How to Watch DC Movies in Order
DC Comics, better known as the DC Universe, has been producing movies since the year 2005 when Batman Begins was released. The movies in this universe have spanned across many actors including Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. There are currently 10 movies in this universe; however, there are many different ways to watch them in chronological order and release order.
A Brief History of Warner Bros.
When Warner Bros. began making movies, they were known as both Vitagraph and their studio name, Warner Brothers. They focused primarily on short films, mostly comedies or action/adventure features that could be shown before a movie for entertainment. Their big break came with The Jazz Singer (1927), which would eventually give way to The Talkies. They merged with a couple of other studios in what is now called The Big Five Studios (which also include Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). In recent years, they’ve turned their focus more toward superhero films than any other studio, which has launched their Extended Universe of DC Comics characters into pop culture stardom.
A Brief History of DC Comics
All superheroes have a beginning, and for DC Comics that beginning lies with two men: Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson and Harry Donenfeld. In 1934, Wheeler-Nicholson created National Allied Publications, which would eventually become one of America’s biggest comic book publishers alongside their rival company known as Detective Comics (later shortened to just DC). From these humble beginnings, they would go on to create an entire universe of characters ranging from Batman and Superman to Wonder Woman and Doomsday.
What Is a Shared Universe?
A shared universe is a fictional setting where more than one work, generally related by either being set within the same fictional universe or by a direct reference between texts, can take place. The term is usually used when referring to a set of creative works that may come from different media such as books, films, television shows and video games. These works are said to have a shared continuity between them.
The Warner Brothers Shared Film Universe
In 2013, Warner Brothers launched a shared film universe for their superhero properties. While it doesn’t include all of their superhero characters, it does include some of their biggest: Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. And while many fans have been clamoring for a Justice League movie, they’re not there yet—but they are getting closer with Aquaman (December 21st), Shazam! (April 5th) and Wonder Woman 1984 (November 1st). To help you get caught up before these new releases, we’ve put together a list of all movies so far in order of release. So without further ado…
The DCEU Films
The Definitive Guide: The DCEU (DC Extended Universe) is a shared cinematic universe that is being developed by Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment. Although it was first confirmed on June 10, 2014, with a solo Batman film for release on July 17, 2015, it wasn’t until May 16, 2016 when eleven films were announced with dates spanning from 2016 through 2020.
Final Thoughts on the DCEU’s Film History
The DCEU (DC Extended Universe) is a place where it can be hard to know what movie came first. Did you see that they’re making a Wonder Woman sequel? Did you hear they are doing standalone Joker and Harley Quinn movies? Were you aware that there was even an extended universe before Disney brought on their very own with Marvel? Was Suicide Squad good? These are all questions we have, but don’t worry! We have your back with our list of how to watch DCEU movies. Read on below for our viewing order, release dates, and more information about these amazing films. Cheers! And may God bless America. Amen.
