Every DC Animated Movie Since 2020, Ranked

DC animated movies have been a cornerstone of superhero storytelling, offering a wide range of narratives from different eras and universes. Since 2020, these films have continued to expand the DC Universe, introducing both beloved characters and fresh takes on classic tales. Each film brings its own unique style, tone, and story, reflecting the diverse nature of the DC Comics world. Some movies focus on epic battles and grand-scale conflicts, while others delve into character-driven narratives and darker themes. The impact of these films varies widely, with some being praised for their creativity and emotional depth, while others receive criticism for not fully capturing the essence of their source material.

This collection of DC animated films showcases the ongoing evolution of the genre. Whether it’s exploring alternate realities, revisiting iconic storylines, or introducing new heroes and villains, each movie adds something different to the DC animated legacy. The range in storytelling, animation quality, and character portrayal leads to varied receptions from both fans and critics.

Studios sometimes grab for low-hanging fruit, and Teen Titans Go! See Space Jam was just that. Nothing more than a promotional tie-in, this movie had barely any substance. What could have been an incredibly cute and nostalgic crossover just ended up falling flat.

The plot is that the Teen Titans literally watch the movie Space Jam, and that’s all. They just watch the movie. Fans would be better off watching the original Space Jam film instead.

23 Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse’s Animation Just Didn’t Work

This film was another potential crossover that could have been so cute but didn’t make it there. The Super Hero Girls and the Teen Titans band together to fight the Legion of Doom in this film, which sounds like it would be a great plot. However, when the two animation styles of Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls are put together, the result is uncanny and unpolished-looking.

According to trivia on IMDB, this film was originally only supposed to star the DC Super Hero Girls, and it shows. The Titans themselves are barely in the movie, so the question comes down to whether or not the film was even necessary.

22 Justice League X Rwby: Super Heroes and Huntsmen Part One Got Dragged Down by Uneven Pacing

Perhaps the lesson here is that crossovers should be avoided unless they can be done really well. It’s a shame, too, because the artwork for this film was an interesting blend of RWBY’s and DC’s. The Justice League members have artistically fascinating costume designs to match the world of Remnant, but fans of DC Comics probably won’t like this film unless they’re huge RWBY fans. The entire film felt a little rushed, and the voice acting came off as subpar.

21 Justice League: Warworld Lacked Any Kind of Solid Character Development

The thought of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman having to fight to survive in a place of unending brutal gladiatorial combat sounds like it would be an absolute ride of a film. When the whole film feels like one long episode of a show, though, it’s easy to pick the thing apart.

Without substantial character development to make the movie worth watching, it can leave fans wondering why they decided to watch the movie in the first place. The film becomes plot-driven and not character-driven, which is what an audience looks for in any good film. Characters are what viewers connect with, and without something for the audience to want to get attached to, the whole movie falls flat.

20 Justice League X RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen Part Two Did Better Than the First Installment but Not by Much

Pacing issues haunted the second part of this crossover, and even the forced crossover aspect couldn’t save it. Fans of both RWBY and Justice League just couldn’t get over how awkward this crossover match-up came across. Certain things regarding continuity just don’t make sense, like how when Team RWBY travels from Remnant to the DC Universe, everyone gets new outfits? Why? This is never explained.

The cast of this film also don’t have their weapons. Instead, they all get new powers. How does this work? Massive plot holes like these, along with a plot that feels like it bounces around and drags on at the same time don’t help the film at all.

19 Legion of Super-Heroes Tried To Highlight Lesser-Known Characters but Still Didn’t Shine

This film centers around Kara, which, for a lot of fans, was a nice shift from the typically popular Superman. While he has a presence in the film, the movie mostly focuses on Kara battling with the Dark Circle. Many fans were off-put by Kara’s abrasive character, as she doesn’t feel likable and fans just don’t want to root for her.

