We've come up with our own viewing order for the DCEU that we believe does the best job
of introducing you to the characters, building the universe, and getting you hyped for what
happens next.
So take a look at the right order to watch every DC Extended Universe movie.
Wonder Woman takes place during World War I, which means that chronologically, it's
the first film in the DCEU by a good margin.
That's not the main reason why we've selected it for our number one spot, though.
Wonder Woman is also the best-reviewed film in DC's lineup, and when you're beginning
a lengthy movie marathon like this, it definitely helps to start off on the right foot.
Kicking off with what's arguably the best movie in the series will definitely give you
some motivation to keep watching if things get a little rough.
"I am… above average."
The film also does a great job of introducing Wonder Woman as a character, which will give
viewers the solid ground they need to move forward.
With her ultra-successful solo film and her status as arguably the best part of both Batman
v Superman and Justice League, Wonder Woman is the face of the DCEU, so getting her most
prominent role right up front makes a lot of sense.
Plus, her upbeat attitude and her winning combination of hope and courage provides some
much-needed light before heading into the grimmer, darker films.
Released in 2013, Man of Steel is the film that started the DCEU franchise, but it didn't
really do much to build the universe around it.
There was no Nick Fury-style post-credits scene to what's essentially a stand-alone
film, but it's still hugely important to watch it early on in your marathon because everything
that comes after builds on what happened here.
Plus, well, it's the movie that introduces Superman.
Clark Kent's alter ego is the most important character in DC's lineup, and his actions
here directly influence the rest of the films.
In Man of Steel, Superman has a massively destructive battle against fellow Kryptonian
General Zod on the streets of Metropolis, and witnessing the level of carnage that results
motivates both Batman and Lex Luthor to try and put an end to him in Batman v Superman.
Plus, the world seeing the true threats that are out there makes them desperate enough
to consider the idea of criminal superheroes in Suicide Squad.
Man of Steel might've kicked things off, but the movie that really put the "universe" into
the DCEU was Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which picked up where Superman's solo outing
left off and expanded its scope as fast as it could.
Not only does it deal with the fallout from Superman's battle with Zod, it also introduces
Batman, Wonder Woman, and, through a series of short video clips that's hilariously shoehorned
in, the rest of the Justice League, too.
And just in case that wasn't enough, it throws in the Mother Boxes, too, as the McGuffins
that will later feature heavily in Justice League.
In between all this world-building are the film's two main conflicts: the eponymous fight
between Batman and Superman, and the big showdown between Doomsday and a united front of Batman,
Superman, and Wonder Woman, with Lex Luthor looming in the background of both.
While Doomsday is ultimately defeated, Superman is killed in the process, which has major
ramifications down the line.
Of all the films in the DCEU, Suicide Squad seems like the one you could slide in anywhere.
There are brief cameos from Batman and the Flash, but beyond that, there's not much connection
to the rest of the universe, and the events of the film are pretty self-contained.
Look closer, however, and it's clear that Suicide Squad takes place at a very specific
moment.
Superman's death in Batman v Superman leads to the government getting desperate for a
new way to deal with super-powered threats.
Someone needs to pick up the slack, and that's where the Suicide Squad comes in.
Composed of the kind of deadly criminals like Harley Quinn, Deadshot, and Killer Croc, who
have proven they can go toe-to-toe with the superheroes, the team is enlisted to fight
the deadliest battles in Superman's absence.
The film also ends with Amanda Waller giving Bruce Wayne information on the other heroes,
allowing him to assemble the Justice League.
And since Superman returns to the land of the living in Justice League, it only makes
sense to watch Suicide Squad during the time when he wasn't around.
Aquaman came out after Justice League, but it makes a lot more sense to watch it before
you get into the the DCEU's big team-up.
Justice League is, at best, a flawed movie, with a rushed plot that crams in too many
characters to properly introduce, and the tone is all over the place.
The film underperformed at the box office and was unpopular with both critics and fans
alike, which is probably why Aquaman completely ignores the events of that movie except for
one throwaway line.
Aquaman was a bona fide blockbuster and the only DCEU movie so far to earn over a billion
dollars at the worldwide box office.
With a sweeping adventure that plays out over big action set pieces, both on land and under
the sea, it also does an excellent job of introducing Aquaman to audiences.
Much like starting off with Wonder Woman, getting to know Aquaman in his element here
makes it much more satisfying to see him again in Justice League.
Congratulations, you've made it to Justice League!
This was meant to be DC's equivalent to The Avengers, but it simply lacked the buildup
that led to its Marvel movie counterpart.
The Avengers had the benefit of two Iron Man movies, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain
America: The First Avenger, all interconnected, to introduce its roster of characters and
the world around them.
Justice League happened much faster, and one of its preceding films, Suicide Squad, was
completely unrelated to the others.
Watch Aquaman first, however, and you should be geared up to see the established characters
join forces in Justice League, even if it means some of the Aquaman scenes in Justice
League feel a bit out of order.
"YEAH!"
When you don't have to concentrate on figuring out who all the characters are,, it's a lot
easier to enjoy the movie on another level.
That familiarity with characters from other films is what made The Avengers work so well,
and mimicking the formula with this DCEU viewing order will make it a whole lot easier to find
the fun in Justice League's over-the-top action.
If the grand adventure and bright colors of Aquaman marked a recalibration of the DCEU
after Justice League, then Shazam! is practically a full-on reboot.
There are no characters from any other films, aside from a jokey Superman cameo.
Instead, the film uses the idea of a superhero universe as background material to tell its
own story.
That story is much brighter, much funnier, and much more fun than its predecessors, and
also embraces more of the comic book weirdness that made the Marvel movies work so well.
The film's post-credits scene even features Mr. Mind, an evil talking caterpillar!
It's nearly impossible to imagine something like that happening in the ultra-dark and
humorless world we saw in Batman v Superman.
With the DCEU's upcoming slate composed of more colorful films like the Harley Quinn-led
girl gang team-up Birds of Prey, the future of the DCEU looks to be much brighter than
what came before.
Since Shazam! kicks off the DCEU's new era, it's the perfect ending point to the franchise's
current lineup.
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