DCEU: All 16 DC Extended Universe films ranked from worst to best (including Aquaman 2)

11. Man Of Steel

There’s often a debate among fans as to whether or not Man of Steel is actually part of the DCEU because it wasn’t treated as such at the time of its release (DC’s shared universe concept didn’t come into effect until the sequel Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), but it would be ludicrous to exclude it because it’s clearly part of the DCEU timeline, narrative and universe.

Dull colors and a less-hopeful tone may seem like cliché DCEU elements nowadays, but in 2013, those were aspects that made it a highly unique Superman movie. After all, at the time of its release in 2013, we hadn’t had a film about one of our two favorite Kryptonians since 2006’s underrated Superman Returns – which owed a lot to the original Christopher Reeve franchise – so the question was: How to make Superman different?

The answer was Man of Steel: A moodier, gloomier tale steeped in as much realism as possible and led by a somewhat more melancholic Clark Kent than you’d expect. And, you know what? It really worked.

The film’s attempts to delve into Clark’s origins (both on Krypton and in Smallville) set it apart from previous installments and added more humanity to the Man of Steel – something that was brought to life beautifully by Henry Cavill’s engaging performance. And even though Amy Adams’ Lois Lane rarely felt like Lois Lane (through no fault of her own), the pair’s connection made for a strong emotional core.

An admirable attempt to make a less-realistic character feel more realistic in a post-Dark Knight world, it was undoubtedly a solid modern day superhero movie that reinvigorated the character. That said, a little more triumph would have been welcomed… you know, since that is Superman’s whole M.O.