Every movie based on DC Comics, ranked

Business Insider

17-07-2025

54 (tie). "Catwoman" (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 8%
"Catwoman" stars Halle Berry as Patience Phillips, aka Catwoman, in an all-new take on the character. Really, her only resemblance to the comics character is that she, well, likes cats.
In this film, Patience gets her powers (which are new from the comics) from the Egyptian goddess Bast, and decides to take down her evil boss, Laurel (Sharon Stone), who has created an antiaging cream with dangerous side effects. It's as silly as it sounds.
Christy Lemire of the Associated Press called the movie a "soulless amalgamation of quick edits, computer images and swooping, nausea-inducing dolly shots."
54 (tie). "Steel" (1997)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 8%
Steel, aka John Henry Irons, is one of Superman's most famous allies — but you'd never know it from this film, which invents a new backstory for Steel (played, we'll say, woodenly, by Shaquille O'Neal), that sees him don an iron suit to get revenge on his nemesis Nathaniel Burke, played by Judd Nelson of all people.
"Shaq isn't much of an actor, of course, but as with his first starring effort, 'Kazaam,' he's used more for his screen 'presence.' And casting Nelson in the picture helps, since he's always pretty awful," wrote Chris Hicks for Deseret News.
53. "Batman & Robin" (1997)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 11%
"Batman & Robin" is known to some as a campy classic filled with neon lighting, a suit with Bat-Nipples, and a pun-loving Mr. Freeze played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
However, we can't cosign George Clooney's performance as Bruce Wayne or Batman. He just doesn't have it.
"Of all modern Batmans, George Clooney bears the closest physical resemblance to the comic-book hero, but there isn't much to say about his performance because there isn't much performance to discuss," wrote The Wall Street Journal's Joe Morgenstern.
52. "Jonah Hex" (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 12%
"Jonah Hex" stars Josh Brolin as the titular character, a former Confederate soldier who was left for dead and healed by a Native American tribe, leaving him with the ability to communicate with the dead.
It also stars Megan Fox as Lilah, Jonah's gun-toting love interest, John Malkovich as Jonah's nemesis, Quentin Turnbull, and Michael Fassbender as Turnbull's maniacal right-hand man, Burke.
"It's a loud and subtle-as-a-sledgehammer assault on the senses, though, at 81 minutes, mercifully short," wrote Marc Lee for The Telegraph.
51. "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" (1987)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 14%
By the time Christopher Reeve was suiting up for his fourth (and final) go-around as Superman, it was clear that it was time to move on from this version of the character.
The actors seem somewhat checked out, the effects weren't getting any better, and the choice to deviate from the comics by pitting Superman against a new villain called Nuclear Man was not a wise one.
"In many sequences, Reeve looks as if he's pink-faced from embarrassment as he flies through the air looking like a cardboard cut-out," wrote The Boston Globe's Michael Blowen.
50. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (2003)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 16%
"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" is based on the WildStorm/America's Best Comics series of the same name — originally, these were independent brands from DC Comics, but they were acquired in 1998 by the comics giant, angering "League" creator Alan Moore.
He should've waited until 2003 to see how director Stephen Norrington would butcher his source material to get truly angry, though.
This film takes place in a universe where some of the most iconic characters in fiction (think Dorian Gray, Allan Quatermain, Captain Nemo, and Tom Sawyer) are part of a team of agents that take down threats such as Professor Moriarty of "Sherlock" fame.
"Destined to go down in the history books as the 'Heaven's Gate' of superhero flicks, this is nothing more and nothing less than an extraordinary waste of time and money," wrote Jamie Russell for the BBC.
49. "Supergirl" (1984)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 21%
Helen Slater stars as Kara Zor-El, the cousin of Kal-El (you might know him better as Superman), who had a very different upbringing than her cousin — instead of being raised on Earth by kindly farmers, she grew up among the remnants of Krypton. After a mishap with a wizard played by Peter O'Toole (!), Kara is sent to Earth and becomes Supergirl.
However, the cheesiness of this movie and Faye Dunaway's performance as the main villain, Selena, make it a tough watch in 2025.
Anna Maria Dell'oso of The Sydney Morning Herald called the film a " disappointingly bland and twitty movie."
