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This list was originally published April 9, 2019.
It has been updated to include new movies, includingAquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Also:Ryan Reynolds has some thoughtsabout his role in all of this.
For a long time, the DC Comics movies had no unifying thread, no Kevin Feige overseeing everything.
Today, we rank the 43 DC Comics movies including this weeksAquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
(By the way, we intentionally left off films made from imprints later purchased by DC Comics.
So sorryHellboy,Road to Perdition, andA History of Violence: Youre excluded here.)
43.Superman IV: The Quest for Peace(1987)
43.
42.Steel(1997)
42.
Judd Nelson, as the villain (repeat: Judd Nelson as the villain!
), is not so fortunate.
41.Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice(2016)
41.
Batman vs. Supermanis where you go when you admit to yourself that youve exhausted all possibilities.
Its likeFrankenstein Meets WolfmanorFreddy vs. Jason.
Its somewhat of an admission that this franchise is on its last gasp.
A spot-on review of Zack Snyders abysmal 2016 team-up between the two iconic superheroes?
Goyer was right then, and hes right now.
And like Bay, that doesnt mean theyre any good.
His Dark Knight was a powerfully conflicted, reluctant hero.
By comparison, Sad Affleck was just a dude encased in a metal suit.
40.Catwoman(2004)
40.
May we humbly submit that the time might be right for a Catwoman solo film?
Another shot at this isnt theworstidea, right?
39.Batman & Robin(1997)
39.
It was Batmans low point … until Zack Snyder got his hands on him a couple of decades later.
38.Suicide Squad(2016)
38.
(Of course, both films made a ton of money, so what did the executives care?
)Suicide SquadbeatVenomby a couple of years on this whole What if a superhero movie … but bad guys?
37.Jonah Hex(2010)
37.
Instead, you have this compromised, cobbled-together mishmash.
(Oh, and Megan Fox.)
36.Supergirl(1984)
36.
(For that matter, Faye Dunaway is no Terence Stamp.)
This is not that universe.
35.Green Lantern(2011)
35.
(His head is like a penis crossed with a Brussels sprout.)
But seriously, notallofGreen Lanternis terrible.
The movie isntgoodby any stretch of the imagination.
But wed watch it 40 times before wed watchBatman v. Supermanagain.
34.Constantine(2005)
34.
But this one is too rushed and too poorly thought through to reach the heights you want it to.
33.Superman III(1983)
33.
It is fun to watch Superman in a bar though.
Hey, look, Supermans drunk!
32.Justice League(2017)
32.
Do we remember anything of the plot?
Between the half-hearted wisecracks andHenry Cavills freaky digitally erased mustache,Justice Leaguecollapses under its own weight.
This movie was meant to be DCs epochalAvengers-like moment.
Instead, it was completely forgettable.
31.Batman: The Killing Joke(2016)
31.
(The oldfridging problem.)
30.Batman Forever(1995)
30.
29.Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom(2023)
29.
So this is it.
This isthe end of the DC erathat started withMan of Steel.
That might suggestAquaman and the Lost Kingdomis a fiasco, which it isnt.
We dont envy them having to take on that task.
28.Man of Steel(2013)
28.
The great pity aboutMan of Steelis that it never lived up to its terrific theme song.
Unfortunately, except for some stirring segments,Man of Steelfails to craft a story worthy of its character.
27.Zack Snyders Justice League(2021)
27.
How much should vision count when evaluating a superhero movie?
If nothing else, Zack Snyders restored, expanded, exhaustingJustice Leagueleavesno doubt that its the moviehewanted to make.
26.V for Vendetta(2005)
26.
Cmon, James McTeigue had to be an alias, right?
25.Aquaman(2018)
25.
Nevertheless, its relative high placement on this list indicates how often DC has done worse.
Fury of the Gods(2023)
24.
Zachary Levi returns as Shazam.
23.Black Adam(2022)
23.
22.The Flash(2023)
22.
But its telling that the film wouldnt be nearly as gripping without Keaton.
Once the Dark Knight, always the Dark Knight.
(2019)
21.
Jack Dylan Grazer is a delightful sidekick.
But that doesnt keepShazam!from feeling a bit formulaic.
Mark Strongs menacing villain is a bit of a drip, and the finale devolves into CG overkill.
