It sounds like a cliche by now to make a statement that we fans are the true winners of summer 2025’s superhero film wars between Marvel and DC, but it’s true. It does not matter which of the two films, Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is better, although fans have made arguments that Superman was better than The Fantastic Four: First Steps and vice versa. It’s all subjective and open to interpretation. What matters is that we finally got a summer where the two superhero-based film studios, Marvel Studios and DC Studios, went head to head with top-tier film releases that were well made and successful (more on that soon).
The result was that we were treated to two great superhero films in a relatively short amount of time. It would have been better if they performed better at the box office but they are not flops. Who knows what would have happened if both films pulled in a billion dollars? Would this have triggered some kind of race between the two studios to outdo each other at every turn? This would not be realistic or viable and probably lead to a huge crash after some of their films failed. Perhaps the films would have made a lot more money if their releases were not so close to each other since the films came out in a two-week period. Both studios should adjust their release schedules to consider this.
One thing to dispel is that there isn’t superhero fatigue. That is something that trolls and others want to create a narrative in order to drive clicks and views. Sure, we are past the heyday of the superhero craze and the new normal is that they are not guaranteed box office gold. But that is because too many inferior films came out which turned off many to superhero films. The two studios should share some blame for that but other studios, especially Sony Pictures, dumped out garbage like Madame Web and Morbius, which diluted the Marvel name and superhero films in general. It does not matter that the Sony Spider-Man-less films were not part of the Marvel Studios films; the average moviegoer does not know or pay attention to such subtleties. Even though Sony announced they won’t produce any more of these films, the damage has been done.
Right now both Marvel Studios and DC Studios are in a rebuilding phase. Both of this summer’s superhero films launched new phases for their shared cinematic universes and past history has shown that the early films of the studios started off relatively small but they built interest for the characters who later on headlined blockbuster films. For example, Man of Steel earned $670 million dollars, while that is great for most films, Warner Bros., the parent company of DC Studios, would have preferred it earned more. The following film after Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was more successful in part because it featured Superman. The problem for Warner Bros. is that they got greedy and impatient and jumped into the big tentpole epics like Justice League, which did not allow for the characters and events to grow naturally. In the end, these films failed to make the money Warner Bros. wanted and eventually the first DC shared universe collapsed.
James Gunn took over the DC films and is now carefully launching a new cinematic universe. For the most part, he is keeping things close as to what direction the films will take. As far as we know the only followup film in the new DC universe that is coming out will be Supergirl, while on TV Lanterns and Peacemaker will be streaming soon. Gunn has made it clear, that future films will only go into production once a complete script satisfies everyone, which is how it should be. Right now, Superman will have earned $600 very soon and maybe will finish out its run earning a bit more, which means it is profitable. This is a promising start for the new DC films but it’s important that Superman appear soon in future films in order to keep the character fresh with audiences.
Meanwhile, the early Marvel Studios films did not even come close to making a billion dollars until The Avengers. The Marvel films released this year were not outright flops nor were they were humongous successes, although the final numbers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps is not known at this time. The films earned from as low as $382 million (for Thunderbolts*) to $434 million and counting for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. In the end, the latter film will probably finish its run with over $500 million, which is respectable.
Marvel Studios tried to repeat this pattern with Phase Four of their films after the Infinity Saga ended. But circumstances prevented followups to the Phase Four films TV shows and characters. Sure, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was a hit back in 2021 and all, but where is the sequel? Where is Shang-Chi for that matter? Yes, he will appear in Avengers: Doomsday but that will be a time gap of five years between appearances, which is too long. This lack of followup was a huge error on Marvel’s part. They had to keep to momentum going with Shang-Chi, especially since he was an unknown character. In the past, after minor and unknown characters made their debuts, Marvel Studios quickly featured them in other films to keep up interest. Examples of this include the Guardians of the Galaxy and Doctor Strange, who rocketed in popularity after they made appearances in Avengers films and their future films earned much more than their debut films. This even happened with the Marvel Studios version of Spider-Man. His debut film, Spider-Man: Homecoming, did not make a billion dollars but his second and third films did so, easily. This formula will work with the Fantastic Four and other new characters. Thankfully, Marvel Studios will repeat this formula in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday as that film will feature the Fantastic Four, the Sam Wilson Captain America, and the Thunderbolts.