Weird plot points (like the fact that, in the 31st century, other teens speak exactly as teens do in the 21st century, for example) draw the viewer out of the movie. At least the film shed some light on some lesser-known heroes. Many believed that the film could have been made into a 10-minute short rather than a feature-length film and that would have spared everyone at least a little bit of their time and some pain watching a film that felt pointless.

18 Catwoman: Hunted Is Absolutely Gorgeous but Is Really, Really Boring

It always hurts when a film is stunning, complete with an exceptional art style that is flawlessly executed, great music, and professional voice acting, but is as pointless as watching paint dry. While not the worst film DC has ever produced, the tone of the film can seem erratic at times.

It can feel like watching both a Noir film and an episode of Totally Spies all at once, each scene tapping into a different tone. This can get distracting when the only thing that’s happening during the first 25 minutes of the film is that Catwoman stole something. This poor movie had a lot of potential and fell short, but at least it’s pretty and also had a fun team-up between Batwoman and Catwoman.

17 Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Two Buried Its Audience in Complex Plot Points

What’s worse? A really boring film or a movie that tries to shove as many plot points into it as possible? The plot of this three-part movie series is ambitious, to say the least, but not impossible in three films.

Unfortunately, with the amount of things going on in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Two, the whole movie can feel a little bit like filler with very little character development. Perhaps the film could have been saved by better pacing and character growth.

16 Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three Succesfully Wrapped up the Trilogy Despite Everything

The odds were stacked against it, but somehow, Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three saved a sinking ship. The first of the DC films produced after 2020 to reach a score of 6/10 on IMDB, this film was at least better received than its predecessor.

This film also features Mark Hamill’s last performance as Joker due to the death of Kevin Conroy in 2022, as well as a great though potentially under-explored Bat Family arc. Many fans were much more satisfied with this film, as they felt it wrapped everything up nicely, despite it still feeling a little rushed.

15 Scooby-Doo! And Krypto, Too! Is a Cute Movie For Younger Audiences and Dog-Lovers

Scooby-Doo has touched the hearts of many generations, and while this movie may not appeal to older audiences, kids certainly loved it. Scooby-Doo! And Krypto, Too! doesn’t have a lot of depth, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Dog-lovers adored this movie for its simplicity and the nostalgic quality it brings thanks to Scooby-Doo.

For fans looking for a more complex plot, look elsewhere, but for anyone who wants a cozy, simple movie with a feel-good message that doesn’t require a lot of thinking, this Scooby-Doo movie is the one to watch.

14 Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One Was the Best Movie of the Three-Part Series

For most fans, it would have been impossible to capture the epic scale of the Crisis on Infinite Earths in film form. It was simply a comic event that was just too intense and immense to translate into a three-part film. While this movie was cool in concept, this particular film feels a lot like slow-burn exposition, setting up the other two films.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just not great for fans who want to jump straight into the action. The art style of this film also added to the lukewarm reception, proving that sometimes it’s better to just read the original comics.

13 Green Lantern: Beware My Power Did Green Lantern Dirty by Reducing John Stewart’s Character Down

While rehashing origin stories can sometimes be a good thing, giving a fresh spin to older, beloved characters, most of the time the execution just isn’t great. Beware My Power is an alright film, nothing more to it.

This film is a mixture of a bunch of Green Lantern stories from throughout the ages, including notes about the Rann, the Thanagarian War, Sinestro Corp, and Parallax. Perhaps if these ideas had just been made into a film individually where they could have gotten the spotlight all to themselves, the weird plot and bad character development on John’s end could have been avoided.

The ’70s produced some of the best Kung Fu and Martial Arts films of all time, and that is the base inspiration for Batman: Soul of the Dragon. It’s a cool concept that gets undermined by its lack of soul. Just “meh,” this movie focuses on characters that are flat and seems more like an attempt to include Bruce Lee and Jim Kelly cameos.

