The timeline for the original live-action DC movies may be a little hard to keep track of, but we’ve figured out where all the DC movies take place chronologically, in their own universe.
DC’s live-action movie series began back in 2013 with the Superman movie Man of Steel. Since then, DC has released 14 movies, featuring some of the most iconic superheroes. There have been several films featuring Wonder Woman, Batman, and Aquaman. However, the vision of DC has been a little hazy, creating a muddled timeline with their films.
Late last year, DC announced James Gunn taking over as lead for the cinematic universe, rebranding it the DCU. It’s unclear how much the existing movies and characters will play into the future DC film arcs, but already, there has been a reboot announced for the Superman story. However, the existing movies are still a major part of the DC universe. We untangled the timeline and made a list to watch the DC movies in chronological order easily.
Wonder Woman (2017)
Wonder Woman takes place over two time periods. It begins with Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) in the modern era, around the same time as Batman v Superman, going through old things. When she finds an old photo, she begins to remember the past. Most of the movie is a flashback of her life in the 1940s when she first met Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) and traveled to America.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Wonder Woman 1984 takes Diana to, you guessed it, 1984. Diana works in a museum dealing with ancient artifacts before a cursed item brings two new villains to her doorstep. This adventure is a middle story between the events of the first Wonder Woman movie and when she first meets Batman and Superman.
Man of Steel (2013)
Man of Steel started the DC movie universe. It also began Henry Cavill’s time as the titular character. The story introducing audiences to Clark Kent/Superman takes place in roughly the year it was made, 2013.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice takes place in the year it was created, 2016. It was the first time Ben Affleck appeared as Batman. It was also the first time Wonder Woman entered the DC movies, in real-world time. Batman and Superman go head-to-head in some knockout battles. The ramifications of this movie set up later films.
Suicide Squad (2016)
Suicide Squad takes place after the events of Batman v Superman. To rehabilitate and utilize supervillains, the government created the Suicide Squad to save the day in the absence of heroes. There wasn’t a lot to like about this movie, but it was the first time Margot Robbie put on her clown makeup as the iconic Harley Quinn.
Justice League (2017)
Justice League takes place after Batman v Superman. With the loss of Superman, a new team called the Justice League emerges. The film marked the first time Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and the Flash (Ezra Miller) were in a live-action DC movie.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Technically Justice League and Zack Snyder’s Justice League came from the same script and filming, so it takes place at the same time as the theatrical Justice League. However, the “Snyder cut” introduces more characters and is substantially longer.
Aquaman (2018)
Aquaman takes place after the events of the Justice League. Now that people know he’s a hero, Aquaman/Arthur Curry must put his powers to use. He’s out there saving people and keeping the oceans in line.
Shazam! (2019)
Like many of the other movies, Shazam! took place in the year of its release. Set in 2019, the movie follows a young boy looking for a home who finds superhero powers as well as a family.
Birds of Prey (2020)
Birds of Prey is an unofficial sequel to Suicide Squad. After the events of Suicide Squad, Ms. Harley Quinn needs to get her groove back after ending things with Jared Leto’s terrible version of the Joker.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)
Although several movies came out between the first Shazam movie and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the two movies are supposed to be two years apart. So the setting would be 2021, not the year it was released.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
After Birds of Prey, Harley Quinn joins back up with a new and improved version of the Suicide Squad. This was the introduction of King Shark (Sylvester Stallone) and everyone’s favorite new random hero: Peacemaker (John Cena).
Black Adam (2022)
Black Adam happens in a world where the Justice League already exists. Black Adam was supposed to connect, at some point, to Shazam, but with the changes at DC, that looks like that probably won’t be happening.
The Flash (2023)
After Justice League, The Flash takes us on a solo adventure. The Flash/Barry Allen tries to change his own story with his powers. However, he ends up creating his own version of the multiverse in the process. There are characters from DC’s past and present films, all in one movie.
Blue Beetle (2023)
Blue Beetle introduced a new hero from the DC comic books. The movie is about a teen boy accidentally getting the power of alien technology, much to his close-knit family’s dismay. The movie is set around the year it was released, 2023.
With Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom arriving in theaters soon, we’ll have more to add to the list soon, and a whole new DCU in the future!
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