Both film studios are focusing on quality and long-term strategies, which is great because this will help word of mouth for these superhero films. Marvel Studios now has genuine competition when it comes to producing quality superhero films. Again this is great for us fans. Even the head of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, has said in the past that he wanted DC films to succeed because the competition would be good for Marvel Studios. Competition generates innovation and creativity and encourages competitors to do their best work. In fact, the lack of competition from DC could be seen as one of the reasons why Marvel Studios floundered for a few years.
It is great that there is genuine competition between the two superhero film studios. Whether or not Superman or The Fantastic Four: First Steps is more successful is irrelevant at this point, although Superman is the clear winner when it comes to box office result. Both films can be enjoyed by fans for what they bring to the table. What matters is that two great superhero films came out in one summer, which is something we have not had in a while. This is why we are the winners in this competition.
The new DC Universe (DCU) is off to a very promising start with Superman, written and directed by James Gunn, and who is also the guru spearheading the DCU.
Unlike other introductory Superman films, this latest reboot does away with the origin story of Clark Kent/Superman (David Corenswet) arriving to Earth as a child from the doomed planet Krypton and growing up to become the world’s greatest superhero. Instead, the film takes place three years into his debut. As the film starts, Superman has for the first time lost a battle against a foe called the Hammer of Baravia. In the film’s opening text, Superman stopped the country of Baravia from invading its neighbor and this action has proven to be controversial. While Superman sees this as simply preventing needless deaths and protecting a weak country against one ruled by a dictator, many people saw this as him acting recklessly without authority.
As this fallout happens, Superman’s arch nemesis, the evil tech bro Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) manages to break into Superman’s Antarctic lair, the Fortress of Solitude, abduct Superman’s dog, Krypto, and steal video files of Superman’s Kryptonian parents. Luthor uses this footage to smear Superman on social media by revealing that Superman was supposed to conquer the people of Earth. This revelation quickly turns the public against Superman, who is then forced to turn himself into the U.S. authorities for his actions against Baravia. After he is imprisoned in a pocket dimension, it is up to his lover and fellow reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), and allies Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) to find a way to free him, discover Luthor’s true motives and expose him.
Superman works for so many reasons. The film immediately does away with the dour and gritty look of the recent Superman films that divided many fans. This version of Superman is bright, cheerful but not without conflict. However, unlike the last big-screen incarnation of Superman, this one is more human and is not brooding or trying to find his place in the world. In many ways, this version of Superman better reflects the more human and relatable version we last saw in the recent TV show Superman & Lois.
Yes, Superman has its flaws such as some colorful supporting characters did not get much screen time compared to others and the plot moves a bit too quickly, which tamped down some emotional points. But the breakneck pace of the film for the most part works in the film’s favor as it keeps everything moving at a lively pace that rarely lets up. It is refreshing that James Gunn was not afraid to embrace the characters’ goofy and sci-fi fantasy comic book roots and present them in an endearing and fun way that celebrates the DC Comics, especially during its late Silver and Bronze Ages.
It goes without saying that Superman is probably the most comic book-oriented film in recent history. It is not afraid of its comic book roots; it actually celebrates them. In our very cynical time that is full of strife and misery the bright, optimistic nature of Superman is a much-needed escape into a more hopeful world where good triumphs over evil in the end, and decency is commended as represented by Superman himself. This brightness also stands out in contrast to many recent superhero/comic book movies.
James Gunn must be applauded for having the vision and skill to pull off this exuberant debut for the DCU. He exhibits a lot of the quirky humor and pulse-pounding action beats that he demonstrated with his Guardians of the Galaxy films and The Suicide Squad. The camera work is simply breathtaking in many of the fight and flying scenes. The special effects are nearly perfect as is the production design. At the same time, the film is injected with so much emotion and character. This would not be possible with an inferior cast, but thankfully, Gunn recruited some of the best actors for this film.