While certainly one of the better DC Animated Universe films, it’s pretty generic and kind of forgettable. This one may still be enjoyable for Kung Fu fans, though.

11 Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham Does a Good Job Adapting the Graphic Novel by Mike Mignola and Richard Pace

This film truly is a decent adaptation of the original graphic novel, and it feels a little bit like a companion piece to Gotham by Gaslight. The eldritch themes in The Doom That Came to Gotham play really well with Gotham’s grittiness and many members of the Bat cast get gruesome makeovers.

Some fans even thought that this particular film was the best “Elseworlds” adaptation to date. Overall, it’s a well-rounded experience that hits the major plot points of the graphic novel.

10 Superman: Man of Tomorrow Brought a Fresh Take on Superman’s Origin

Many fans feel that this animated film should be considered the go-to for Superman’s origin story. Superman: Man of Tomorrow stands out as one of the best DCAU films that doesn’t focus on Batman. Some had been super dissatisfied with Zack Snyder’s Superman, and this animated film was a reminder of what Superman truly should be about.

Fans who loved this animated film believed that it captured the essence of Superman and felt that the director did good research before making it. Despite having multiple antagonists, the movie wasn’t cluttered, and the animation style is pleasing to look at.

9 Justice Society: World War II Puts the Justice League in the Heart of One of the World’s Greatest Conflicts

Everyone took in a breath of fresh air with this movie, as it focuses on Wonder Woman primarily, rather than the rest of the Justice Society. She wasn’t one of the original members of the JSA, but that leads to some interesting twists throughout the film.

Also, it was great seeing the best DC heroes in the middle of World War II. Those who like this animation style really love it and think that it helps separate the figures from the background, especially in action sequences. The only thing that would have made Justice Society: World War II better is a deeper exploration of the worldbuilding and how all elements of the story fit together.

8 Merry Little Batman Captures the Holiday Spirit

While this may be a little too lighthearted for some fans, it’s hard to deny how incredibly cute Merry Little Batman is. The art style is unique and stands out, and the character designs are charming and stylized.

The plot is reminiscent of elements of The Nightmare Before Christmas as Joker tries to smash out Gotham’s holiday spirit by stealing everyone’s presents. For a DC fan, this is a movie to add to the holiday watch list.

DC adaptations are hard. Really hard. As a film, Injustice is fine. Not good, but not bad either. However, when compared to the comics and the games that inspired it, this animated feature doesn’t quite hold a candle to the original content. If you’re a fan who has never played the Injustice games or read the comics, this film will very likely be an enjoyable experience. For those who have, prepare to go into this movie with a bit of a critical eye.

Many fans encourage viewers to look past the rage of those heavily attached to the comic arc and just enjoy the film as it is. Injustice got hit with quite a bit of review-bombing because it doesn’t religiously adhere to the source material. Certainly, that can be disappointing, but the film as a standalone is good and is gritty, unlike other superhero animated films.

6 Superman: Red Son Brings The Acclaimed Comic to the Big Screen

One of the better comics to film adaptations, Superman: Red Son asks great “what if” questions and answers them beautifully. While this film will never be able to live up to the comic that inspired it, it does a great job of getting very close. As with many of the other adaptations, some read the graphic novel first, and then some just watched the film.

Those who read the comics first will always believe that the films are inferior and should not be watched. Approaching a movie from the perspective that isolates it from its source shows that this film is worth it. It can be especially good for viewers who want a condensed version of the story without reading the graphic novel.

5 Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons Is a Tale of Father and Son Like No Other

Breaking free from 2D animation, this 3D film has a unique and charming style, using color and shape to refresh character designs. Energetic and fun, this film showcases the relationship of the children of Superman and Batman as they try to save the world together.

Damian, Batman’s son, feels authentic and Jon, Superman’s son, is endearing and a great foil to Damian’s spunk. Packed with lots of good animation and great vibes, this film is worth a watch when looking for a low-key, feel-good film.