Rank It: DCEU Movies

Following the release of “Aquaman 2” into theaters last month, the current iteration of the DC Extended Universe, which began with Zack Synder’s “Man of Steel” in 2013, has concluded.

With the new head of DC, James Gunn, set to relaunch the universe next year with “Creature Commandos,” it feels like a perfect time to rank every film from one of the most controversial and botched extended universes of all time.

Before we start, “Zack Synder’s Justice League” will not be included on this list as it is a director's cut, not a separate entry into the universe.

Let’s dive into the list, and warning there are spoilers below.

15. “The Flash”

This film never had a chance. From Ezra Miller being the lead to numerous rewrites to cameos from dead actors, it was a complete mess of a movie, and it came across that way on the big screen.

Not even Michael Keaton returning as Batman for the first time since 1992 could save this film from being at the bottom of this list.

14. “Black Adam”

This film did not have drive. It did not have power. It made me wonder how I got through those two hours.

It is a mess of a film that left me honestly confused at points and wrapped up with one of the most pointless post-credit scenes in cinema history.

13. “Justice League”

It starts strong with “Everybody Knows” playing and society not only mourning Superman but falling apart. Then, it falls off a cliff.

It turned into a fetch quest that I did not enjoy, and I felt they revived Superman too quickly. Overall, it was a mess of a film that felt like the DCEU was trying to make an Avengers-esque film but falling on their face.

12. “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”

The film had potential with the debate over whether Superman’s actions against General Zod were legal, being quite a fascinating storyline, but it does not dive into that. Instead, it decides to do its own version of “Freddy vs. Jason” with Batman fighting Superman.

Lex Luthor, one of the strongest villains in DC, comes off looking like a joke, and the final battle feels like a reason not to have Batman kill Superman himself rather than provide anything to the overall story.

11. “Wonder Woman 1984”

This film, unfortunately, never felt like it stood a chance with just how good the previous interaction was.

Cheetah is not my favorite choice to be the villain, and it feels like a typical superhero movie with too long of a runtime.

10. “Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)”

Margot Robbie is an incredible actress and the absolute perfect Harley Quinn. She carries this film that isn’t necessarily great but certainly much better than the previous entries on this list.

9. “Suicide Squad”

It is a fine film that gets so much hate because of how good its follow-up ended up being.

I enjoyed Will Smith as Deadshot and felt his character arc was done quite nicely. A lot of the side characters were entertaining, except for Jared Leto’s portrayal of the Joker.

Maybe this wasn’t the right comic book role for Leto. I'm sure his next one will be stellar, but it certainly hurt this film's ranking.

8. “Shazam! Fury of the Gods”

This movie fails to replicate what made the first installment so good in the first place.

It vacates the first film's charm to have bland villains and a giant dragon. Billy and Shazam have two completely different personalities, which is a big problem as they are supposed to be the same person.

It failed to live up to the hype built up by its predecessor, resulting in its place on this list.

7. “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom”

Another movie that did not meet the expectations made by its previous installment.

It feels like a typical superhero film that does not do anything special, especially when a water-based superhero spends a good chunk of time walking through a forest.

Black Manta takes a massive step back in this film, becoming just a basic villain rather than the complex character he was in the first film. Still, it was a fine film rounding out the mediocre film portion of this list.

6. “Man of Steel”

It's a solid film that is an excellent start to an extended universe.

Henry Cavill gives his best performance as Superman in this film, and General Zod is the perfect foe. Overall, it is a solid entry into the universe that never got a proper follow-up of equal caliber.

5. “Blue Beetle”

A movie released after the official death of the DCEU had no business being this good.

Xolo Maridueña does an excellent job portraying Blue Beetle, and the surrounding cast, highlighted by George Lopez, is the movie's true highlight.

Where the film fails for me is the twist at the end when Ignacio Carapax, better known as the Red Beetle, turns on Victoria because she enslaved him and killed his mother. It just came out of nowhere and ruined the film's end for me.

4. “Wonder Woman”

Gal Gadot gives her best performance as Wonder Woman, and it is shot beautifully.

Sir Patrick revealing himself as Ares was an excellent twist, and Steve Trevor’s death is one of the biggest heartbreaks in the entire universe.

It's a great film that just missed finishing in the top three on this list.

3. “Aquaman”

It is an excellent origin story that manages to flawlessly balance two villains in Ocean Master and Black Manta, while giving them reasonable motivations for their actions.

The film’s cinematography is fantastic, and each action set piece is done to perfection, resulting in it coming in at third on this list.

2. “Shazam!”

“Shazam!” is a personal favorite of mine that blends comedy and action alongside emotion flawlessly.

The montage of Shazam testing out his powers alongside Freddy is one of my favorite scenes in the entire universe.

Despite my fondness for the film, I like one movie a little bit more.

1. “The Suicide Squad”

Arguably one of the greatest comic book movies of all time.

The colorful cast of characters who each have their own character beats, the shocking opening scene and the surprising twists put it high and above the rest.

Not to forget, it features some excellent comedic moments and is an easy choice to top this list.

Ben Palillo is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email bgp5079@psu.edu.