Corenswet does a fine job as a more relatable Superman, although there was not enough time given to his dual identity of Clark Kent, but that can be remedied in the next film. The other acting stand outs include Brosnahan, who probably portrays the best big-screen version of Lois Lane, Hoult as Luthor, who eerily evokes current D-Bag tech bros who are becoming the ruination of our society, and Gathegi, who steals many scenes with his dry one liners and goofily stoic nature. But the true star of the show, aside from Superman himself, was Krypto the Superdog. As he did with Rocket Raccoon, Gunn presents us with an endearing animal character that steals many scenes with great humor and genuine affection. And he’s a good dog!
Superman could not come at a better time, not just for DC Studios or even superhero films, but for everyone in general. Just as the original Superman in 1978 was a beacon of hope and light in a troubled time in our history, this 2025 version of Superman also serves as reminder that we can be better, and we will be. With such a great start to the DCU, it’s exciting to see what comes next for this new cinematic universe.
The two big comic book companies, DC Comics and Marvel Comics, rule the comic book market and have done so for decades. But their reign right now is largely due to inertia and for decades comic book fans complained about the Big Two and the saturation of the market with superhero comics. It seemed as if it would be that way for a long time…and it still is at this point. However, this status quo is overdue for a shakeup and it is probably going on right now with independent comics.
To the outside world, what captures the headlines are the latest (non) developments with superheroes, like someone dying and coming back to boost sales, a newly relaunched title with a brand-new number one just to flood markets with variant covers, and so on. Also, back issue sales are still dominated by older superhero titles and will continue to do so. But what has captured fans’ attention has been the proliferation of independent comics from various publishers that for the most part don’t feature superheroes but cover a wide range of subjects. From straight horror to sci-fi to fantasy to crime dramas, there are actually a wide selection of comic books in your local comic shops (LCS) or available digitally. Many non-fans and casual fans are understandably surprised at the many choices available of comics to read and enjoy.
Right now the hot comic is Mark Spear’s Monsters, a beautifully drawn comic put out by Keenspot that features many classic monsters in painted art that evokes Alex Ross but with Spears’ own unique style. Other popular comics include Feral, Geiger, Monstress, A Vicious Circle, Invincible, Conan the Barbarian, Saga, Eight Billion Genies, The Infernals, Something is Killing the Children, Local Man, Transformers and G.I. Joe. None of these titles are superhero-based, except for Invincible, Local Man, and maybe Geiger. The latter is more of a post-apocalyptic tale of a radioactive loner/warrior, while Local Man is a fresh grounded take on Image Comics’ superheroes. Yes, Transformers, Conan the Barbarian, and G.I Joe are based on popular IP, but they are not based on superheroes.
What’s an even more interesting development is that movie and TV studios are turning more and more to comic books not based on superheroes to adapt as they see the potential in the stories. There have been successful film and TV adaptations of non-superhero comics like The Walking Dead, Road to Perdition, 300 and Sin City, but be prepared for an onslaught of even more adaptations. Right now, there are efforts to adapt Eight Billion Genies and Something is Killing the Children, which at the very least would make great animated films.
Of course, not every independent comic is a winner, not all the concepts pan out or their stories peter out after a few issues, but there are many more titles to choose from and more will come. Right now, Image is arguably the leader when it comes to non-superhero comics, with other publishers rising such as Dynamite Entertainment, Dark Horse Comics, Boom! Studios and IDW Publishing. Originally, Image began with superhero comics that to be honest were sup par and most of them are no longer around. But Image took a chance with writers and artists who were able to present their own unique visions and stories and it paid off well for the publisher and comic book fans.
Sure, the LCS and online catalogs are flooded with superhero titles from DC and Marvel, but more and more, a shopper will see that there is much more product in the comic book medium to choose from. Even if at some point in the future, Marvel or DC falter, which won’t happen for a long time, other publishers will take over and dominate the market with either their own superheroes or better yet, other genres. The groundwork is already in place and eventually the independent comics will overtake the superhero genre. Independent comic books today offer something for every taste, which is a sign of a healthy medium that will be with us for a good while.
Aside from the fact that the year 2025 means that this century is now 25 percent complete, this year promises many great genre films and TV shows for our enjoyment. Here is the list of the most anticipated films and TV shows for 2025. But note that as always, some of the projects listed will either be delayed to another year or turn out to be hot garbage and/or won’t necessarily be among the best films or TV shows when the year is complete. With that, let’s check out what 2025 has in store for us.