48. "The Kitchen" (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 24%
Did you even know a comic-book movie starring Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss, Domhnall Gleeson, Common, and Margo Martindale was released in 2019?
If you didn't, you're not alone. It made just $16 million on a $38 million budget, per Box Office Mojo.
The film is based on the Vertigo Comics series of the same name. In it, McCarthy, Haddish, and Moss play three mob wives who are suddenly put in a position of power after their husbands are sent to jail, giving them freedom for the first time.
"Moss, somehow, retains her dignity but McCarthy and Haddish are made to look like amateurs. I'm a fan of both women. Get me outta this kitchen," wrote Charlotte O'Sullivan for the London Evening Standard.
47. "Green Lantern" (2011)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 25%
What can we say about the quality of "Green Lantern" that Ryan Reynolds hasn't already said in the post-credit scene of "Deadpool 2"?
For those not familiar, Reynolds plays Hal Jordan, a test pilot who discovers a ring and becomes endowed with the powers of the Green Lantern Corps, an alien police force.
There's a lot wrong with this movie, from the underwhelming villain to the cheesy special effects. Perhaps James Gunn and the DCU will finally get Hal right in " Lanterns" in 2026.
"Even by the standards of the current run of mediocre comic-book movies, this one stands out for its egregious shoddiness," wrote Slate's Dana Stevens.
46. "Suicide Squad" (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 26%
When the first teaser for "Suicide Squad" came out, people were excited. And then the cast proudly chatted to press about their matching tattoos and the camaraderie they built on set (Jared Leto's method-acting as the Joker notwithstanding).
Unfortunately, the finished product didn't live up to the hype. In a word, this team-up of some of the most iconic comics villains of all time (Harley Quinn played by Margot Robbie, Deadshot played by Will Smith, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc, etc.) is cringe.
"For all its cast and crew's inglorious chest-thumping, 'Suicide Squad' is a failed, forced exercise in — of all things! You had one job! —ensemble chemistry," wrote K. Austin Collins for The Ringer.
45. "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 28%
For all that's been written about the DC Extended Universe and its failures, " Batman v Superman" is really where the wheels started falling off.
Instead of making the "Man of Steel" sequel that fans wanted, or introducing a new Batman, as played by Ben Affleck, in his own stand-alone film, the studio chose to smush those two stories together in a nonsensical story that hinges on Batman and Superman's moms having the same name.
"If a filmmaker attempted to combine everything casual moviegoers don't like about superhero franchises, they couldn't come up with a picture as execrable as this one," wrote Jason Bailey for Flavorwire.
43 (tie). "Joker: Folie à Deux" (2024)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 31%
The first "Joker," which stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a mentally unstable wannabe comedian who just wants to be loved, made over $1 billion at the box office, was nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards, and Phoenix even won for best actor.
Its long-awaited sequel, which added Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn? Not so much.
It was a bomb, making just $207 million worldwide, and got such negative reviews from critics that it essentially disappeared from culture altogether.
"'Folie à Deux' is a punishingly dull affair. It's a pointless sequel with very little plot. It wastes the talent on screen, and it squanders the genuinely intriguing conceit of its characters breaking into song," wrote Esther Zuckerman for Bloomberg.
43 (tie). "Superman III" (1983)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 31%
A classic move in "Superman" storytelling is to explore the possibility of Superman having a bad day — what would happen if the most powerful being on the planet decided he wasn't so good after all?
That's a compelling concept, if it's done right. In "Superman III," which sees our favorite Kryptonian corrupted by synthetic Kryptonite, it's not.
David Denby of The New Yorker called the film "tedious, labored, and feeble beyond belief."
42. "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 33%
The last film in the DCEU before James Gunn and Co. took over went out with a whimper, not a bang. While its predecessor made over $1 billion, this film topped out at $439 million.
In "Lost Kingdom," Aquaman (Jason Momoa) is now ruling over the seven seas with his wife Mera (Amber Heard, in a very reduced role from the first film). But when an old enemy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) gets hold of a powerful magical weapon, Aquaman must team up with his formerly villainous half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) to stop him.
"Where 'Aquaman' felt original, 'Lost Kingdom' is stale, void of all originality," wrote Jenny Nulf at the Austin Chronicle.
