How to Watch All of the DC Universe Movies In Chronological Plot Order
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Even if you're just checking in, you must have at least heard that the DC superhero films are currently undergoing a massive changing of the guard. The Zack Snyder-verse is about to become the James Gunn-verse, but that doesn't mean there isn't still plenty to look forward to in 2023. Following The Flash, fans will have Blue Beetle this fall, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom this Christmas season. The films in the DCEU may have had a rockier start than their MCU counterparts, but I feel safe saying that the playing field has since evened out.
While there's no correct way to watch the DCEU films, there is a chronological order to their plots. So whether you're a superfan looking for another pass through, or you just saw The Flash and you're incredibly confused, follow the road map below. We’ve curated a timeline of all the movies in their chronological order, just so you don’t have to compile the list yourself. But one note of importance: this order only encompasses merging events and characters. So if you’re looking for Christian Bale’s take on Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight, Robert Pattinson's moody Batman, the controversial Joker, or Ryan Reynolds adorning a green superhero suit? You’ll have to find those on another list, since they don’t cross over to the current DC Universe.
Now that we’re ready to go, here’s how you can watch the DC movies by timeline. (If you'd rather just start with the best, check out our ranking of every DC film.)
Wonder Woman (2017)
As most of the movie takes place during World War I, start your movie marathon here. If you want to be more specific, it’s actually set in 1918, with Captain Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) and Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) fighting alongside the Allied Forces in a captured London.
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Wonder Woman: 1984 (2020)
Other than a few moments reflecting Diana’s childhood, this film comes next on our journey through DC Comics film. Why, you may ask? Because it takes place in the year mentioned in the title.
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Man of Steel (2013)
Time for Superman to make his appearance. This is director Zack Snyder’s debut with the DC franchise, and the movie which takes place in present day...or, technically, almost a decade ago in 2013. Aside from some scenes where we learn about Clark Kent’s youth and the destruction of Kal-El’s home planet of Krypton, it’s pretty much all about the 2010’s.
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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
In terms of timeline, this movie bounces all over the place. Between Bruce Wayne’s (Ben Affleck) flashbacks to 1981, the ending of Man of Steel from another perspective, and flash-forwards to the world being taken over by Darkseid, it’s a lot to keep straight. But for our purposes, the film is set roughly eighteen months after the events of Superman’s standalone film.
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Suicide Squad (2016)
Taking place about a year after Dawn of Justice, we get a lot of crossovers between characters here. With Superman’s death and Bruce Wayne meeting Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), you’d think the plot would stay in the 2010’s. But as we all know now it doesn't—and thank goodness, because how would we otherwise meet the best characters from the movie: Joker (Jared Leto) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie)?
Justice League (2017)
Coming right up is this film, taking place just one year after the events of Suicide Squad. Though it’s primarily set in the then-present of the late 2010s, we also get flashbacks to millennia ago, when Steppenwolf tried to take over the world. (But clearly he didn’t succeed, thanks to a multi-cultural alliance between Amazons, Atlanteans, humans and Olympian gods.)
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Because you can’t have a list of DC movies without featuring the epic four-hour cut of Justice League. You’re welcome.
Aquaman (2018)
It's time to say hello to Jason Momoa! This standalone film is set several months after the plot of Justice League, save for a few flashbacks to the origin of Aquaman, back in 1985.
Shazam! (2019)
The main plot here takes place during the Christmas season of 2018, though the film does jump back to 1974, where viewers learn the story of villain Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong).
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)
Shazam! Fury of the Gods picks up four years after Sivana's defeat in the first Shazam! film. Every kid in the foster home now has super powers. Two of Atlas's daughters, Hespero (Helen Mirren) and Kalypso (Lucy Liu) begin stealing powerful items, and only the "Shazamily" can stop them.
Birds of Prey (2020)
Taking place four years after Suicide Squad, it’s important to note this is not a sequel. This is all about Harley Quinn—and we would like to keep it that way, thank you very much.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
This James Gunn-directed film actually takes place a good amount of time after the last Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey. And yet... it’s totally unrelated to its predecessors. But here’s what we do know: Harley’s in prison, Amanda Waller is the woman behind assigning the missions, and there's lots of havoc before the movie’s done.
Black Adam (2022)
Black Adam occurs in the "present day," according to the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson-starring spinoff film. Sure, his origins go all the way back to 2600 BC, but his fight against Waller's Justice Society occurs after Justice League. It's just a shame that the viral Superman cameo probably will never mean anything to DC's cinematic future.
The Flash (2023)
Much like Captain America: Civil War functioned for Marvel, The Flash is way more than a solo outing. This film is a major Justice League crossover—bringing back elements from Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, Batman (1989), and even Batman & Robin (1997).
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