Films
10. Predator: Badlands
The film Prey turned out to be a great surprise as it jumpstarted the Predator franchise. The director of Prey, Daniel Tracthenberg, returns with a fresh new premise as the new film is told from the point of view of the Predator.
9. Jurassic World: Rebirth
The Jurassic Park/World franchise starts off with a new premise and cast as dinosaurs have become an endangered species. Calamity ensues (as always) when humans try to gather genetic material from the last remaining dinosaurs on an island.
8. Sinners
Black Panther Director Ryan Coogler teams up again with actor Michael B. Jordan in a horror yarn featuring vampires. Jordan plays a dual role as troubled twin brothers who return to their hometown only to discover a deadly evil waiting for them.
7. How to Train Your Dragon
While the idea of adapting beloved animated classics into live-action films has run its course, looking at you Disney, the trailer for this film looks great. It captured the look and tone of the original film from DreamWorks Animation, so let’s hope the film will turn out to be as great as the animated classic.
6. Captain America: Brave New World
The first film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for 2025 would have been more anticipated if not for the unsettling and continuous reports about constant reshoots and poor reactions from screenings. The trailers look great, especially with Harrison Ford playing the Red Hulk and Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson fully embracing the legacy role of Captain America. In any event, we’ll see in a few weeks.
5. Thunderbolts*
At first, this loose adaptation of the Marvel Comics anti-superhero team seemed like a poor MCU knockoff of the Suicide Squad. What gave this impression was the lineup of the team of supervillains forced into servitude by the U.S. government. Unlike the comic books, the team is made up of the MCU’s lesser-powered characters. But the interplay among them as seen in the trailers was amusing and could be the highlight of the film.
4. 28 Years Later
The creative people behind the first film, 28 Days Later, return for the third film in the British “zombie” apocalypse film franchise which is set…28 years after the first film. Being that the original director, Danny Boyle, is back, this film should be as tense and horrifying as the original classic. There are many questions about what has happened to the world after the Rage Virus has decimated it or what happened to the main protagonist from the first film since Cillian Murphy will return, but it’s not clear in what capacity.
3. The Fantastic Four: First Steps
After so many flawed live-action versions of Marvel Comics’ First Family, Marvel Studios finally has creative control over the property. The new version of the famed superhero team/dysfunctional family promises to be more faithful to the spirit of the comic books that launched Marvel Comics. A lot is riding on the success of this new Fantastic Four film for the MCU and Marvel Studios because the team will be pivotal players in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga and due to the involvement of the studio’s president, Kevin Feige, to ensure the film’s success.
2. Superman
Filmmaker James Gunn formally launches the rebooted DC cinematic universe with his version of the Man of Steel. Superman promises to veer away from the dark and maligned version of Superman seen in the failed DC Extended Universe. This version of Superman will go back to its optimistic comic book roots and once again serve as a beacon of hope and justice in our world, and lord knows we need someone like Superman now. Superman must be well received, and its chances are high thanks to the talented Gunn fresh from the success of his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.
1. Avatar: Fire and Ash
Never underestimate filmmaker James Cameron. He is a truly gifted and imaginary film auteur who has immersed audiences with his past films, including the first two Avatar films. Despite the complaints about the simplistic nature of the Avatar films, they are very immersive thanks to groundbreaking special effects and 3D technology. These aspects helped elevated Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water into event films that were very popular. Cameron will continue this immersion into an alien world with the third film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, as it further explores the verdant moon of Pandora, the continuing fight against human invaders and has the main characters encountering an evil tribe of Na’vi.
Notable Mentions:
Ash; The Black Phone 2; Companion; Elio; The Electric State; Five Nights at Freddy’s 2; Frankenstein; The Gorge; The Last Battleship; The Legend of Ochi; Lilo & Stitch; Love Me; M3GAN 2.0; Mickey 17; TheMonkey; Planet Gliese; Presence; The Running Man; Star Trek: Section 31; Tron: Ares; Wolf Man; Zootopia 2
TV Shows
10. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
This third series set in the world of A Game of Thrones looks very engaging with its rich production as seen in clips and its premise about a wandering knight and his squire in the land of Westeros.
9. Peacemaker
The super violent super soldier from DC Comics was portrayed to great comic effect by John Cena, He will reprise his role for the second season with episodes written by James Gunn, who will also direct at least one episode.
