Fans are witnessing the end of an era following James Gunn and Peter Safran’s takeover of DC Studios. The creative duo made a few sweeping changes that crushed a few dreams as both Henry Cavill and Dwayne Johnson revealed they wouldn’t return as Superman and Black Adam, respectively. The potential end of the DCEU has fans returning to the ill-fated movie franchise.
The DCEU featured inspired attempts at building a cohesive movie universe, though ultimately failed at bringing it together. However, there are still a few underrated films in the DCEU that don’t get as much credit from fans. Movies like Birds of Prey and Shazam! wowed some fans but were somewhat overshadowed by other releases.
8 Man of Steel
Release Date: June 14, 2013
The DC Extended Universe launched with 2013's Man of Steel from director Zack Snyder. The newest reboot of Superman featured a new dark tone that set the foundation for the rest of the DCEU, though it turned some fans of the bright and hopeful character off of the new cinematic universe.
While some of these fan criticisms had merit, Man of Steel still featured some iconic moments from Clark Kent's origin as well as some of Superman's most iconic villains. Man of Steel also showcased the incredible powers of Superman well, though some fans criticized the characterization of Kal-El in the film.
7 Batman v Superman: Ultimate Edition
Release Date: March 25, 2016
2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice continued Zack Snyder’s dark adaptation of the Justice League characters. However, it was another film that suffered from too much studio involvement, resulting in the removal of key scenes to shorten the runtime.
That left some fans disappointed by the film and unwilling to watch an even longer cut when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Ultimate Edition) released. However, the BvS: Ultimate Edition filled out the story and captured Snyder’s vision better than the theatrical cut. Fans gave Zack Snyder’s Justice League another chance, so the Ultimate Edition should also get the same shot.
6 Suicide Squad
Release Date: August 5, 2016
The villains of the DC universe got the spotlight in 2016’s Suicide Squad from director David Ayer. Amanda Waller formed her Task Force X using incarcerated villains. One of the most important DC villain teams then became known as the Suicide Squad due to the expendability of the members.
Fans didn't give Jared Leto’s portrayal of The Joker much of a chance, and reviewers criticized Suicide Squad for too much studio involvement. However, it still introduced returning DCEU characters like Harley Quinn and Rick Flagg. Suicide Squad featured a few performances from Will Smith as Deadshot and Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang that fans should reevaluate.
5 Aquaman
Release Date: December 21, 2018
The DCEU's take on Aquaman made his debut in Batman v Superman and 2017's Justice League before starring in a self-titled solo film. Some DC fans weren't on board with the new direction for the character, which meant that 2018's Aquaman went tragically underseen by some.
Aquaman may have had its beginnings in the darker DCEU, though it was one of the first films to begin the shift towards lighter content while still exploring mature themes. It became a fun and entertaining adventure, despite some fans' issues with the inclusion of Amber Heard as Mera.
4 Shazam!
Release Date: April 5, 2019
The DCEU initially became known as a dark take on the heroes of the DC universe thanks to movies like Man of Steel. However, 2019’s Shazam! from director David F. Sandberg was a nice breath of fresh air that still featured a few dark moments for fans.
Billy Batson’s transformation into the titular Shazam and his first encounter with the evil Dr. Sivana captured the attention of fans. However, the film remains an outlier that didn’t immediately mesh with the darker DCEU. Shazam is one of DC's most powerful magic users and the highly-anticipated sequel could make the character one of the few survivors of the DCEU’s end.
3 Wonder Woman 1984
Release Date: December 25, 2020
Patty Jenkins directed 2020’s Wonder Woman 1984, which was the sequel to 2017’s hit DCEU entry Wonder Woman. While some fans consider it to be one of the biggest disappointments in the DCEU, there are still great moments in the sequel that stood out.
Wonder Woman 1984 followed Diana Prince in the ‘80s. She dealt with the combined threats of a mystically-powered Maxwell Lord and Barbara Minerva in her powerful form as the Cheetah. The sequel succeeded in exploring young Diana’s training on Themyscira and even gave fans the chance to see her golden armor from Kingdom Come, making it an underrated hit with a few issues.
2 Birds of Prey
Release Date: February 7, 2020
After Harley Quinn’s debut in 2016’s Suicide Squad, fans fell in love with Margot Robbie’s live-action portrayal of the character. She starred alongside a new team of female heroes in 2020's Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).
Fans criticized Birds of Prey for its inaccurate adaptations of the comic characters which became a humiliating defeat for Harley Quinn. New characters like Huntress, Renee Montoya, and Black Canary impressed fans enough to hope for a sequel focusing on the new crime-fighting team. Birds of Prey also stands out for the unrestrained performance of Ewan McGregor as Black Mask.
1 Black Adam
Release Date: October 21, 2022
While fans were excited to see the long-in-development Black Adam finally hit theaters, the initial reaction to the film didn't match the hype. The release of the film was further soured when the new heads of the DCU revealed that Dwayne Johnson and Black Adam wouldn't be returning in the rebooted cinematic universe.
However, Black Adam's exploration of the titular anti-hero's origins brought something new to the DCEU that some fans missed out on due to the behind-the-scenes drama. The film also introduced characters from the Justice Society of America and featured the final appearance of Henry Cavill in the role of Superman, which is sure to make it an underrated classic in the future.