DC Comics is one of the most successful publishing companies to make the transition into film. Before superhero movies were a box office hit, DC was taking chances with its characters and seeing some levels of success.
The first major hit for the company was the Tim Burton Batman trilogy that was released in the early ’90s. Since then, not only has Batman himself returned many times, but other characters from the DC universe have had their chance to grace the big screen.
With so many reboots of characters and films set in different universes, remembering each film DC has produced is a daunting task but in this article, we will be noting each live-action film the company released in chronological order.
All films starring characters from DC Comics
Since the 50’s there have been plenty of DC characters to make it to the big screen, with many getting multiple interpretations. Here are all the films DC has produced in chronological order.
Superman and the Mole Men (1951)
Batman (1966)
Superman (1978)
Superman II (1980)
Swamp Thing (1982)
Superman III (1983)
Supergirl (1984)
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
The Return of Swamp Thing (1989
Batman (1989)
Batman Returns (1992)
Batman Forever (1995)
Batman and Robin (1997)
Steel (1997)
Catwoman (2004)
Constantine (2005)
Batman Begins (2005)
Superman Returns (2006)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Watchmen (2009)
Jonah Hex (2010)
Green Lantern (2011)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Man of Steel (2013)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Suicide Squad (2016)
Wonder Woman (2017)
Justice League (2017)
Aquaman (2018)
Shazam! (2019)
Joker (2019)
Birds of Prey (2020)
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Despite varying success with its films, DC appears to have found its niche in recent years with back-to-back hits. While the studio has always been well known for its dark, gritty-themed superhero films, the more comedic Shazam! was a hit for the company in 2019. In the same year, the studio also released what may be its darkest film yet in Joker, a movie that received high praise from both fans and critics alike.
More recently, Justice League, which received heavy criticism in 2016, was recut by the initial director on the project, Zack Snyder. The recut received high praise from fans who are urging DC to rethink its plans of abandoning the DCEU in favor of disconnected stories.