40 (tie). "Black Adam" (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 39%
Infamously, while promoting this movie, Dwayne Johnson warned fans that the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe was about to change. In a way, he was right — just two months after this film's post-credit scene reintroduced Henry Cavill's Superman to the big screen for the first time in years, James Gunn announced he'd be starting from scratch with a new actor playing Superman in his revamped DCU.
But " Black Adam" itself is pretty boring. Johnson stars as Teth-Adam (aka Black Adam), an anti-hero who was bestowed super-powers by ancient Egyptian gods. After he's awakened from a centuries-long slumber, he goes on a mission to stand up for his home country, Kahndaq.
"'Black Adam' is two hours of cinematic soup, the ultimate statement from the god-king of movies that everyone sees but no one remembers," wrote Dylan Roth for the Observer.
40 (tie). "Justice League" (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 39%
This is the first version of "Justice League" released, to be clear — the one directed by Zack Snyder that was then taken over by Joss Whedon, starring Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as the Flash, and Ray Fisher as Cyborg.
The biggest problems with this movie, which sees the most powerful metahumans on Earth unite to defeat an alien called Steppenwolf, are that there's too much going on and the tone is all over the place.
Also, Henry Cavill's CGI-ed out mustache.
"Perhaps the new Superman is closer to what the fans wanted. But he doesn't really feel like a character anymore. He, like the rest of his movie, feels like a focus group-approved concept," wrote Mashable's Angie Han.
39. "Batman Forever" (1995)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 41%
"Batman Forever" was the third installment of WB's first attempt at a "Batman" franchise and the first (and only) outing of Val Kilmer's take on the Caped Crusader.
In this film, Bruce Wayne teams up with Robin (Chris O'Donnell) to take down the new team of the Riddler (Jim Carrey) and Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones). Both Carrey and Jones are absolutely going for it in these roles, and for that alone, it's worth the watch.
"'Batman Forever' is in and out but wins in the end by staying true to its unbridled comic spirit," wrote Peter Travers for Rolling Stone.
38. "Red 2" (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 44%
"Red 2" is the sequel to 2010's "Red" (coming later on this list). Once again, the film stars Bruce Willis as Frank Moses, a "retired and extremely dangerous" former CIA agent. He gets pulled into another scheme when he's framed for an operation back in the Cold War that involved smuggling bombs into the USSR.
"While we applaud the minds behind 'Red 2' for making a film for adults in a sea of movies for kids and teenage boys, they didn't actually make a good film for adults," wrote IndieWire's Kimber Myers.
37. "Constantine" (2005)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 46%
Based on the comic character of the same name, Keanu Reeves stars in "Constantine" as the titular exorcist and demon hunter, John Constantine, as he searches for the archangel Gabriel (Tilda Swinton).
Though this film wasn't very beloved by critics or a huge financial success, it certainly has its fans — so much so that, per Deadline, a sequel was announced to be in development in 2022.
"Keanu Reeves is — let me just get this off my chest — very good," wrote Salon's Andrew O'Hehir.
36. "The Losers" (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 47%
In 2010, the year before Chris Evans would join the MCU as Captain America, he starred in a different comic-book movie — this one based on the Vertigo Comics series "The Losers."
The titular Losers are a group of black-ops soldiers who are sent on the most dangerous missions in the world. In this film, they're sent on a mission to Bolivia to destroy a drug trafficking compound, but are double-crossed by their evil boss, Max (Jason Patric).
"'The Losers' is a ho-hum scraping of the comic-book barrel, which feels particularly needless with both 'The A-Team' and 'The Expendables' on their way," wrote Tim Robey for The Telegraph.
35. "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 49%
"Shazam! Fury of the Gods" was one of the DCEU movies released after the announcement that an entire universe rehaul was imminent, rendering the events of this movie irrelevant.
It's a sequel to the perfectly lovely 2019 film "Shazam!," but this movie seemingly forgot what was charming about the first one. Zachary Levi (who plays the adult Billy) and Asher Angel (teen Billy) don't seem to be playing characters who have any knowledge of each other.
"The original film left nothing of substance for this superhero sequel," wrote Adam Mullins-Khatib for Chicago Reader.
