With Shazam! opening in theaters everywhere this week, the DC Extended Universe is about to receive its seventh official entry. First launched in 2013 with Man of Steel, the shared cinematic universe has events that stretch back millennia, blending the worlds of science fiction and fantasy.
With its latest film, Shazam!, incoming and more films set in the DCEU on the way, here's an overview of the timeline for Warner Bros.' cinematic universe.
The First Invasion by Steppenwolf
The earliest event in the timeline of the DCEU is Steppenwolf's first attempted invasion of Earth millennia go, seen during a flashback sequence in Justice League. Leading the forces of Apokolips to conquer the planet, Steppenwolf is ultimately defeated by the combined efforts of humans, Amazons, Atlanteans and a Green Lantern.
Upon his defeat, Steppenwolf retreats to Apokolips while his three Mother Boxes are divided among Earth's factions to prevent them from becoming whole and unleashing their destructive power.
The Fall of Atlantis
Sometime after leading the Atlanteans into battle alongside the humans and Amazons against Steppenwolf, King Atlan seeks new, bold scientific innovations for Atlantis' golden age as part of the surface world.
Seen in a flashback sequence in Aquaman, an experiment by Atlan gone wrong plunges Atlantis to the bottom of the sea, effectively severing its connection with the surface world for millennia. Disgraced and guilt-ridden, Atlan goes on a self-imposed exile, leaving his mythical trident with a leviathan in the deep.
Wonder Woman Joins World War I
Jumping ahead several millennia to the early 20th century, the next major event seen in the DCEU is the final year of World War I, the primary setting of 2017's Wonder Woman. With the Axis Powers unleashing devastating war machines against the Allies, American pilot Steve Trevor is pursed by German forces to Themyscira.
After learning the war is being fueled and orchestrated by the Greek God of War Ares, Wonder Woman leaves her island home to defeat the rogue god and restore peace to Europe, remaining in the mortal world under the civilian identity of Diana Prince.
The Death of the Waynes
Seen in the prologue to Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, young Bruce Wayne goes to the movies with his parents Thomas and Martha sometime in 1981 to watch the fantasy film Excalibur.
Stopped outside of the Gotham City movie theater by a lone mugger, Thomas and Martha are both shot and killed before Bruce's eyes. The murderer then flees into the night. Following this traumatic episode, Bruce dedicates the rest of his life to defending Gotham from crime as Batman.
Wonder Woman 1984
After decades of presumed inactivity, Wonder Woman resurfaces in 1984 in the aptly titled Wonder Woman 1984. With the Cold War at its height and the Summer Olympics as a backdrop, Diana must contend with a new cast of characters, including the villainous transformation of Barbara Minerva into the deadly Cheetah.
It won't be entirely new faces for Diana Prince this time around, though, as Steve Trevor is mysteriously back from the grave and looking just as he did in 1918.
The Birth of Two Heroes
The following year in the prologue to Aquaman, Thomas Curry rescues a mysterious woman from the sea by his coastal New England lighthouse. Learning her name is Atlanna and that she's from Atlantis, the two fall in love and have a son together named Arthur. Shortly after Arthur's birth, Atlanna decides to return to Atlantis after fending off a new set of pursuers to keep her and the rest of her family safe.
Around the same approximate time on the other side of the stars, Jor-El and his wife Lara send their infant son Kal-El to Earth during the prologue to Man of Steel, just moments before the Kryptonian scientist is killed by the traitorous General Zod. Soon after Zod and his compatriots are exiled to the Phantom Zone, Krypton is destroyed and Lara along with it.
The Man of Steel Emerges
Decades after his arrival on Earth, Kal-El has taken on the name Clark Kent from his adoptive parents Jonathan and Martha in Smallville, Kansas. Sometime after his father's tragic death during a tornado, Clark leaves home on a journey of self-discovery before encountering a dormant Kryptonian ship hidden inside a glacier.
Learning the true details of his heritage, Clark takes on the mantle of Superman just as Zod traces the ship's energy signature and tries to terraform the entire planet to match Krypton's natural environment. Clark is forced to kill Zod after a destructive battle between the two leaves much of Metropolis in ruins, while Zod's allies are forced back into the Phantom Zone.
Batman Fights Superman
While the prologue of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice overlaps with Man of Steel's climactic battle in the streets of Metropolis, the majority of the film takes place approximately 18 months later. Seeing the destructive potential of Superman firsthand after a Wayne Enterprises skyscraper is caught in the crossfire of the fledgling superhero's fight with Zod, Bruce Wayne reorients his mission to prepare for a showdown to bring the Last Son of Krypton down for good.
While being unknowingly manipulated by Lex Luthor, the two come to blows only to put aside their differences and join with Wonder Woman in bringing down Doomsday and rescuing Martha Kent, albeit at the expense of Superman's life.
The Suicide Squad Is Formed
With Superman's state funeral is glimpsed briefly in the beginning of Suicide Squad, Amanda Waller's primary stated motivation for creating Task Force X is to protect the United States now that its greatest defender is dead. While the team is successful in stopping Enchantress from wiping out humanity after her supernatural corruption of Midway City, Bruce Wayne visits Waller warning her to disband the team.
However, Bruce begrudgingly accepts files on several metahumans he intends to assemble himself, sending a World War I-era photo of Diana Prince and Steve Trevor to her in the epilogue to Wonder Woman sometime later.
The Return of a Villain... and a Hero
Two years after the death of Superman and sometime since the Suicide Squad's activities in Midway City, the world is still in mourning at the start of Justice League. While Batman, Wonder Woman and the Flash agree to work together in the face of Parademons from Apokolips arriving on Earth ahead of Steppenwolf, Aquaman and Cyborg are more reluctant.
Eventually, both heroes agree to join the new team while Bruce devises a plan to resurrect Clark Kent using a Mother Box. The plan is ultimately successful, with the revived Man of Steel arriving just in time to stop a resurgent Steppenwolf and drive his forces from Earth once again.
Aquaman Claims His Birthright
According to Mera, it has been a full year since the defeat of Steppenwolf when she encounters Arthur Curry, spending most of his days drinking with his father in their coastal town at the start of Aquaman.
Mera convinces Arthur to travel to Atlantis and claim his rightful place on the throne from his half-brother, Orm, to avert an undersea civil war that threatens to spill out onto the surface world. After claiming the mythical trident of King Atlan, Aquaman proves himself worthy of the throne and unites the kingdoms of the seven seas with Mera at his side.
Billy Batson Becomes the Wizard's Champion
Also taking place a year after the events of Justice League, Shazam! is presumably the most recent incident to take place in the DCEU timeline. Following teenager Billy Batson, the boy is adopted by a foster family in Philadelphia, where he befriends his new adopted siblings, including the superhero-obsessed Freddy Freeman.
While riding the city's subway, Billy finds himself transported to the Rock of Eternity, where he is given the magical powers of the wizard Shazam, able to transform into Earth's Mightiest Mortal simply by saying the wizard's name.
With the sequel to Aquaman and a spinoff focused on the undersea creatures of the Trench currently in development, as well as Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) filming, the DC Extended Universe looks to have a healthy future ahead of it.
Directed by David F. Sandberg, Shazam! stars Asher Angel as Billy Batson, Zachary Levi as Shazam, Mark Strong as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, Djimon Hounsou as the ancient wizard Shazam, Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield, Jack Dylan Grazer as Frederick “Freddy” Freeman, Ian Chen as Eugene Choi, Jovan Armand as Pedro Peña, Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Cooper Andrews as Victor Vásquez and Marta Milans as Rosa Vásquez. The film hits theaters April 5.