8. It: Welcome to Derry
The infamous fictional Maine town of Derry featured in many of Stephen King’s literary works is the setting of this Max series that zeroes in on the evil influence of the malicious entity Pennywise.
7. The Last of Us
The second season of the acclaimed adaptation of the video game continues its story of Joel and young Ellie, survivors of the apocalyptic fungal pandemic that devastated the world. What is not known is if the series will continue to be as faithful to the game as it progresses.
6. Alien: Earth
Noah Haley writes and directs the first TV series based on the Alien franchise. Little is known about this prequel to the original film, other than it involves a ragtag group of soldiers dealing with a deadly threat to our planet after the alien xenomorphs arrive on our planet.
5. Severance
The horrors of the modern office workplace take an even more macabre turn in the second season of Severance. Adam Scott returns as Mark the employee of the mysterious Lumon corporation that erases the memories of its employees each time they go to and from work. The second season should answer many burning questions about Lumon and deepen its mystery.
4. Stranger Things 5
The Stranger Things saga comes to an epic conclusion with its fifth and final season. It has been a couple of years since the last season of Stranger Things, but the talented cast and crew of the popular ode to ‘80s sci-fi/teenage films will be able to pick up where they left off and conclude the show’s storylines. Fingers crossed that it can defy trends and be able to stick the landing with its final episodes.
3. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Captain Pike, Spock and the rest of the first crew of the starship Enterprise return in the third season. Thankfully the first episode of the season will conclude the cliffhanger thread that left us screaming at our TV screens when the second season concluded. The rest of the episodes should be able to continue to evoke the adventurous spirit of the original Star Trek with fresh, modern stories as the characters explore strange new worlds.
2. Andor
What set Andor apart from the typical Star Wars fare was its more mature and grounded tone with ambiguous characters and complex situations that fully fleshed out the Star Wars universe. The second and final season of the acclaimed Star Wars TV show about the conflicted Rebel spy Andor (Diego Luna) will lead directly to the classic film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Andor’s second season should be just as complex and mature as the first and continue to set the bar not just for Star Wars but sci-fi TV shows in general.
1. Daredevil: Born Again
The best Netflix Marvel TV series is revived for Disney + and returns many of the beloved actors from the original series starting with Charlie Cox as the blind lawyer/superhero, Matt Murdock/Daredevil, and Vincent D’Onofrio as the evil crimelord Wilson Fisk, who is now the Mayor of New York City. Initially there was some trepidation about the direction of the series as it supposedly strayed from the gritty tone of the Netflix TV show, but Kevin Feige corrected course and had the series reshot nearly from scratch. The result should be a superhero TV show that matches or exceeds the standards of the original Daredevil, which is still considered one of the best superhero TV shows.
Notable Mentions:
Batman: Caped Crusader; Black Mirror; Doctor Who; Eyes of Wakanda; For AllMankind; Gen V; The Handmaid’s Tale; Invincible; Ironheart; Marvel Zombies; The Sandman; Wednesday; Win or Lose; Wonder Man; Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man; Zero Day
Now that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has left theaters and is available on digital, it is time to rank all the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) films. This ranking leaves out Peacemaker since it was a TV show, but if it were to be placed in the list it would come in third. Yes, it’s that good. Zack Snyder’s Justice League will be included even though it streamed on Max and technically does not take place in DCEU continuity, yet it is still a film associated with the DCEU.
Looking at the films overall, one can’t help but see that it was not very cohesive as a cinematic universe since it went all over the place after Zack Snyder left the DCEU. Still, even though the DCEU turned out to be disjointed and full of unrealized potential, there were films that turned out to be great.
Of course, this list is subjective and everyone else will have different rankings, so feel free to mention them in the comments.
16. Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
It is sadly shocking that the worst film of the DCEU was a sequel to one of the cinematic universe’s best films, especially since it was directed by Patti Jenkins, the director of the first Wonder Woman. The poor reception to Wonder Woman 1984 was arguably the beginning of the end for the troubled cinematic universe.
What sunk the film was the poorly thought-out script that creepily found a way to reunite Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) with her long-dead lover Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). Then there was the entire situation with the wish-fulfilling villain who granted outrageous changes to the world in 1984 that was never referred to in other DCEU films which took place in modern times. And Wonder Woman has been able to fly all this time? Please, let’s move on.