34. "The Return of Swamp Thing" (1989)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 56%
The sequel to 1982's "Swamp Thing," "The Return of Swamp Thing" leans into every schlocky and campy quality of the original and turns it up to 11.
This time, Swamp Thing (Dick Durock) must rescue a young botanist, Abby Arcane (Heather Locklear), from her evil stepfather Anton (Louis Jordan), who wants to steal her youth.
Lindsay Costello of The Stranger called the movie "one of the most precious gifts ever put to celluloid."
33. "Man of Steel" (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 57%
In the 12 years since "Man of Steel" was released, there's been a lot written about what this movie did to the character of Superman, the destruction he wrought (seemingly without a second thought) across both Smallville and Metropolis, Cavill's portrayal of Kal-El, and the controversial characterization of his adopted dad Pa Kent (played in this iteration by Kevin Costner).
In general, we think it's a solid origin story that was hindered by a couple of casting choices, a lack of humor, and an oppressively gray color palette.
"Christliness has always been an element of the Superman myth. But this film's near literal insistence upon it becomes absurd since director Zack Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer don't dramatize the analogy, they presume it," wrote Wesley Morris for Grantland.
32. "Wonder Woman 1984" (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 58%
" Wonder Woman 1984" is the highly anticipated follow-up to 2017's "Wonder Woman," moving our heroine (played by Gal Gadot) from WWI-era Europe to 1980s Washington, DC.
The film also stars Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord, a would-be billionaire who becomes the living embodiment of a genie's lamp when he gets the ability to grant anyone's wishes just by getting near them.
Diana (aka Wonder Woman) has to choose between getting the love of her life, Steve (Chris Pine), back from the dead or having her powers and the ability to save people.
"It's a refreshingly silly and airy adventure focused on the emotions of one character, Wonder Woman (played by Gal Gadot), and a charming end to a tiring year of cinema," wrote David Sims of The Atlantic.
31. "Swamp Thing" (1982)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 61%
"Swamp Thing" was directed by horror legend Wes Craven, and is his love letter to the creature features of the 1950s such as "The Creature from the Black Lagoon."
It's a pretty standard monster movie anchored by performances by Ray Wise, Dick Durock, Adrienne Barbeau, and Louis Jordan. Alec Holland (Wise), a scientist, is turned into a superhuman monster after an experiment gone wrong. Horror ensues.
Roger Ebert called it "one of those movies that fall somewhere between buried treasures and guilty pleasures."
30. "The Flash" (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 63%
A lot was riding on "The Flash" before it hit theaters in 2023 after numerous delays. Apparently, Tom Cruise himself was so taken by it that he called director Andy Muschietti for 15 minutes to rave about it, per Variety.
Instead, it ended up being a somewhat garbled mess. Ezra Miller stars as Barry Allen, a young man struck by lightning who develops superspeed. But that's the least of Barry's concerns; he also has a dad who's been falsely imprisoned for murdering his mom. After the events of "Justice League," Barry figures out he can travel back in time and makes the choice to stop his mom from dying.
That small choice sends things into chaos, with Barry getting catapulted into an alternate universe with no other metahumans and the Michael Keaton version of Batman.
"Mad trippy or catastrophic? This DC superhero epic is actually a mix of both, dragged down by exhausting multiverse hopping but flashy fun on the wings of virtuoso Ezra Miller and the grumpy comic perfection of Michael Keaton as a Batman on the ropes," wrote Peter Travers for ABC.
29. "Watchmen" (2009)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 65%
The second-best reviewed Zack Snyder joint on this list is "Watchmen," adapted from the iconic, highly lauded comic of the same name.
In this story, masked crime-fighters have been around for decades (oh, and Richard Nixon is a five-term president at the height of the Cold War) — but they've been outlawed for years.
One such former vigilante, Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) becomes convinced that someone is taking out former heroes one by one, and tries to warn his former team, the Watchmen, that someone might be after them. But the conspiracy goes deeper than any of them could've imagined.
"'Watchmen' isn't boring, but as a fragmented sci-fi doomsday noir, it remains as detached from the viewer as it is from the zeitgeist," wrote Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman.
28. "Aquaman" (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 66%
" Aquaman" stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry, a half-human, half-Atlantean hero who is of both land and sea. Over the course of the film, he must learn to accept his birthright as the king of Atlantis — but first, he must defeat Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson).
