DCEU Ranking

With the release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom marking the end of the DCEU, I wanted to update my DCEU ranking one last time before it gets rebooted. Even though it had a bit of a rough start, the DCEU has grown to become one of my favorites. Watching through the films and working on this post, I realized how much I enjoy so many of these movies. Starting off, the DCEU tried too hard to play catch up with Marvel and produced some really not great films. However, after Justice League, the studio took a step back and decided to focus more on standalone films and create the universe their own way instead of copying the MCU. Once they did that, the franchise got significantly better. With that being said, here is my ranking of all 12 DCEU films. As a disclaimer, this ranking only includes those films in the DC extended universe, so recent standalone releases like 2022's The Batman and 2019's Joker are not included.

16. Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad is definitely the worst of the DCEU. While it does have some strong performances from Will Smith and Margot Robbie, it is not enough to save this movie from failing. The story itself was ruined by a limited 6 weeks to write the script as well as WB reediting the movie to be more like the trailer and Deadpool. The movie also decided to introduce its character through a rock song montage instead of any actual background or foundation for growth. The villain was also very poorly written and introduced. Finally, The Joker was a huge miss in the film. He was hardly in the film despite being featured heavily in the marketing. Overall, a movie with an interesting premise that was ruined by studio interference.

Score: 5/10 Grade: C

15. Justice League

Justice League is definitely the most disappointing film on this list as it was yet another film ruined by Warner Bros interference. The movie was meant to be so much better as shown by Zach Snyder's Justice League. When I first saw the film, I thought it was decent enough. It had a good amount of action and humor. But as time went on and stories from behind the scenes came forward as well as the release of Zach Snyder's Justice League, this film dropped significantly. Firstly, after seeing ZSJL, you realize how much the film was watered down by the studio. This was all inherently caused by Joss Whedon (director of The Avengers) being brought on to lighten the tone of the film and the mandated run time of under 2 hours. The tones of Zach Snyder and Joss Whedon do not mix at all and the film becomes just a big mess. The film had such high potential but WB really ruined the film with its mandates and changes.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

14. Wonder Woman 1984

Wonder Woman 1984 was a lot of fun to watch. It was so light on tone and really embraced the 80s aesthetic. Overall, it is just very colorful and entertaining. Wonder Woman is always charming and all the action is well done. However, this movie is incredibly stupid from a plot level and just really goes full-on ridiculous. This movie is what I would call a junk food movie. It is very entertaining but not all the good when you think too hard about it. The plot itself is just really dumb, with the central premise being about a wishing rock and granting wishes to the world. It also makes some really odd choices by having Steve Trevor return by possessing the body of a random guy. Overall, this film is a lot of fun but from a story and plot level is just completely ridiculous.

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

13. Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey is also a solid addition to the DCEU. I really enjoyed having a story solely focused on Harley Quinn, who was one of my favorite characters from Suicide Squad. I also really liked the way that the story was told in more of a nonlinear order and with a Deadpoolesqe style to it. It was also really fun to finally get an R-rated superhero movie in the DCEU that goes all in on the R-rated action in violence. I also really enjoyed Ewan McGregor's character in the film. It was fun to see him play more of a villain role. The main thing that keeps this movie down for me is just that it takes way too long to get everyone together. The film is called Birds of Prey yet the actual team does not come together until about 15 minutes left in the film. Had they gotten everyone together earlier, I think it would have been a much better film.

Score: 6.6/10 Grade: B-

12. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is definitely the most ambitious of the DCE films. It had a very strong story and interesting premise with the main focus being on the value of Superman in the public eye. It also had a lot of good action sequences, specifically all the scenes Batman was in. But ultimately, its ambitions are what keeps it out of the top half. The film tries to do way too much, a Man of Steel sequel, a Batman solo film, introduce The Justice League, and deliver on the epic battle promised in the title. It was just way too much in a single film and isn't able to do any of its aspects true justice.

Grade: 7/10 Grade: B

11. Man of Steel

Man of Steel is the first film of the DCEU and the introduction of the darker tone that started this franchise. The movie itself is very exciting. It was so cool to see all of this Superman action that just couldn't be delivered back in the 1970s. Henry Cavil is a great choice for Superman and really handles the role well. I also liked how the movie really dives deep into Superman's early life and his interactions with both of his Dads. Finally, I like how the story is fairly simple and can focus more on Superman as a character. The only thing that keeps this film lower on this list was that there was just way too much destruction in the 2nd half of the film. The battles and destruction were to the point that they felt excessive and took away from the overall story. Aside from that, this is a solid Superman film.