15. Black Adam (2022)
After being announced that The Rock would portray the superhuman anti-hero years ago, the film was stuck in production hell, and it seemed as if this film would never be made. Yet somehow it was made but, Warner Bros. should not have bothered. The Rock’s behind-the scenes machinations crippled the Shazam! sequel since Black Adam was supposed to appear at one point as a villain for Shazam, but The Rock refused to appear in it because there was no way he would be seen as the bad guy. But his actions led to Henry Cavill portraying Superman for the final time, even if it was as a brief cameo. Unfortunately, that was not enough to save Black Adam.
The rest of the film was an uninspired yawner with generic superhuman action pieces that could not even be salvaged by appearances of new characters like the members of the Justic Society. A major flaw with Black Adam was that there was little danger for the title anti-hero because he easily won every single fight. This resulted in a story that had low dramatic stakes for the main character and a forgettable film.
14. Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)
This sequel to Shazam! loses most of the charm of the original film as Zachary Levi’s character behaved like a complete buffoon for most of the film. As Shazam in an adult body, it was odd that the superhero acted like an immature pre-teen while in his normal young adult body, Billy Batson (Asher Angel), behaved with much more maturity.
Too often Shazam! Fury of the Gods came off like a paint-by-numbers, generic superhero yarn that was overcrowded with too many characters who were given little screentime to have fully fleshed out storylines. Then there was the ending, which was complete cop out, even though it featured Gal Gadot in a cameo as Wonder Woman.
13. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Try saying that three times fast, not even the Flash could pull that off! This film had the misfortune of coming out on the dawn of the pandemic and being something very few fans asked for. Seriously, Warner Bros. greenlit this film but not a solo Batman film with Ben Affleck! Or even a Man of Steel II!
Even though Margot Robbie turned in a solid performance as Harley Quinn, as do most of the other actors, this film looked and felt like a low-budget TV film or two-hour episode. It could have been worse, and the film has its moments, but it’s not exactly something fans should rush out to see.
12. The Flash (2023)
It was supposedly hyped as the greatest superhero film ever made by Warner Bros. executives. Ok, right. The Flash is certainly not even close to being that. However, the film was a wild ride which featured a welcome return of Michael Keaton as Batman/Bruce Wayne. His reprisal was part of a bizarre time travel/alternate universe story that at one point was to be the method to resetting the DCEU. Unfortunately, the result was a jumbled mess that ended up being one of the biggest bombs in film history. What didn’t help the film was the criminal behavior of actor Ezra Miller which drove many away from seeing the film. Sure, Miller turned in a good performance, but the role should have been re-cast.
The Flash was also hampered by some very awful and cheap looking CG, the questionable use of dead actors, and missed opportunities. If they could stick in a poorly rendered CG of Christopher Reeve for a cameo, why couldn’t the film version of the Flash meet the TV version played by Grant Gustin? What was worse is that by the end of the film, the main character apparently never learned his lesson about meddling with time. So, what was the point of all that?
11. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Any Zack Snyder fans should heed this film when arguing that the director should have been allowed to run rampant with his vision for the DCEU. The film had everything going for it, including massive hype that it was the first time DC’s two greatest heroes would meet onscreen. Yes, it was a box office success, but it should have been a member of the billion-dollar club and that is because of how the film turned out.
Bloated and incoherent, Batman v Superman blew its opportunity to wow fans thanks to its script that was more interested in setting up future DCEU films than telling a good story on its own. Also, the film borrowed too many elements from classic comic books like The Dark Knight Returns without proper context. The film was cluttered with Snyder’s overindulgent hyper-realistic shots that dwelled in slo-mo and dour cinematography. Some of the acting was inspired, especially Ben Affleck as Batman who surprised everyone by his performance, but Jesse Eisenberg’s horrendous miscasting as Lex Luthor undermined the film. The extended version of the film is much better as it helped flesh out the many dangling plot threads that were never developed in the original cut.
10. Suicide Squad (2016)
There is a great superhero action film buried somewhere in this film about supervillains forced to carry out a black ops mission for the U.S. Maybe, we’ll see it one day if Warner Bros. ever releases director David Ayer’s original cut. For now, we must settle for a film that tried to be DC’s answer to Guardians of the Galaxy and failing to do that.
