The 16 Greatest DC Superhero Movies of All Time

From brooding noir reinventions to four-color blockbusters, this lineup spans every era of caped crusaders and last sons, with gritty prestige dramas rubbing shoulders with crowd-pleasing spectacle. Where do you stand?

1

The Dark Knight

Christopher Nolan's 2008 Batman epic featuring Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning turn as the Joker.

1000pts

2

Batman

Tim Burton's gothic 1989 blockbuster that redefined the Caped Crusader with Michael Keaton.

749pts

3

The Dark Knight Rises

Nolan's epic 2012 conclusion to his Batman trilogy pitting the hero against Bane.

734pts

4

Shazam!

A lighthearted 2019 film about a teenager who transforms into an adult superhero.

691pts

5

Aquaman

James Wan's 2018 undersea spectacle with Jason Momoa as the King of Atlantis.

691pts

6

Superman

Richard Donner's 1978 origin film starring Christopher Reeve that made audiences believe a man could fly.

642pts

7

Batman Begins

Christopher Nolan's 2005 grounded reboot chronicling Bruce Wayne's origin.

642pts

8

Man of Steel

Zack Snyder's 2013 Superman reboot starring Henry Cavill as the Last Son of Krypton.

642pts

9

Wonder Woman

Patty Jenkins's acclaimed 2017 film with Gal Gadot as the Amazonian warrior in WWI.

642pts

10

Joker

Todd Phillips's gritty 2019 character study that won Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar.

513pts

11

Superman

James Gunn's 2025 reboot launching the new DC Studios universe with David Corenswet.

513pts

12

Zack Snyder's Justice League

The 2021 four-hour director's cut uniting DC's greatest heroes against Steppenwolf.

513pts

13

The Suicide Squad

James Gunn's irreverent, violent 2021 reboot following a squad of villainous anti-heroes.

513pts

14

Watchmen

Zack Snyder's 2009 adaptation of the seminal graphic novel set in an alternate 1980s.

513pts

15

The Batman

Matt Reeves's noir 2022 detective thriller starring Robert Pattinson as a younger Batman.

428pts

16

Batman Returns

Tim Burton's darker 1992 sequel featuring the Penguin and Catwoman.

428pts