DCEU Full Watching Order

This watching order is designed to give an outline of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). It explains what order to watch the different movies and looks at any connections between them. 

Jump to: Present – Future

DCEU Present

The DC Extended Universe starts a new, shared film continuity for DC movies. This continuity is established with the release of Man of Steel (2013) and is utilized through the rest of the DCEU films. As of now, the DCEU does not reference any DC films prior to Man of Steel.

The DCEU starts with the debut of Superman (Watching Order) in Man of Steel. This then leads to the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), which then lead to the creation of the Suicide Squad and the events of Suicide Squad (2016). Wonder Woman (2017) expands on Wonder Woman’s previous appearance while also setting up a few plot points for the next film. This leads to the climactic Justice League (2017) crossover.

The next few films in the universe are less connected to one another. Aquaman (2019) picks up on Aquaman’s narrative from Justice League. Meanwhile, Shazam! (2019) is almost entirely independent and only connects to the rest of the DCEU through references to Batman and Superman’s existence. Birds of Prey (2020) continues Harley Quinn’s story from Suicide Squad while Wonder Woman 1989 (2020) continues Wonder Woman’s story from Wonder Woman. Then, The Suicide Squad continues Harley Quinn’s story again.

The latest release comes in the form of a HBO Max TV series. Peacemaker is a spin-off of The Suicide Squad that directly continues Peacemaker’s storyline. Though this is not very connected to the rest of the DCEU, it still contains references to the major players, like Superman, Batman, and Aquaman.

Altogether, these movies give this connected universe several different narratives. Viewers can watch all of the films in order and get a full pictures of the entire DCEU and the connections that exist within it. Or, they can pick a specific line of films in order to witness the progression of specific characters within this universe; for example, watching Wonder Woman, Justice League, and Wonder Woman 1984 will depict Wonder Woman’s full story. The following watching order looks at the DCEU as a whole while also breaking apart the different narratives.

DCEU Future

Currently, there are several projects that have been confirmed and are coming soon for the DCEU. Black Adam, a Shazam! spin-off, is set for release on July 29, 2022. The Flash, picking up on the Flash's narrative from Justice League, is set for release on November 4, 2022. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, a direct sequel to Aquaman, is set for release on December 16, 2022. And Shazam! Fury of the Gods, a direct sequel to Shazam!, is set for release on June 2, 2023. Other projects are also set to release after the release of these films and shows.

All DC Comics Watching Orders