The film featured many inspired performances like Will Smith as Deadshot, Joel Kinnamen as Randall Flag, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang and of course, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Try as they did, the actors could only do so much as the script had a bunch of underpowered and mostly unlikeable characters facing off against an overpowered supernatural entity that danced stupidly. Thanks to poor editing and forced changes by film executives, the film varied wildly in tone from gritty and dour to flippant and silly as the plot careened all over the place.
9. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)
Even though it could not exactly replicate the outlandishness of the original Aquaman, the sequel tried its best and was still a fun adventure. Jason Momoa was great as always portraying the Atlantean king. He clearly was having fun playing the title hero who struggled to juggle conflicting lives in his roles as a father, husband, king, superhero and surfer dude.
The film was not as imaginative or as inventive as the original, but the production did its best to deliver a sound superhero epic about Aquaman and his strained relationship with his half-brother (Patrick Wilson), as they teamed up to save Atlantis from a common foe. Overall, it was a worthy sequel to Aquaman, that is worth watching. Even though it was not intended to be the final DCEU film, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, turned out to be a decent sendoff for the DCEU.
8. Justice League (2017)
Yes, Justice League was supposed to be the counterpart to The Avengers as it featured the first team-up of DC’s greatest superheroes on the big screen, but it fell far short of that goal thanks to rushed reshootings by Joss Whedon, who took over for Zack Snyder. The production was very troubled thanks to nervous and clueless Warner Bros. executives who were only interested in padding their wallets. Instead of delaying the film, the executives were concerned with bonuses they would get by releasing the film as scheduled. The result was an uneven, mishmashed vision from two directors with very different visual and storytelling styles.
Justice League was further impaired by shoddy CG that made the film look like a visually messy video game, and who can forget the ghastly removal of Henry Cavill’s mustache? Those scenes with him and the bad CG are nearly unwatchable. Even though this film had many issues, it still featured some virtues like some of the performances and the interactions of the Justice League members hinted at the possibility of greater things to come, but sadly that would never be.
7. Shazam! (2019)
Admittedly, this superhero film was a bit silly and seemed oriented for younger audiences because of its young cast. But underneath the corny jokes and juvenile antics, was a film with a lot of heart. Shazam! echoed a lot of elements from Big, which clearly helped inspired the superhero film with its look at a young pre-teen who was suddenly transformed into a naïve adult superhero.
Shazam! might be less underwhelming than the superhero epics we are used to by now, but it delivers because of its emphasis on the characters, who struggled to deal with their fantastic situations. This was helped, of course, by some solid performances and great chemistry among the actors. Basically, Shazam! is a fun romp that explores the joys and responsibilities of being superhuman.
6. Wonder Woman (2017)
After the poor reception of prior DCEU films DC fans breathed a sigh of relief when this film turned out to be acclaimed by critics and audiences. Gal Gadot was never better in the role of Wonder Woman in a story that was distinctly unburdened by the continuity of the DCEU. Set in World War I, Wonder Woman was basically a fish-out-of-water story that showcased the Amazonian princess experiencing the violent outside world for the first time.
Gadot had great chemistry with her co-star Chris Pine, who played her love interest Steve Trevor as their relationship formed the heart of the film. It also boasted one of the DCEU’s best moments: when Wonder Woman emerged from the trenches to fight enemy soldiers in a battlefield. Still, the film was not without its flaws, such as an uninspiring final battle with your typical CG villain and a story that eerily copied many of the plot points of Captain America: The First Avenger. Still, Wonder Woman has a lot to offer.
5. Blue Beetle (2023)
There is very little that was original with this film’s superhero origin plot of the likeable everyguy who suddenly became a reluctant superhero. However, thanks to BlueBeetle’s back-to-basics approach with superhero films and heartfelt performances the film stood out from other DCEU productions. Xolo Maridueña really shined as the title hero Jaime Reyes who struggles to help his eclectic family and comes upon an alien battle suit.
The family dynamic in Blue Beetle is arguably its most notable merit as the actors have genuine chemistry with one another and embellished Reyes as a relatable character. What also helped the film were its well-choreographed action scenes and fast-moving plot. The script not only focused on the family dynamic of the Reyes Family but on social and class conflicts as the family struggled to fit into the high-tech world of the DCEU.
