Ranking the best DC movies is a tricky task. After all, there are several decades of history on the big screen to get through, and now two timelines to navigate with the old DCEU and James Gunn's sparkly new DCU. However, I've seen close to every DC flick, and after many long debates and some friendly fights with the rest of the Total Film team, I'm ready to share the top 10 superhero movies that are worth your time.
From classics like 1978's Superman to fan-favorite adaptations like Christoper Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy, no DC outing has been excluded from being considered here. You'll also find a mixture of DCEU, DCU, and 'Elseworlds' projects below. Basically, if a film has ties to any DC property, it's up for grabs. What I am looking for from a movie to make my ranking is top-quality storytelling that makes the comic source material shine. Be it grounded takes on classic characters to bold and exciting introductions to heroes who are a little more underrated, my picks for the best superhero movies in this franchise are memorable affairs that'll make you want to read comics straight after the credits roll.
It's also worth noting that this ranking may change in the future as I reconsider my picks as all the upcoming DC movies release. So while Supergirl didn't make the cut this round, stay tuned because Clayface may make an appearance soon. So, are you ready to dive in? For more, don't forget to check out our guide on how to watch the DC movies in order, from the greats to the not-so-greats.
10. Shazam!
Director: David F. Sandberg
Released: 2019
Of all the movies set in the old DCEU, Shazam! was one of the few that felt unashamed to embrace the colorful and energetic spirit of the comic books that inspired these terrific stories of daring dynamics. As a result, Shazam! feels like the black sheep of that particular cinematic universe in both its optimistic tone and vibrant aesthetic. Still, don't think Shazam! is all fun and games because Mark Strong's sinister Dr. Sivana presents a surprisingly dark foil to Billy Batson's (Zachary Levi and Asher Angel) goofy superhero persona. Although, with all that in mind, do yourself a favor and skip the sequel; it lacks the magic of the original.
RELATED: Shazam! review: "One of the most irresistibly likeable superhero films in ages"
9. Superman (2025)
Year: 2025
Director: James Gunn
The first of many Superman movies in this list is the latest DC film and the first cinematic outing in the DCU timeline. James Gunn's reboot of Clark Kent is a marvel, packed with color, passion, and plenty of reverence for comic books in general. Telling the story of an established Superman (David Corenswet) who has everything stripped away from him in a moment due to Lex Luthor's (Nicholas Hoult) devious schemes, the movie shows us a hero who is desperate to help even when the world unfairly deems him a "dangerous alien".
Gunn managed to find a pretty decent balance between goofy comic book fun and some serious themes, however, his script doesn't always stick the landing. For that reason, we haven't ranked him higher here. However, Superman (2025) is still a fantastic time, that's filled with amazing performances and heart. It's a great opening to DC's new era of movies and shows, period.
RELATED: Superman review: "A breath of fresh air, and a world with a reassuring vision"
8. The Batman
Director: Matt Reeves
Released: 2022
There have been plenty of grim and gritty reinterpretations of Gotham's lantern-jawed vigilante. Still, director Matt Reeves found new ground amongst Gotham's pearl-strewn alleys with The Batman by making his superhero movie a David Fincher-style crime drama. As a result, the always-brilliant Robert Pattinson was allowed to showcase Bruce Wayne's detective abilities, a trait often neglected by filmmakers who prefer to flaunt Batman's impressive ability to punch clowns.
Don't go thinking The Batman's all method and no madness, though. Paul Dano's Riddler is arguably the most chilling big-screen Batman villain since Heath Ledger smeared white makeup all over his face, and the scene where he and the Caped Crusader finally come face to face in Arkham is probably one of the tensest scenes in any DC movie ever.
RELATED: The Batman review: "Exactly the fresh start needed"
7. Birds of Prey
Director: Cathay Yan
Released: 2020
David Ayer's Suicide Squad wasn't a great movie, but it did do one thing right. It gave us Margot Robbie's unforgettable Harley Quinn – a piece of casting so superb it'll go down in superhero movie history alongside the casting of JK Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. Harley stole the show from the rest of Task Force X, so a spin-off was inevitable. Sure enough, four years later, we got Birds of Prey, or to give it its proper title, "Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn."
Frantic and anarchic, Birds of Prey is an action-packed and deliciously violent break-up movie with Harley finding new friends (and enemies) after the Joker kicks her out of his house. While the plot is a little formulaic at times, the colorful cast of characters Harley meets on her adventures more than makes up for that. Director Cathy Yan also keeps the action lively and characterful, so even veterans of the caped genre will find themselves enraptured by the spectacle.
RELATED: Birds of Prey review: "Like Harley Quinn, it's relentless, hyperactive, and viciously entertaining"
6. The Suicide Squad
Director: James Gunn
Released: 2021
What's that in the sky? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's James Gunn coming to save film fans from bad Suicide Squad movies. Yes, The Suicide Squad might technically be a sequel, but let's be honest: this is a full-on reboot wearing a pair of cheap glasses in the hope no one realizes, and it's all the better for it. As a result, The Suicide Squad is a weird and wonderful picture that breathlessly revels in the outlandishness of comic books and has a lot of fun doing so.
