From DCEU to DC Universe: How to Watch the DC Movies in Order

Who’s your favorite superhero? Fans of Spider-Man and the Avengers have Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, with its 30+ films, a dozen TV series, and meticulously planned universe. But if you’re a fan of Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman, things are a bit different.

For decades, superhero films were dominated by DC Comics. The Superman and Batman movies of the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s were all we had for a long time. Some, like Superman, Batman, and The Dark Knight changed the genre forever. We probably shouldn’t even mention some of the others.

Then came the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) in 2013, which finally brought some of the most iconic superheroes onto the same screen. Instead of building around one all-powerful producer (like Kevin Feige of Marvel Studios), Warner Bros. gave control to directors and recruited the likes of Zack Snyder, Patty Jenkins, James Wan, and James Gunn.

Though the results have been mixed, Aquaman still took in over $1 billion, Wonder Woman was hailed by fans and critics alike, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League was a true triumph of the streaming era. Despite the inconsistent quality, these films have raked in hundreds of millions in box office returns. People want to see these movies!

If you’re ready for a rewatch of your favorite superhero flicks, or you finally want to binge all the DCEU movies in one go, HBO Max continues to be the home of DC. Keep in mind that Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to merge HBO Max and Discovery+ at some point in 2023, so we don’t know how that will affect where you’ll be streaming these films. In the meantime, though, here’s how to watch all the DC movies right now.

How to Watch Batman Movies in Order

Batman’s streaming situation has been a mess for years, but everything is finally under one roof, at HBO Max. Not only can you watch Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, and the Batman films of the 1990s, you can also see Adam West’s Batman in action in the 1966 movie.

Batman (1966)

Batman (1989)

Batman Returns (1992)

Batman Forever (1995)

Batman & Robin (1997)

Batman Begins (2005)

The Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The Lego Batman Movie (2017)

Joker (2019)

The Batman (2022)

How to Watch Superman Movies in Order

Superman films started off strong with Superman in 1978. But once Richard Donner was fired as director of Superman II, they seemingly couldn’t recapture the initial magic. Unfortunately, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut and 1997’s Steel are not available on any streaming services at this time.

Superman (1978)

Superman II (1981)

Superman III (1983)

Supergirl (1984)

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

Superman Returns (2006)

DC Extended Universe

2021’s The Suicide Squad
(Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Starting with Man of Steel in 2013, the DC Extended Universe introduced DC’s first effort to create a series of interconnected films. To watch these movies in order, just follow the list below.

Once you reach Justice League, you have a choice to make: You can either watch the original film that was released in 2017, or skip it and see the four-hour director’s cut called Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which was released in 2021. (I’d recommend watching the latter.) You can also watch the black-and-white Justice is Gray edition, if you’re feeling extra adventurous.

Man of Steel (2013)

Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice (2016)

Suicide Squad (2016)

Wonder Woman (2017)

Justice League (2017) / Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

Aquaman (2018)

Shazam! (2019)

Birds of Prey (2020)

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

The Suicide Squad (2021)

Black Adam (2022)

DC Universe and Everything Still to Come

So what’s next for DC? As part of a restructure, Warner Bros. Discovery scrapped the nearly-completed Batgirl movie, then announced James Gunn and Peter Safran as the new heads of DC Studios. Their mission? To take DC superheroes into a bold new era called DC Universe, where film and TV are far more connected than ever before.

The first DC Universe film isn’t set to release until 2025, while Joker: Folie à Deux will hit theaters in October 2024, and The Batman—Part II will be out in October 2025. In the meantime, multiple movies set in the DCEU are scheduled for release in the near future: Shazam! Fury of the Gods will be out in March, The Flash in June, Blue Beetle in August, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in December.

Here are all the DC films and TV shows yet to be released:

• Shazam! Fury of the Gods—March 17, 2022

• The Flash—June 16, 2023

• Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom—December 25, 2023

• Blue Beetle—August 18, 2023

• Joker: Folie à Deux—October 4, 2024

• The Batman Sequel—October 3, 2025

• The Penguin series—TBD

• Superman: Legacy—July 11, 2025

• The Authority—TBD

• The Brave and the Bold—TBD

• Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow—TBD

• Swamp Thing—TBD

• Creature Commandos—TBD

• Waller—TBD

• Lanterns—TBD

• Paradise Lost—TBD

• Booster Gold —TBD