Score: 7.1/10 Grade: B

10. Black Adam

Black Adam is one of the most action packed films in the DCUE. This movie is very entertaining and never really lets up the action. It is so much fun to see Dwayne Johnson as a superhero. The justice society is also really fun in the film, specifically Pierce Brosnan's Dr. Fate. The visuals of the film are really cool as well as the way it incorporates slow motion in the action scenes. The overall story is also very simple and is very easy to watch. The main thing holding the film back is that the story was a bit clunky in the transition between the second and third acts but other than that this was just a great time at the movies and a solid comic book B movie. The only reason this gets ahead of Man of Steel is that Dwayne Johnson is one of my favorite actors.

Score: 7.2/10 Grade: B

9. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the final film in the DCEU. This movie takes what worked in the original film and basically just does it again. The visuals are so vibrant and colorful and the action is just so exciting that you can't help but be entertained with this film. It is also unashamedly goof with every character getting some sort of laugh line. The best thing about this movie is the focus on the relationship between Orn and Arthur essentially making this movie a buddy comedy. The chemistry between the two is so much fun with their constant bickering. We also get some solid evolution in their relationship. Unsurprisingly, the story is quite sloppy with a very thin plot holding things together and moving us from one action sequence to the next. The movie also doesn't even try to add exposition naturally and just chooses to stop what is happening to dump it on us. I also felt that the CGI was a bit spotty at times. Sometimes it looks great, other times it is very bad. Overall, this is a fun campy movie that is very entertaining. It is by no means a proper send-off to the DCEU, but as a standalone Aquaman movie, it is very fun.

Score: 7.3/10 Grade: B

8. Shazam! Fury of the Gods

This movie was a lot of fun. Just like the first Shazam movie, you get the humor of kids in adults' bodies trying to be superheroes. This aspect of the film gives several laugh-out-loud moments. The action is on a much larger scale than the first film and is so much fun to watch. I also really enjoyed the fantasy aspect of the show where we get to see these Greek Gods as well as all of these mythical monsters. I also thought the villains were better in this film than in the first. The Daughters of Atlas have a much clearer motivation and you can actually get what they trying to do and why. This movie also gives Freddy a bit more time to shine as he basically gets his own subplot and more of an opportunity to shine as a character. The main thing keeping this film back is that I thought it was a bit generic. It doesn't have the charm of the original film and feels more like a big generic superhero blockbuster. It doesn't have the focus on family like the first film does which I think hurts the movie a bit. I also wasn't a fan of the direction the film took the Daughters of Atlas at the end of the film. In the end, this was a fun entertaining movie but was just a bit too generic and missed capturing the charm of the original film.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

7. Blue Beatle

Blue Beetle is surprisingly smaller scale than other DCEU films. This is a fun small-stakes story that works on a lot of levels. At its core, it is all about the importance of family. The family plays a big role in the story and delivers a lot of funny and sweet moments. George Lopez steals the show whenever he is on screen as his character embodies such fun energy. The movie also has a lot of heart and surprisingly emotional moments. I also found that there were quite a few funny moments in the movie, many of which made me laugh out loud. I really like how small-scale this story is. Instead of being about a world-ending threat, it is just about a boy trying to provide for his family. There are still some typical blockbuster action moments but it's nowhere near as big as other films. There are a few things that keep this film back for me. I felt that Jaime gets a little sidelined in the second half of the film and kind of gets buried with the rest of the family. I also felt that the villain was a bit forgettable. She has some motivation but is mostly just a generic greedy CEO. Finally, I felt that the movie was a bit familiar with the story. It feels kind of like a mix between Iron Man and Spider-Man and doesn't really do anything new story-wise. Overall, this is a fun yet familiar DCEU film that is a solid low-stakes adventure.