"Hollywood has given us the greatest, goofiest holiday gift in a long time," wrote Jordan Hoffman for AMNY.
27. "Joker" (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 68%
The discourse around "Joker" (Is it about incels? Is it a truly nihilistic piece of art? What is a Joker movie without a Batman?) has almost obfuscated that it's a pretty good movie.
Joaquin Phoenix is almost unrecognizable as Arthur Fleck, a down-on-his-luck wannabe comedian who struggles with telling the difference between reality and delusion. But as his psyche begins to crack, he only becomes more beloved by the disillusioned residents of Gotham.
Wenlei Ma wrote for news.com.au, "'Joker' is a jumble — sometimes brilliant and sometimes trite. Among its flashes of excellence is a self-serious movie that isn't nearly as deep as it thinks it is."
24 (tie). "DC League of Super-Pets" (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%
The first (but not last!) animated film on this list is "DC League of Super-Pets," which is essentially the Justice League with cats and dogs (and turtles and guinea pigs and squirrels …).
In the same year he played Black Adam in live-action, Dwayne Johnson also voiced Krypto, Superman's pet dog. Kevin Hart, on the other hand, voiced Ace, Batman's boxer mix, whom the Dark Knight has adopted.
"The Super-Pets aren't the most witty or cutting bunch — and no doubt destined to be plush toys on store shelves soon — but there's little reason to resist the cute," wrote The Guardian's Adrian Horton.
24 (tie). "Red" (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%
"Red" is a somewhat forgotten movie these days, but it was actually nominated for a Golden Globe in 2010, for best motion picture — musical or comedy.
It's based on the WildStorm comic (a DC imprint) of the same name about a retired CIA agent named Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) who is pulled back into action after another agent, William Cooper (Karl Urban), is tasked with killing him by the vice president, Robert Stanton (Julian McMahon).
"A fast, funny, smart, adult-oriented action-comedy that generates precisely the kind of giddy vibe 'The Expendables' lacked," wrote The Age's Jim Schembri.
24 (tie). "Superman Returns" (2006)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%
The plot of "Superman Returns" completely ignores the events of "Superman III" and "Superman IV," and is instead a semi-reboot, semi-legacy sequel to "Superman II."
This time, though, our hero is played by Brandon Routh, who we'd maintain never got a fair shake at playing Superman. This movie is pretty good! The airplane sequence that kicks off the movie holds up almost 20 years later.
"It's all about heart — not that the spectacle falters; this is the finest popular entertainment since the 'Rings' trilogy closed. Superman doesn't fly — he soars," wrote Ian Nathan for Empire.
23. "V for Vendetta" (2005)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 73%
"V for Vendetta" is based on the Vertigo Comics series of the same name. It takes place in an alternate version of Great Britain that has been overtaken by a fascist, totalitarian regime. A lone anarchist, known as V (Hugo Weaving) who is never seen without a Guy Fawkes mask, begins planting the seeds of a revolution with the help of a young woman, Evey (Natalie Portman).
Claudia Puig wrote for USA Today, "The dark and stylized 'V for Vendetta' is visually exhilarating, provocative and disturbing."
21 (tie). "Stardust" (2007)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%
"Stardust" is based on the Neil Gaiman novel of the same name that was published by DC Comics in 1999.
It's an epic romantasy starring Charlie Cox as Tristan, a young man who wants to collect a fallen star to present to his love, Victoria (Sienna Miller) — but when the fallen star turns out to be a young woman named Yvaine (Claire Danes), Tristan finds himself in a love triangle.
"A stern editor with a sense of dramatic timing could have given this film more tension to go with its random bursts of comedy and big, happy fantasy setpieces, but lacking tautness, it'll have to settle for expansive joy," wrote the AV Club's Tasha Robinson.
21 (tie). "Batman" (1989)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%
Tim Burton's "Batman" took Gotham City's favorite vigilante out of the campy '60s and into the gothic, dark '80s.
The film (which actually isn't really an origin story — it starts off with Bruce Wayne having been Batman for at least six months) stars Michael Keaton as Wayne/Batman and Jack Nicholson as the Joker, in one of the most entertaining performances of his career.
