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Every DC Comics movie ever, ranked from worst to best

From Batman to Superman and everything in between, which DC movies stand out as the very best?

By Michael Patterson

On the Set of "Batman"
On the Set of "Batman" / Sunset Boulevard/GettyImages
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19. Superman Returns

Now here is a Superman movie that doesn't get the love or attention that it deserves. Released in 2005, Superman Returns is something of a legacy sequel to the Christopher Reeve film series, taking place as the Man of Steel returns to Earth after an extended amount of time. Brandon Routh was cast in the title role and he delivers what is perhaps the most underappreciated Superman performance of them all.

The problem with Superman Returns is that it is just a very good movie at a time when audiences needed to be thrilled. It had been almost two decades since the franchise's previous installment, so it should have been a Batman Begins-level reboot. The fact that it wasn't doesn't mean that we should discount its merits, though. The modern day special effects suited Superman well, while the film had enough of a balance between present-day seriousness and nostalgic charm to deliver.

It wasn't perfect, but it was more Superman than the DCEU iteration of the character.

The Suicide Squad, DC
(L-r) DANIELA MELCHIOR as Ratcatcher 2, MARGOT ROBBIE as Harley Quinn, IDRIS ELBA as Bloodsport, KING SHARK and DAVID DASTMALCHIAN as Polka-Dot Man in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics. © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. /

18. The Suicide Squad

Four years after the misfire that was Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy director (and future DC Studios co-head) James Gunn was brought on-board to give the DC outcasts another chance at silver screen success. With that, the demonic threats and OTT drama was dropped in favor of a more grounded, bloody, and sarcastic affair that made much better use of its talented ensemble.

The Suicide Squad was more of an acquired taste (and far less mainstream superhero movie) than its predecessor, and it was a much stronger product as a result of that. The cast's chemistry was brilliant, with John Cena's Peacemaker and Idris Elba's Bloodsport serving as equally strong new additions to the story. But it was once again Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn that stole the show.

The film might not have been as successful as its predecessor due to its streaming release in the midst of the pandemic, but it did succeed in giving the title team a big screen adventure worthy of their comic book legacy.

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