Score: 7.8/10 Grade: B

6. Aquaman

Aquaman is such a fun movie to watch. It is really funny, entertaining and colorful. It gives off a super campy tone which is exactly the kind of tone that is needed for a movie about a superhero that can talk to fish. Jason Momoa is really well cast as Aquaman and can play the character in a really fun way. There is just so much to this movie to process and it just goes way over the top with everything which is what makes it so much fun. The action sequences are also really cool and get to show off some cool visual effects. While the story is a bit of a generic globetrotting superhero film, it is just so entertaining that it isn't really a bother. Overall, it is just a great junk food movie that will keep you entertained from beginning to end.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

5. Shazam

Shazam! is definitely the most surprising of the DCEU films. It is very funny and also manages to have a lot of heart to it. Zachery Levi is the perfect choice for this role as he can accurately portray a 14-year-old in the body of a grown man. There is also just a lot of humor throughout the films that make for a very entertaining film. The film also has some very heartfelt moments between Billy and his family. The third act does something that would normally be considered cheesy but this film can pull it off very well. Finally, the overall story is very well done with the focus on Billy trying to find himself a family. The only thing that keeps it from the top 3 is that there are some extreme tonal shifts. The film will go from Billy being goofy as a superhero and suddenly shift to demons biting people's heads off. Asides from that, overall, this is a very good movie with a lot of heart.

Score: 8.2/10 Grade: B+

4. The Suicide Squad

The Suicide Squad is better than the original film in every way. The story is better, the way the characters are introduced is better and the action is better. James Gunn was a perfect choice to direct this film, with his ability to work well with ensembles and his darker sense of humor. The characters are all super solid in this film with Harley Quinn, Peacemaker, and Bloodsport being the standouts. Sylvester Stallone as King Shark was also really fun to see. The film itself has a really nice aesthetic to it, giving off a style and feel of 70s war movies, especially The Dirty Dozen. Finally, the action in this film is really well done in terms of the effects and colors that are used. Overall, just a solid ensemble film by James Gunn.

Score: 8.3/10 Grade: B+

3. Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman was definitely a breath of fresh after the overly bleak films up to this point in the DCEU. The film is very uplifting and inspiring. Gal Gadot does a great job as Wonder Woman in being able to pull off her confidence and make her independent while also not compromising her femininity. I also really enjoyed the fish out of water aspect of the film. It added a bit of lightness to the tone and made for some pretty funny moments. Finally, the action is really well done in the film specifically with the No man's land sequence. The only thing that keeps this film from number one is that the third act turns a little bit generic and has a really bland villain spouting video-game-level dialogue. In the end, this is a solid film that almost stuck the landing to make it the number one DCEU film.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

2. The Flash

The Flash is my favorite DCEU film that came out this year. It had a great tone and energy and was just an absolute blast to watch from beginning to end. This is probably one of the funniest DCEU films. It has so many jokes from various characters but they all fit naturally into the story. There are no abrupt cuts in the tension just to get a joke. The action was also very cool. It was so fun to see the Flash, Batman, and Supergirl fight all of these bad guys. The speed force scenes were also quite cool. I really enjoyed how they shot and edited those. The coolest thing about this movie is the return of Michael Keaton as Batman. It was just so fun to see him back in action. The movie also handles him very well. He seems like an older version of his character in the 80s film. He doesn't get randomly quippy like so many films are today. Everything about him just fits with how his character was in his films. I thought the story itself was very well done. It is easy to follow with little to no side plots or tangents. It is just a very straightforward story pretty much following the Flashpoint plot from the comics. The movie also has a lot of emotional moments and delivers a very satisfying emotional ending. Finally, I felt the cameos were handled quite well. They didn't take over the movie but delivered just the right amount of fun moments to satisfy the fans. The only issue I have with the film is the CGI. The CGI as a whole just looks terrible. There is a scene with some babies that just looks awful. Overall, this is a very fun movie with some satisfying moments and a lot of heart.

Score: 8.6/10 Grade: A-

I. Zach Snyder's Justice League

Without a doubt, Zach Snyder's Justice League is the best of all the DCEU films. It is better than 2017's Justice League in every single way. This film is so good and is the reason that made the original Justice League drop so much as I was able to see how much they ruined the film. Each character can get their moment to shine with both Cyborg and The Flash having some really great moments that were stupidly omitted from the original film. The 4-hour run allows for the film to breathe, making each character able to get an adequate introduction as well as giving them time to grow. The film also has some phenomenal action sequences with the final sequence with the Flash being amazing. Even with its long runtime, the film is never dull. It always has a direction it is going in and a point to all of its seasons. This is Zach Snyder's magnum opus and it is just amazing that this version of the film was actually able to happen. Not only is this a great DCEU film, but it is also a great superhero film and one of my favorite movies.

Grade: 9.5/10 Grade: A