style too far above the story.
2. ‘The Suicide Squad’
James Gunn’s only film foray into the DCEU accomplishes what David Ayers failed at with “Suicide Squad”, and gives us a lot more bloody fun along the way.
1. ‘Wonder Woman’
“Wonder Woman” is the DCEU’s answer to “Captain America: The First Avenger”. Part historical epic, part myth, part superhero blast, “Wonder Woman” survives as the unquestionable pinnacle of the DCEU in terms of quality.
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