Newsday's Mike McGrady called the film "one of the most interesting comic-book movies ever made, a movie that vividly illustrates where most of the others have gone wrong."
19 (tie). "Blue Beetle" (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%
"Blue Beetle" is a charming little movie about a recent college grad, Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), who becomes fused with a piece of alien tech known as the Scarab (voiced by Becky G) and becomes a powerful hero known as the Blue Beetle.
"'Blue Beetle' is both scrappy and tailored, poignant and breezily amusing. Pitched from a new angle and guided by talented hands, 'Blue Beetle' is a rarity in these superhero end-times: a genuine pleasure to watch, reviving tired old formula with brio," wrote Richard Lawson for Vanity Fair.
19 (tie). "Zack Snyder's Justice League" (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%
As you might remember, there already was a "Justice League" movie on this list — but it wasn't the director Zack Snyder's complete product, since he had to step away from filming due to personal reasons.
But when fans became aware that Snyder had shot enough footage to make a four-hour cut of the film that was true to his vision, they became obsessed with the #SnyderCut.
Sure, it took years, but " Zack Snyder's Justice League" hit HBO Max in 2021, all 242 minutes of it, after the fans' unrelenting pressure on Warner Bros.
While the general story remains the same, there's much more of every character in Snyder's cut, especially Cyborg (Ray Fisher) who was almost entirely cut out of the theatrical version. And it's a better movie for Fisher's performance, who is the heart of the film.
"It actually succeeds. In more ways than I ever expected," wrote NPR's Eric Deggans.
18. "Birds of Prey" (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 79%
Margot Robbie's casting as Harley Quinn was far and away the best choice DC ever made. She shines in this movie as a newly empowered version of the Joker's ex-girlfriend who teams up with a few other local female criminals — The Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), and Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) — to take down the crime lord Black Mask (Ewan McGregor).
"Kinetic, silly, candy-colored, and hyperviolent, 'Birds of Prey' is a serious treat for fans of comic book films. But it wouldn't work without the equal parts goofy, hilarious, and unhinged performance of its lead," wrote Max Weiss for Baltimore Magazine.
17. "Batman" (1966)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%
This version of the Caped Crusader is based on the equally campy '60s TV show that aired on ABC for three seasons.
From that iconic theme song, to Adam West's perfectly calibrated performance as an adult man who feels the need to dress up as a bat to fight crime, to all the wild "bat" gadgets (Bat-Shark Repellant, anyone?), this movie is a classic.
"I'd choose Adam West's Batmobile over Michael Keaton's any day," wrote Time Out.
15 (tie). "Road to Perdition" (2002)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%
Yup, "Road to Perdition" is a comic movie. The series was published by the DC Comics imprint Paradox Press in the '90s and 2000s.
The Sam Mendes film stars Tom Hanks as Michael Sullivan, an enforcer for the Irish Mob in '30s Illinois. After his family is targeted by a rival mobster, Michael and his son, played by Tyler Hoechlin, are forced to go on the run, killing anyone in their way.
"This is classic albeit somber filmmaking, restrained and all of a piece, by a director who believes film can tell adult stories in an adult manner, who knows the effects he wants and how to get them," wrote the Los Angeles Times' Kenneth Turan.
15 (tie). "Batman Returns" (1992)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%
"Batman Returns" is a weirder, slimier, grimier, and meaner film than its predecessor — and it's a Christmas movie!
Michael Keaton is once again solid as Batman, but this movie belongs to Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman and Danny DeVito as the Penguin, two portrayals of the characters that live on 33 years later.
"The strange, ambitious character work that comprises 'Batman Returns' is wrapped in the perfunctory framework of a Tim Burton superhero film," wrote Justin Clark for Slant Magazine.
13 (tie). "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" (1993)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%
"Batman: The Animated Series" is one of the most iconic and beloved cartoons of all time, so it stands to reason that a theatrical adaptation of the cartoon would work. And it does! Kevin Conroy's vocal performance as Batman/Bruce Wayne will live on forever as the definitive portrayal of the character, and the design of Gotham City is timeless.
The story itself is pretty standard Batman fare, but it's compelling to watch Bruce grapple with the choice to stay a vigilante or give it up for love.
