The DCEU got off to a rocky start, but it’s beginning to find its footing. Fans love some of the earlier movies in the franchise, and with the announcement that the Snyder Cut of Justice League will be coming in mid-March of 2021, many viewers are rewatching the entirety of the DCEU’s movies in preparation.
There are hits and misses in any franchise, and the DCEU is no different. With so much source material to pull from within DC Comics, they can truly do anything and everything with these movies, and have a comics foundation to base it on. However, there are a few times when the movies go above and beyond, and they actually end up outpacing the comics they began with.
10 Clark Kent Takes Flight
The Clark Kent that audiences were introduced to in Man of Steel wasn’t exactly familiar. He seemed relatively unhappy and dour when compared to the Clark Kent of most media interpretations and the comics. However, fans did get a glimpse of that Clark when he starts testing his flight abilities. Clark Kent dons his Superman costume for the first time and starts just jumping into the air, only to soon discover that he’s able to take flight.
For the first time ever, it seems, Clark Kent smiles and laughs, simply enjoying himself for a chance. This light-hearted delight makes Clark seem more like a real man than ever before, and introduces one of the best interpretations of the character to date.
9 The Death Of Superman
Killing off Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was seen as jumping the shark by many viewers. However, the DCEU committed to this decision and made sure that if this moment was going to happen, it was going to have the maximum amount of emotional impact that it could, for the second movie in the franchise.
The death of Superman at the hands of Doomsday, itself, isn’t the best moment in the movie. However, Superman’s funeral, intercut with Clark Kent’s small, private funeral in Smallville, finally packs the emotional punch that Dawn of Justice seeks for its entire runtime. This is the moment that actually makes the whole thing worth it, as heartbreaking as it is. That painful emotion only proves the success of the moment.
8 The Suicide Squad’s Happier Moments
Much like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad is not considered to be one of the DCEU’s larger successes. However, again, like Dawn of Justice, this movie does have its moments. As Suicide Squad comes to a close, the remaining members of the task force are finally rewarded for their so-called good behavior. Following on from all of this nonsense, Harley Quinn gets a fancy new coffee machine, Killer Croc gets a television in his cell, and Deadshot is allowed time with his daughter.
After a movie that didn’t give the characters their best screen time ever, this last moment at the end of the movie makes it all worth it and shows the characters in a more fun light than they’ve been portrayed in some time.
7 No Man’s Land
After Wonder Woman came out, fans couldn’t stop talking about the No Man’s Land scene. In the movie, Diana knows she needs to defeat Ares, and she believes that Steve Trevor is taking her directly to him, at whatever location “the war” is placed at. Steve brings her directly to the front of the war, to No Man’s Land.
Diana, when confronted with a stretch of empty land, on the other side of which she imagines is the solution to all of man’s problems, does the only thing she believes she can do: she crosses the land. She fights off countless bullets and blasts with her bracelets and her shield. Wonder Woman leads Steve Trevor and the Wonder Men across No Man’s Land with her, and they liberate the village of Veld. This entire sequence is breathtaking and, in a word, awe-inspiring.
6 The Promise Of The Iconic Superman Shirt Tearing
There were a great deal of changes made to Justice League throughout the production process, including switching directors partway through. The final cut of the movie disappointed many, but there were some moments of promise. For example, towards the end, it seems that fans really will be getting the Clark Kent they know and love back.
In a little nod to the past, Clark Kent tears his shirt open to reveal the Superman logo from his costume beneath. This moment fills the audience with promise and hope for the future; with the upcoming release of the Snyder Cut of the Justice League, viewers are optimistic that that hope will not be unfounded.
5 Arthur, The One True King
Arthur Curry struggles to take on his title as Aquaman significantly less than he struggles with his need to take on the role of King of Atlantis. However, Arthur is not only the one who has inherited the throne by birthright, but he is the one true king, as recognized by the oceans themselves. Arthur has to face off against Karathen, who guards the trident Arthur seeks. However, Arthur is able to prove that he is worthy, and Karathen gives him the trident, thus granting Arthur control over the oceans.
He wields this trident in his fight against his half-brother Orm, and even spares him at the end of its points. When Arthur takes the throne as King of Atlantis, it is with his trident in hand — his physical proof that he is worthy of his place.
4 Now Introducing, The Shazamily
Shazam! brought a great deal of much-needed levity to the DCEU. The idea of a kid superhero with the body and abilities of a grown adult superpowered man is humorous in and of itself, and it was well-executed in the movie Shazam!. More than that, the movie introduced not only Billy Batson as Shazam, but it introduced the rest of his Shazam Family, or his Shazamily, with him.
When Billy has his huge climactic fight against Doctor Sivana, the Shazamily fought in their superpowered forms against the Seven Deadly Sins. This reminder of the strength of family and the power of love makes the movie so good and elevates it above common portrayals of Shazam in the comics.
3 Harley Quinn On Roller Skates
After Harley Quinn didn’t exactly get the best portrayal that fans were hoping for in Suicide Squad, she got a second chance in Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). This time, she really shone, and there were some truly spectacular moments for her and countless others throughout the movie.
The best, though, is one of her action sequences. It’s hard to top action sequences in the movies because there isn’t as much movement in the comics. This action scene is particularly good: Harley Quinn on roller skates goes skitching, using the Huntress’ motorcycle to attack the Black Mask. It’s a particularly good roller skating scene that comes to a spectacularly explosive conclusion.
2 Maxwell Lord Gets A Grip
In the comics, Maxwell Lord, as a character, is kind of all over the place. His motivations and origins change constantly, as does his presence as a villain and even a human being. His one most defining moment — having his neck snapped by Wonder Woman on live television — doesn’t really encompass him as a character.
However, in Wonder Woman 1984, the characterization of Maxwell Lord is finally worked out. He makes sense as a character and so do his decisions. Though this does change the way that his most iconic moment in the comics goes in the movies, some fans agree that this is a shift for the better.
1 The DCEU Is Much Less To Contend With Than The Comics
DC Comics are genuinely getting unwieldy, in an organizational sense. There have been decades upon decades of comics, as well as countless partial reboots that leave some things changed and some others unchanged. In all the confusion, it’s easy for even the most seasoned of readers to get lost in the mix. However, with one straight thread of movies, it’s much easier to grapple with the DCEU as it exists presently. While this may stand to change, it will never have as much history to contend with as DC Comics, so it already has that leg up.