C Comics has a long history with feature film adaptations, dating back to 1978 with the release of Superman. In most ranking lists for Marvel and DC movies, we tend to focus on the more modern releases. But, I thought it would be fun to take a look at all the major DC movies dating back to Superman and rank them worst through first in a very subjective and unscientific way.
A quick note that I am ignoring a few films that are technically DC Comics properties (Steel, Jonah Hex, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Swamp Thing) along with various animated Batman features. The idea is that I wanted to focus on characters who exist in the commonly understood DC Comics universe. So, let’s kick it off.
27. Catwoman (2004)
Winner of various Razzie awards, this one was just bad. A great example of how even a talented actor like Halle Barry can’t overcome a really bad script.
26. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
How is this not the worst? It’s a close call. Just an awful film. Even Christopher Reeve thought so. Another waste of two talented actors in Reeve and Gene Hackman. This is a common theme in a lot of the films toward the bottom of this list – strong actors, terrible script, production, etc.
25. Batman & Robin (1997)
So very bad. Again, with talented actors like George Clooney and Uma Thurman among others, but just a terrible film. Goofy in all the wrong ways, even if visually interesting. Thankfully all the actors went on to do much better work in other films.
24. Green Lantern (2011)
You can’t watch this movie without thinking how much better Ryan Reynolds is when playing Deadpool. Some of the same quick banter style humor, but handled correctly in the R-rated Deadpool. Reynolds likes to joke about how bad this movie is, as well.
23. Supergirl (1984)
Not good, at all. But, not a total disaster either. It’s a superhero movie of its era and it should get some props for giving us a look at a female superhero on the big screen. But, in comparison to Superman, it pales in comparison.
22. Superman III (1983)
Have to say, I barely remembered this movie. Superman I and II – definitely. Superman IV – so terrible. This one? Richard Pryor was in a Superman movie? Utterly forgettable.
21. Batman Forever (1995)
An attempt to do something a bit different with Batman (played by Val Kilmer this time out). Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, Nicole Kidman. That’s a strong cast. But, it is just not good. It’s best remembered for introducing a Batman outfit with nipples.
20. Aquaman (2018)
The first modern entry! But a bad one. It had moments and Jason Momoa is fun to watch as Aquaman, but overall, just a bleh movie.
19. Shazam! (2019)
Another newer entry, but one I just couldn’t get into. Still, it did get some good reviews, so I may not be representative of the typical viewer of this movie. Just more of a kid movie than I want from my superhero flicks.
18. Birds of Prey (2020)
Harley Quinn gets her own movie and it isn’t terrible. But, it isn’t good either. It has its moments, and the cast is fun, but it just doesn’t hit home.
17. Suicide Squad (2016)
An odd one. The breakout star is Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), obviously. But, wasn’t this more likely meant to be a Will Smith movie? Here’s hoping the sequel will be much better.
16. Justice League (2017)
The much-maligned disaster that spawned an entirely different director’s cut (see below). It’s pretty bad. No question. A confused mess of two very different directors’ visions. But, still somehow interesting to watch, largely because of the train wreck it became – literally derailing the entire DC movie strategy going forward.
15. Superman Returns (2006)
Utterly meh. A retcon of the Superman story, pretending Superman III and IV were just bad dreams. It was a nice attempt at getting some of the original spirit of the original Superman movie back into the franchise, but it just couldn’t live up to its predecessor.
14. Constantine (2005)
I may have this ranked higher than a lot of folks would, but I had fun with the movie, even if it wasn’t really good. Not really a superhero movie, but I left it in because the character does show up in later DC shows and series. Keanu Reeves is fun to watch as the title character and the Devil is a hoot.
13. Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
This movie fell so flat for me. I had extremely high expectations after Wonder Woman and this just failed to meet them. I still love Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, but this felt more like a step backward toward some of the campy 1980s DC movies.
12. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
It’s not good. Overly dark and one of those movies where the plot rests on the two main characters refusing to have a simple conversation early on, that would have headed off nearly all of the drama. The best part was the introduction of Wonder Woman.
11. Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
So much better than Justice League, but is it good? I asked myself that a lot as I watched this bloated, overly long, and self-indulgent director’s cut. That said, I enjoyed it. Had a trimmed-down version of this film been released instead of Justice League, the DC movie universe would have been in a better place going forward.
10. The Dark Night Rises (2012)
The finale of the Dark Night trilogy from Christopher Nolan. It wasn’t as good as its predecessors but still carried a certain weight. Christian Bale is still the best of the Batman incarnations in my book.
9. Batman (1989)
OK, this isn’t really better than a few of the movies above, but it gest props for being the very first take on Batman. Michael Keaton was solid in the role and it was strong for its era.
8. Batman Returns (1992)
What a weird movie. Tim Burton really turned up the dial on this one. It also gave us the iconic Catwoman as played by Michelle Pfeiffer. It’s odd for a sequel to be better than the original, but that’s what we got from this film.
7. Joker (2019)
So, this one is challenging for me. It’s a very good film. Powerful acting from Joaquin Phoenix as Joker. It also isn’t really a superhero or supervillain movie. It’s a psychological thriller of sorts. Very dark and honestly I didn’t enjoy watching it in the least. But, it is quality filmmaking and that gets it this ranking.
6. Man of Steel (2013)
I liked it better than many viewers. Henry Cavill is the best Superman not named Christopher Reeves. It has a solid origin story and some great action. I liked it and was excited about where the DC movies would go afterward.
5. Superman II (1980)
A classic. Even though it is horribly dated at this point and pretty cheesy by today’s standards, it remains a very fun film. Who didn’t love the ending? No one.
4. Superman (1978)
Still the gold standard for Superman. Like part II, it is dated when we watch it today. But, what a great swing at making the first real superhero blockbuster film.
3. Batman Begins (2005)
This one was outstanding. It set the bar for what a Batman movie could be when it came out. Serious, but still fun. Strong acting, a good script, talented directing. An absolute winner.
2. Wonder Woman (2017)
Now this is a superhero origin story. Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman. No doubt about it. A great combination of grounded and spectacular. The most enjoyable of the DC movies for me.
1. The Dark Knight (2008)
Very dark. Like Joker, I honestly can’t say I enjoyed watching it. But, it’s a superior film. Great directing, powerful acting, and an excellent script. This one set the bar for a superhero movie as serious filmmaking at the same time.