"A fantastic-looking back-to-basics telling of the legend, it totally disregards any attempt at nineties reinvention," wrote Ross Jones for The Guardian.
13 (tie). "Superman" (2025)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%
The most recent DC movie is, of course, 2025's " Superman." It's the first feature film under James Gunn's new DC Universe (and it was also written and directed by Gunn himself).
It introduces audiences to an all-new version of Superman, this time played to perfection by David Corenswet. He's surrounded by an all-time supporting cast, including Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner (a Green Lantern), Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and Krypto, a really great dog.
"It makes you want to cheer. That's it, that's the secret ingredient that's been missing from so many superhero stories for so long," wrote Glen Weldon of NPR.
11 (tie). "Batman Begins" (2005)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%
We'd call "Batman Begins" the first Batman movie of the modern era. It's directed by Christopher Nolan, and puts Batman (Christian Bale) into the most realistic version of Gotham City we'd seen to date. Plus, Cillian Murphy's portrayal of the Scarecrow still haunts us.
"The psychological realism and the science-fiction villainy don't always mesh seamlessly. But unlike so many superheroic summer spectacles, this one actually has a soul behind the special effects," wrote David Ansen for Newsweek.
11 (tie). "The Batman" (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%
Tied with "Batman Begins" is the newest version of the Bat, this time played by Robert Pattinson in one of the most emo roles of his career. Seriously, this Bruce Wayne looks like he's a fully nocturnal animal.
In a change from the rest of his big-screen portrayals, this Batman is equally as much of a detective as he is a brawler — and he certainly does a lot of both.
We also have to pay respects to Zoë Kravitz's Catwoman and Colin Farrell's unrecognizable turn as the Penguin, which led to him getting his own HBO Max show.
"'The Batman' is the Batman movie we deserve, though: overwrought and overlong, but also carefully crafted and exhilarating," wrote Adam Nayman for The Ringer.
9 (tie). "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%
Christian Bale wrapped up his time as the Dark Knight in 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises," which picks up eight years after the events of "The Dark Knight," when Batman was shunned by the people of Gotham after he took the fall for killing Harvey Dent.
This movie's lasting legacy is probably its villain, the hulking mass that is Bane (Tom Hardy) and his, we'll say, unique way of speaking.
But a lot happens in this movie. Batman meets Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), he gets his back broken and fully recovers, the city of Gotham is cut off from civilization via a series of bombings, and Batman fakes his own death. Phew.
"[Christopher] Nolan has turned a preposterous character back into a grave myth, the story of a tortured saviour, reluctantly giving his all," wrote The London Evening Standard's David Sexton.
9 (tie). "Superman: The Movie" (1978)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%
Arguably, this could be considered the first modern superhero movie, the film that set us down the path we're still taking to the movie theaters to this day. It's cheesy, but not overly so, it has an all-time superhero theme composed by John Williams (that's still being used in "Superman" content now), and the casting of Christopher Reeve as Superman remains the best superhero casting of all time, period.
And we didn't even mention Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor and Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, who complete a trifecta of A-plus performances in this film.
"Reshaping a comic book adaptation into a modern myth told with wonder, sincerity and soul, 'Superman: The Movie' didn't just make you believe a man could fly, it made you want to," wrote Zaki Hasan for the San Francisco Chronicle.
7 (tie). "A History of Violence" (2005)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
Not even director David Cronenberg is immune to the comic-book movie craze. In 2005, he adapted the 1997 graphic novel published by Paradox Press (and later Vertigo Comics).
The film stars Viggo Mortensen as Tom, a small-town diner owner with a wife and son. He becomes the center of a media frenzy when he takes out two spree killers who are trying to rob his diner with relative ease — despite his best efforts to stay anonymous, his violent past as a mob hitman comes back to haunt him.
"Cronenberg's masterful, intelligent and gripping meta-thriller leaves us pondering about our enduringly perverse desire for alternative realities, in which surrogate violent alter egos run righteously and preposterously amok," wrote Richard Falcon for Sight & Sound.
7 (tie). "Superman II" (1980)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
With all the shuffling that went on behind the scenes (director Richard Donner was fired 80% of the way through and replaced with Richard Lester), it's a miracle that this movie is watchable, let alone great.
