DC movies in chronological order (2026)
22 released titles (18 movies, 4 series seasons), about 61 hours of viewing. Next release: Man of Tomorrow, 9 Jul 2027.
Last verified 23 Oct 2026.
In-story order. The DCEU starts with Wonder Woman (1918) and Wonder Woman 1984 before Man of Steel, then follows the films as they are set, with Peacemaker season 1 between The Suicide Squad and Black Adam and the post-Flash films last. Zack Snyder's Justice League is placed next to the theatrical cut as an alternative. The DCU follows in release order, which is also its story order. The Dark Knight trilogy and the Elseworlds titles are stand-alone, so they are appended at the end in their own internal order rather than interleaved.
25 titles · chronological order · 22 count towards completion
How to watch DC: the short version
DC's live-action films come in two shared universes plus a handful of deliberate stand-alones. The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) ran from Man of Steel in 2013 to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in December 2023: fifteen films, the HBO Max series Peacemaker, and a famously bumpy continuity that was reshuffled by studio changes, the two versions of Justice League and finally The Flash, which was written as a soft reset. Nothing after it was ever properly stitched together, which is why fans argue about where Blue Beetle and the second Aquaman belong.
In late 2022 Warner Bros. Discovery put James Gunn and Peter Safran in charge of a new DC Studios, and they rebooted the whole thing as the DC Universe (DCU). Chapter One, 'Gods and Monsters', began with the animated Creature Commandos in December 2024, then Superman (July 2025), Peacemaker season 2, Supergirl (June 2026), Lanterns on HBO, and Clayface (October 2026). Man of Tomorrow, the Superman sequel, is dated for July 2027. Only a few things carry across from the DCEU: Peacemaker, Amanda Waller and Blue Beetle's actor Xolo Maridueña, with Gunn saying most of Peacemaker season 1 counts as DCU backstory.
If you are starting from zero, do not begin with Man of Steel. Start with Creature Commandos and Superman (2025): the DCU is the universe that is still being made, it is short enough to catch up in a weekend, and it does not require the old films. Come back to the DCEU afterwards as its own completed story; its chronological order puts both Wonder Woman films first and is a nicer way through than release order. Joker, The Batman and The Penguin, and Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy are stand-alone and can be watched at any point, so they are optional here and do not count towards your completion unless you switch them on.
Time budget: the sixteen core DCEU entries run about 39 hours (add four more for Zack Snyder's Justice League); the DCU released so far is roughly 22 hours including the three series; the Elseworlds set and the Dark Knight trilogy add about 15 and 8 hours. Everything, including every optional title, is about 87 hours of released material.
Orders explained
Everything in the order it reached cinemas or streaming. The simplest way to watch, and the order in which the DCEU's continuity was actually written.
In-story order. The DCEU starts with Wonder Woman (1918) and Wonder Woman 1984 before Man of Steel, then follows the films as they are set, with Peacemaker season 1 between The Suicide Squad and Black Adam and the post-Flash films last. Zack Snyder's Justice League is placed next to the theatrical cut as an alternative. The DCU follows in release order, which is also its story order. The Dark Knight trilogy and the Elseworlds titles are stand-alone, so they are appended at the end in their own internal order rather than interleaved.
Just the 2013–2023 universe in story order, with Peacemaker season 1 and the optional Snyder cut. No DCU, no stand-alones.
James Gunn's universe on its own, in release order (which matches its story order). Peacemaker season 1 is included first because Gunn has said most of it is DCU backstory and Creature Commandos picks up directly after it; skip it if you only want the official Chapter One entries.
Optional extras
Joker (2019), Joker: Folie à Deux, The Batman (2022), The Penguin and The Batman Part II are stand-alone stories set outside the DCEU and the DCU; DC Studios labels them 'DC Elseworlds'. Include them if you want every modern live-action DC film and show; skip them if you only care about the shared universes. They can be watched in any order relative to everything else.
Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises are Christopher Nolan's closed trilogy with no connection to the DCEU or DCU. Include them if you want a complete modern DC film run; they are frequently the first DC films people recommend, so they are also a fine place to start.
The four-hour 2021 re-edit of Justice League. The theatrical 2017 cut is the one the DCEU treats as canon, so this is optional: include it if you want to see the version the director intended, and watch it instead of (not as well as) the 2017 film.
Frequently asked
Is Superman (2025) connected to Man of Steel?
No. Superman (2025) is the first film of the rebooted DC Universe and recasts the role with David Corenswet. It is not a sequel to Man of Steel and does not share a timeline with the Henry Cavill films. You do not need to watch any DCEU film before it.
What is the difference between the DCEU and the DCU?
The DCEU (DC Extended Universe) is the 2013–2023 shared universe that began with Man of Steel and ended with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The DCU is James Gunn and Peter Safran's reboot that started with Creature Commandos in December 2024. Apart from Peacemaker, Amanda Waller and a few cast members kept in their roles, the two are separate continuities.
Where does Peacemaker fit?
Season 1 (2022) is a DCEU spin-off set five months after The Suicide Squad, with Black Adam following shortly after it. Gunn has said most of season 1 also counts as DCU history, apart from moments like its Justice League cameo, and Creature Commandos picks up after it. Season 2 (2025) is fully part of the DCU and is set after Superman (2025). Gunn said after season 2 ended that there were no plans for a third.
Is Joker part of the DCEU?
No. Joker (2019) and Joker: Folie à Deux are stand-alone films with no connection to the DCEU or DCU, which is why they sit in the optional Elseworlds collection here. The same goes for The Batman (2022), The Penguin and The Batman Part II, which share their own continuity.
Do I need to watch Zack Snyder's Justice League as well as Justice League?
No, pick one. The 2017 theatrical cut is the version the later DCEU films follow. The 2021 Snyder cut is four hours long, tells the same story with far more detail and a different ending, and Snyder himself said it sits in a slightly alternate universe. Most fans prefer it as a film, but it is optional for continuity.
What order should I watch the DCEU in?
Release order works and is how the films were written. If you prefer story order, start with Wonder Woman (set in 1918) and Wonder Woman 1984, then Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, Birds of Prey, The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker season 1, Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The last three were never clearly tied together on screen, so their exact order is a matter of opinion.
How long does it take to watch all the DC movies?
The sixteen core DCEU entries run about 39 hours. The DCU so far (three films and three series) is about 22 hours. Adding the Snyder cut, the five Elseworlds titles and the Dark Knight trilogy brings everything released to about 87 hours, or roughly three and a half days of screen time.
Where can I stream DC movies in the UK?
HBO Max launched in the UK and Ireland on 26 March 2026 and is bundled for Sky customers. The HBO series (Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, Lanterns, The Penguin) are there and on Sky Atlantic/NOW. Warner Bros. films move between HBO Max, Sky Cinema/NOW and rental, and the window differs per film, so we mark most films as 'varies'; check JustWatch or the service before you sit down.
Why are Arrowverse shows, Titans and the animated films not listed?
We keep this page to the live-action film universes and the series that are part of them. The CW's Arrowverse, Titans, Doom Patrol, Gotham, the DC animated films and the pre-2005 Batman and Superman films are all separate continuities and would roughly triple the list without helping you follow the DCEU or DCU.