Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom officially mark the end of the DCEU. A new chapter of the comic book characters will see James Gunn take the DC heroes in a new direction. Admittedly, the DCEU has been a mess, but that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been any good films. Zack Snyder set the tone for the DCEU with Man of Steel; In total, 15 DCEU films have been released. The question is: Which are the top five films in the entire universe?
Man of Steel
Man of Steel was a mixed bag when it was first released. The dour and grim tone was unlike any other live-action Superman film that’s come before it, but it was for a good reason. Ultimately, the build for Superman was supposed to end with him turning evil. It’s a shame that Snyder never truly got to see his full vision, but Man of Steel is a much more appreciated film when looking back.
It’s by no means perfect, but Snyder taking a bold step by doing something different with the character is truly inspiring. Henry Cavill is simply perfect as the title character. Not only does he perfectly match the physical look of what Superman should be, but he’s able to convey the emotions necessary for the story Snyder is telling. The wild General Zod and Superman fight will always burn in the minds of audiences everywhere, but subtle moments that highlight a bigger picture for the character represent that we as an audience won’t ever get to see the true potential that Snyder’s Superman had.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Joss Whedon‘s Justice League was a bad representation of the DCEU. It was a mishmash of tones that resulted in a very disjointed film. It could be argued that Zack Synder’s JL is a little too long, but the second edition nicely adds dimension to the Flash and Cyborg, two characters that desperately needed it. Like Man of Steel, JL is not perfect, but Synder’s vision triumphs over the first film.
There’s certainly plenty of style to be found here, but the filmmaker adds a nice layer of substance that expands the universe and gives some much-needed depth to the core cast of the film. Given how rushed JL was originally, it’s great that Snyder can bring together some of DC’s biggest heroes and create a memorable film that showcased that the Man of Steel director had a true vision of the DCEU that wasn’t appreciated much by Warners Brothers.
Wonder Woman
DC somehow beat Marvel to the punch by creating the first live-action female solo lead. They also knocked it out of the part as well. Wonder Woman does an excellent job of detailing the origins of the title character, but the fish-out-of-water elements are what makes this film stand out. Her chemistry with Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) is magic as the two are simply a joy to watch onscreen. Yes, the third act is a bit wonky but stops it from being the DCEU’s best film. Still, it doesn’t ruin an otherwise great film and Wonder Woman proved that the DC icon is well suited for the big screen if the proper filmmaker is attached.
Shazam!
Is Shazam! ten years too late? Yes! But the energy and story are so infectious that it simply doesn’t matter. Shazam! is a good and fun movie. However, there’s more context behind the film than just your ordinary superhero feature. The arc of Billy Batson trying to find his one true place to belong is well done, and the core cast is entirely likable.
It’s somewhat head-scratching why Billy acts more like an adult than Shazam. It’s also disappointing that Mark Strong isn’t given more meat to chew on as his villain is rather one note. Still, the comedy is more hit than miss and the story overall has a nice balance of action and drama within it. A really good film even if the origin story is a bit dated.
The Suicide Squad
This reboot/sequel was perfect for James Gunn. The Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker managed to make niche characters like King Shark, Ratcatcher 2, and Polka-Dot Man into likable and compelling figures. The story itself is a bit simplistic as it ultimately becomes another, “heroes band together to save the world” arc, but that doesn’t make the feature any less impactful.
The silly rivalry between Peacemaker and Blood Sport, the insanity of Harley Quinn, and the darkly humorous and violent nature are what make The Suicide Squad special. It’s certainly not for everyone, but it highlights the uniqueness of DC characters and why the brand has such a notable intellectual property.
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