It's not all jokes and gags, though. Gunn and his incredible cast of actors manage to inject a surprising degree of pathos into a film that ends with our heroes battling a giant starfish from space. So I guess we're saying that bad guys have all the fun, and no film on this list proves that quite like The Suicide Squad, a movie that elevates irreverence to an art form.
RELATED: The Suicide Squad review: "James Gunn’s lively, funny, and very bloody take on Task Force X"
5. Wonder Woman
Director: Patty Jenkins
Released: 2017
Easily Gal Gadot's best movie and probably her most iconic big-screen role (although who knows what the future holds for Gisele Yashar?) Wonder Woman is a film that reviews itself; it's wonderful. The entire thing is a thrilling period piece that skillfully manages to tell Wonder Woman's somewhat confusing origin story (better told in many of the best Wonder Woman comics) without falling into the pitfalls that mar the genre.
A lot of that comes down to Patty Jenkins' deft directorial touch and the way she weaves action into the narrative in such an interesting way that you never feel like the film's taking a break from the story to give you a dose of adrenaline. This is probably most notable in the No Man's Land scene, a sequence that deserves to go down in DC movie history for its beauty and poignance.
RELATED: Wonder Woman review: "Delivers old-school thrills with heart and conviction"
4. Superman
Director: Richard Donner
Released: 1978
The film that made us believe a man could fly, Superman, is a modern masterpiece that sets the bar all superhero movies aspire to. It's action-packed, full of heart and humor, and Richard Donner does deft work in making the character's labyrinthian origin story into something easily digestible.
While the cast's magnificent, Christopher Reeve is clearly the MVP, playing the Man of Steel and Clark Kent as essentially two different characters simultaneously. We also can't miss the opportunity to mention John Williams's soaring score. Williams' Superman theme is the Superman theme. It embodies everything the character stands for. It's hopeful, heroic, and, most importantly, inspirational.
3. Batman
Director: Tim Burton
Released: 1989
Many credit Christopher Nolan for reinterpreting Batman as a serious superhero divorced from the inherent campiness of a man who dresses as a bat and fights crime, but that's not entirely true. It was Tim Burton, inspired by the adult themes in two of the best Batman comics, The Dark Knight Returns and The Killing Joke, who put the 'dark' in the Dark Knight with his brooding Batman '89.
Gothic in tone and effortlessly stylish (Burton was actually criticized for being more interested in set design than Bruce Wayne), Batman proves that just because your movie's dark, it doesn't have to be poe-faced and dour. Indeed, a large part of why the film works is the lively lunacy of Michael Keaton's and Jack Nicholson's performances, which brings much-needed energy to the film. Decades later, it remains one of the best Batman movies ever made.
2. Superman 2
Director: Richard Lester
Released: 1980
Potentially a controversial choice, Superman 2 had a difficult production, to say the least, but as the old saying goes, pressure makes diamonds, and no film on this list proves that like Superman 2. The movie improves on its predecessor in almost every way, it's more exciting, the jokes are better, and the entire cast is on the top of their game. Still, what really elevates Superman 2 is its story. Stripped of the need to explain Superman's origin, this marvelous movie is free to soar and explore the more interesting elements of the world's greatest superhero.
As a result, Superman 2 takes the time to investigate the dichotomy between Clark Kent and his superheroic persona in a surprisingly effective way, asking the question, 'Who is Clark without his powers?' The answer is of course, as it is in so many of the best Superman comics, a hero – but this is the film that proves it. We've just one bone to pick with the film. What was that weird plastic Superman S that Clark threw at Non?
1. The Dark Knight
Director: Christopher Nolan
Released: 2008
A contender for the best superhero movie ever made, if not one of the best films of all time, The Dark Knight is a complex thriller about the dangers of escalation that just so happens to feature a billionaire dressed as a bat. Director Christopher Nolan takes everything he did in Batman Begins and takes it to that next level; the story's more compelling, the characters better rounded, and the set pieces more exciting than ever (the opening bank heist alone would have been the final set piece in most thrillers).
Of course, the secret sauce that makes The Dark Knight such an impressive piece of work is the late Heath Ledgers' malevolent take on the Harlequin of Hate, the Joker. It's a hypnotic performance that won Ledger a posthumous Oscar and a permanent place on the list of best movie villains. However, what makes it most impressive is how it's informed all future interpretations of the Joker, who've either tried to ape Ledger's chaotic take on the character or tried to play against it.
RELATED: The Dark Knight review: "With Batman Begins Nolan set the bar; with TDK he's just raised it"
While you wait for the next era of DC movies, why not check out our list of all the Superman movies ranked from worst to best? Or look ahead with our guide on all the upcoming superhero movies on the way.