Nonetheless, director David F. Sandberg delivers a decent-enough ride for a first installment.
20.DC League of Super-Pets(2022)
20.
This is fine enough, though we guarantee you the sequels going to be a lot worse.
19.Birds of Prey(2020)
19.
Give the film major points for being far more diverse and female-centric than most comic-book flicks.
But the annoying truth is that the Birds of Prey weigh downBirds of Prey.
Harley had to split time with less interesting characters inSuicide Squad why make her do it again?
18-17.Return of Swamp Thing(1989) andSwamp Thing(1982)
18-17.
The first one is a little more straitlaced and straightforward.
Directed by Wes Craven, its just a story of a nice guy (Ray Wise!)
turned into a monster who attempts to take revenge on the evil scientist who made him that way.
The movie has some spooky midnight thrills and a very game Adrienne Barbeau, but its mostly conventional.
They both work equally well, which is just a little.
The downgrade from Barbeau to Heather Locklear inReturn of Swamp Thing, however, is substantial.
16.Blue Beetle(2023)
16.
Thats a shame, because unlike other DC properties, this one actually seems to have potential.
15.Superman Returns(2006)
15.
What ifSuperman IIIandSuperman IVnever happened?
What if you just made a new movie that took place after the events ofSuperman II?
14.Watchmen(2009)
14.
The best bet remains the opening credits sequence, which portends a better movie to follow.
That movie doesnt quite get there, but it still might be the best sequence Snyders ever done.
13.Wonder Woman 1984(2020)
13.
Wonder Womanwas such a kick that its perhaps inevitable that the follow-up couldnt recapture the magic.
But all told, the sequel is actually pretty solid.
But the stirring decency of Diana remains this franchises chief appeal.
How can you not root for her?
12.The Dark Knight Rises(2012)
12.
(The whole Occupy Wall Street subplot feels like an empty feint.)
Hes moved on, but the rest of us still cant.
11.Batman: Mask of the Phantasm(1993)
11.
Kevin Conroy voices Bruce Wayne, who must reconcile with his past in several ways.
(Dana Delany voices Andrea Beaumont, a former lover who walks back into Bruces life.)
10.The Suicide Squad(2021)
10.
9.Joker(2019)
9.
8.The Batman(2022)
8.
This will probably not be anyones favorite Batman movie, but its a worthy new chapter.
If anything, at three hours, its not long enough.
7.Batman(1989)
7.
Batman wants to remain in the shadows.
Not all ofBatmanhas held up.
Nonetheless, Burtons grand vision of how to translate a comic-book aesthetic onto the big screen remains stunning.
Other DC movies rank higher on this list, but theyre all indebted to whatBatmandared to dream.
6.Batman Returns(1992)
6.
5.Wonder Woman(2017)
5.
AfterWonder Woman, moviegoers werent necessarily clamoring for any more Superman or Batman films.
We just wanted more of her.
4.Superman(1978)
4.
Later in life, Christopher Reeve explained the trick to playing the Man of Steel.
Superman is a big fish in a small pond, hetoldEsquire.
Hes Superman on Earth only because hes in a different solar system.
That allowed me to underplay the character and make him quite casual.
Probably no superhero movie since has articulated what aprivilegeit would be to find out you had incredible powers.
This movie could not be made now.
Those are some of the reasonsSupermanremains so special.
3.Batman Begins(2005)
3.
And, of course, Nolan was just getting started.
2.Superman II(1980)
2.
In the annals of big-budget rescue jobs,Superman IIis high on the list of success stories.
Enter Richard Lester, who had to take over the movie, as well as reshoot already existing material.
Remarkably,Superman IIshows little sign of its difficult birth.
If only Reeve and company had decided to stop there.
1.The Dark Knight(2008)
1.
If youre good at something, never do it for free.
You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
Hes the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now.
Some men arent looking for anything logical.
They cant be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with.
Some men just want to watch the world burn.
(And we havent even mentioned the films most iconic line, Why so serious?)
BeforeThe Dark Knight, comic-book movies were mere playthings, enjoyable but disposable entertainments.
AfterThe Dark Knight, they were held to a higher standard.
DC has stumbled often sinceThe Dark Knight, burdened by the long shadow this film created.
But no superhero movie, from any company, has ever topped it.