4. Aquaman (2018)
Credit has to go to director James Wan for being uninhibited with his superhero film that truly embraced its wild comic book roots. Actor Jason Momoa reveled in his role of the title hero which helped reimagine the image of the Aquaman character from a laughable D-list comic book character into a bonafide badass. The film was also imaginative with its depiction of underwater kingdoms and creatures that was quite dazzling. The less impressive underwater society of Namor shown in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever could not compare to the ones shown in Aquaman.
Brimming with great action, brisk pacing and vibrant production design, Aquaman turned out to be the most successful DCEU film, in fact it was the only one to earn over a billion dollars. Part of the reason for its success was because the film came out at the zenith of the current superhero film craze. However, much of it has to do with its exciting and appealing incorporation of the comic books that inspired it.
3. Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
This is the quintessential DCEU epic! Few ever expected this version of JusticeLeague to ever be released because it was just a rough cut of the film before Zack Snyder left the project. Once the director was allowed to complete his original vision years later, the result proved to many that this version should have been released instead. Whether or not you are a fan of Snyder, this version clearly has his distinct directorial stamp on it. Hyper-realistic shots, many done in slo-mo, harsh lighting, lavish shots that look like Renaissance paintings, and intensely choreographed and epic fight scenes with stunning special effects.
The film was much darker and veered significantly from the original theatrical version, but it fully fleshed out many of the characters and their arcs with a few notable exceptions. We actually got to see Cyborg developed as a unique hero, many designs and sequences were improved, and the goal of the villain was clearer, which helped raise the stakes for our heroes. We even saw Darkseid in all his evil glory! The only thing that harmed the film was that it not only hinted at what could have been, but it ended on a cliffhanger that took place in a dark future. How could Snyder do this us? Oh, well, at least we had the chance to see his unfiltered vision for the DCEU.
2. The Suicide Squad (2021)
Director James Gunn hit a super homerun with this inventive and thrilling do-over of the Suicide Squad concept. Brimming with Gunn’s trademark dark humor, character interactions and visual whimsy, The Suicide Squad should have been a huge hit, but it came out at the wrong time when Warner Bros. was flailing about during the pandemic. What also helped the film stand apart from other DCEU films was its willingness to kill off amiable characters and featuring outlandish villains taken straight from DC’s silver age.
The Suicide Squad’s best assets were the characters, which were performed with great enthusiasm by a winning ensemble cast. Margot Robbie turned in her best performance as Harley Quinn and Idris Elba was so relatable and grounded as Bloodsport. Meanwhile, the character King Shark stole the movie as the DCEU’s version of Groot, thanks to a wonderful script and Sylvester Stallone’s inspired voice acting. Its creative success was not able to salvage the DCEU, but it provided us with a glimpse of how James Gunn’s new vision for live-action DC films will be like.
1. Man of Steel (2013)
In a way, it is sad that the best film of an extensive cinematic universe turned out to be its very first one. But here we are. This Superman film was and remains one of the most controversial superhero films thanks to Zack Snyder’s gritty reimagining of the Man of Steel. In his deconstruction of the Superman mythos, Snyder’s vision set a tone for the DCEU that stood apart from the competition. Even though his take of Superman may be considered too dark for those that wanted a more traditional and optimistic Superman, Man of Steel updated the Last Son of Krypton and his story, which was needed for modern audiences.
The grounded and more realistic look at what it would be like if a superhuman alien was raised on Earth also doubled as a First Contact story and an exploration of the struggle of becoming a responsible adult. Henry Cavill was perfectly cast as a more emotionally vulnerable Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman who strived to find his place in the world. He was not perfect, he was wracked with uncertainty, he made mistakes, he was forced to kill. All of this may not fit into the ideal many had about Superman, but credit has to go to Snyder for having the fortitude to present a different look at Superman.
The film featured terrific performances, special effects and never-before-seen action sequences that finally let us see the horror and epic scale of superhuman battles. Even though many cannot appreciate the film for its own merits, Man ofSteel established the template for the DCEU going forward. Simply put, Man of Steel is the DCEU at its best.
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