It's carried to greatness largely on the back of Terence Stamp's performance as General Zod, an evil Kryptonian hellbent on taking over Earth and destroying Superman.
"The special effects are spare but spectacular, and the delightfully showy tricks are spaced out by comic ventures into romance, tourism and human drama," wrote Meaghan Morris for The Sydney Morning Herald.
6. "The Lego Batman Movie" (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%
After Lego Batman was such a huge hit in "The Lego Movie," greenlighting a spinoff about his adventures in Gotham City was a no-brainer.
Will Arnett voices this petulant and somewhat callous version of Batman amazingly well. He's joined by an equally stellar voice cast of Michael Cera as Batman, Ralph Fiennes as Bruce's butler Alfred, Zach Galifianakis as the Joker, and Rosario Dawson as Batgirl.
This version of the Batman story gets at the idea, perhaps more than any other Batman story, that Batman and the Joker need each other to survive. It's a toxic relationship, but a relationship nonetheless.
"Everything is still awesome in the irreverent 'Lego Movie' universe!!! All right, maybe not everything. But enough things," wrote Us Weekly's Mara Reinstein.
4 (tie). "The Suicide Squad" (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
In between his second and third "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies, James Gunn briefly jumped ship from Marvel to DC (and soon, permanently joined Team DC) to write and direct "The Suicide Squad," a loose sequel to 2016's "Suicide Squad." Confusing titles, we know.
This version of the team is all heart and the epitome of the found family trope that Gunn loves so much. After a fakeout in which almost an entire team is killed, we're introduced to our main characters: Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman), King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior).
"'The Suicide Squad' is relentlessly unapologetic, wacky and weird, violent and bloody, and darkly humorous. It also has so much heart that you may find yourself fighting back tears by its end," wrote Kirsten Acuna for Business Insider.
4 (tie). "Shazam!" (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
"Shazam!" was a surprise. It's a somewhat high concept: A young foster kid named Billy Batson is chosen by an ancient wizard to be bestowed with the power of the gods. Now, any time he says "Shazam" he goes from young Asher Angel to the adult Zachary Levi.
However, the strength of this movie is the bond between Billy and his foster siblings, mainly Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer), as they come together and become a true family.
"Once Billy says that magic word and his supersized alter ego appears, the movie goes to its happy place and comfortably embraces its own identity as a light, jocular, modest entertainment," wrote Manohla Dargis for The New York Times.
3. "Teen Titans Go! To the Movies" (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
The best-reviewed animated movie on this list is "Teen Titans Go! To the Movies," the cinematic continuation of the Cartoon Network series that began airing in 2013.
The Teen Titans are exactly what it sounds like: a group of teenage superheroes. This version of the team contains Robin (Scott Menville), Starfire (Hynden Walch), Beast Boy (Greg Cipes), Cyborg (Khary Payton), and Raven (Tara Strong).
In this film, the Teen Titans are upset that no one takes them seriously because they've never had a movie made about them, so they go on a hunt to find an arch-nemesis worthy of the big screen.
Tara Brady of The Irish Times called it "appropriately super."
2. "Wonder Woman" (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Wonder Woman is one of the most famous and beloved heroes in the DC universe, but it took 76 years to get Diana, the Amazonian princess of Themiscyra, on the big screen.
Thankfully, she was worth the wait. This movie, put simply, rocks. Chris Pine is dynamite as WWI fighter pilot Steve Trevor, Gal Gadot plays Diana's naivety about the modern world so well, and the rest of the supporting cast is on their A-game, too.
"It's not difficult to see where this route is going, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable to watch. The simple power of love is the cornerstone upon which Wonder Woman is built. If it seems earnest, it's because it is," wrote Karen Han for Slash Film.
1. "The Dark Knight" (2008)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
There's an argument to be made that " The Dark Knight," the second of the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale trio, is the best super-hero movie ever made.
It blends action with thought-provoking ideas about the nature of good and evil — yes, we know it's cliché at this point, but in 2008, it was hitting different! — and a genuinely starmaking performance of Heath Ledger, who would go on to posthumously win an Oscar for his work as the Joker.
"The haunting and visionary 'Dark Knight' soars on the wings of untamed imagination," wrote Rolling Stone's Peter Travers.