DC Extended Universe

Article Archive

Chapter 0: The Old Universe

  • Man of Steel (DCEU 01)
    • After watching the first of the DCEU films to be released, this adaptation of Superman gets a lot right (and a few things wrong). After watching the film more than once, we present our review.
  • Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (DCEU 02)
    • After the relative success of Man of Steel (a film that made good money but didn't seem to really have the backing of critics or fans), DC followed it up with a semi-sequel, semi-crossover, putting in the only character in comics arguably bigger than Superman: the Batman. Sadly, the results were just not good.
  • Suicide Squad (DCEU 03)
    • When Batman v Superman came out, people seemed to really hate the movie (which is understandable as it's terrible). This sent DC scrambling in an attempt to fix their universe. This lead to extensive reshoots for their next DCEU film, Suicide Squad which, reportedly, went through three different cuts before being released. Trust us, it didn't help.
  • Wonder Woman (DCEU 04)
    • Staggering and bloody, the DCEU needed a win, and it finally got one with the World War I-set Wonder Woman. This film did everything the other movies in the cinematic universe, and, above all, was fun. DC would learn their lesson after this... eventually.
  • Justice League (DCEU 05)
    • The production of Justice League was troubled, with original director Zack Snyder leaving part way in (for family reasons) and Joss Wheddon coming in to do extensive rewrites and re-edits. Although the final film is watchable, it's still not great in comparison to the filmic output of Marvel.
  • Aquaman (DCEU 06)
    • The first film to really learn from Aquaman, this movie focuses on the titular character for a solo adventure through Atlantis. It's also one of the most gloriously dumb and comedic films of the DCEU, making it one of the best of the run yet.
  • Shazam! (DCEU 07)
    • Young Billy Batson get's the powers of Shazam! and with them becomes the most power Superman-like entity audiences still might be interested in seeing in theaters.
  • Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emanciptation of One Harley Quinn) (DCEU 08)
    • Having broken up with the Joker, Harley is on her own, pursued by every bad guy, and about to get in a world of trouble. Good thing she's going to get a bit of backup.
  • Wonder Woman 1984 (DCEU 09)
    • We flashback once more with Wonder Woman, this time in the day-glo 1980s as she deals with a megalomania who desires ultimate power, and a lost love back from the dead.
  • The Suicide Squad (DCEU 10)
  • Peacemaker (DCEU 11)
    • Peacemaker returns to take on my alien parasites and he joins the remnants of Taskforce X in a crazy, whirlwind adventure.
  • Black Adam (DCEU 12)
    • An ancient and powerful being is awoken from his slumber to defend his homeland against high-tech invaders.
  • Shazam! Fury of the Gods (DCEU 13)
  • The Flash (DCEU 14)
    • Barry Allen goes back in time and accidentally breaks the timestream into a bunch of multiversal pieces in this moderately okay superhero adventure.
  • Blue Beetle (DCEU 15)
    • One of the last films in the DCEU is a solid superhero adventure that bombed at the box office.
  • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (DCEU 16)
    • Aquaman returns in a sequel that brings the DCEU to a less than glorious conclusion.

Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters:

  • Creature Commandos (DCU 16)
    • A group of monsters team up to combine their super abilities and fight the worst threats imaginable on Earth.
  • Superman: Legacy (DCU 17)

Elseworlds

  • Joker (2019)
    • In a first, we have a Joker movie without any direct glimpse of Batman (although a young Bruce Wayne does make a cameo). It's also a dark and unrepentant slog.
  • The Batman (2022)
    • We get another reboot of the Bat as he takes on a nasty terroist with a penchanct for explosive traps in this grim dark entry.

Further Reading

  • Superman on Film: We take a quick look back at Superman as he's appeared on film, leading up to a mini-review of Man of Steel.
  • There's Gotta Be a Better Way: Having gone through the whole of the DCEU, we take a look at DC's plans for it's "Phase II" and try to give some helpful advice on where they should take this whole connected universe.

See Also:

  • Okay, Wait... What?: At one point DC was looking at putting out Batman v Superman up against Captain America: Civil War. We discuss why this was a stupid idea.
  • 2018 Fall/Winter Movie Preview, Part 2: We take a look at upcoming films for the last quarter of 2018, including the new DCEU film, Aquaman.
  • Spring 2019 Movie Preview: A preview of upcoming movies for the second quarter of 2019, with more Shazam! than you can shake a stick at.
  • The Problem with Tag Endings: We take a look at post-credit scenes and why their overuse takes away from the actual endings of films.
  • How to Shepherd a Franchise: Discovery is taking over Time-Warner, and we discuss how they might just be able to salvage DC and the DCEU.
  • What Is Going On With the DCEU?: From multiple Batmen to a Musical Joker, the DCEU is in a really weird place.
  • The Cancellation of Batgirl: Batgirl just got scrapped and thrown on a shelf, potentially never to be seen again, so we look at what just happened.
  • Gunn-ing for the Future of the DCEU: With James Gunn taking over co-lead duties on the DCEU, we take a look at what might be on the horizon for that struggling franchise.
  • DCU Future Slate: Gunn and Sfaran have released the slate of films and shows for "Chapter 1" of the DCU and we take a look.
  • Canceled DCEU Projects: With the death and rebirth of the DCEU actively going on, we take a look back at all the projects that could have been (and likely never will).
  • Characters Continuing in the DC Universe: More details continue to leak out about the new DCU, courtesy of James Gunn, and we discuss.
  • A Post-Mortem for the DCEU: With the release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom it's time to take a look back at the universe that has come to a close. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
  • Ranking All the DCEU Productions: With one last look to the past, we put all the films from the first version of the franchise in their place. (Part 1, Part 2)
  • How Do You Make a Multiverse Work?: We take a look at current cinematic multiverses to see why most aren't connecting with audiences.

Podcasts: