As one of the biggest comic book houses of all time, it is no wonder that there have been a slew of films based on DC Comics properties. For over eight decades, DC has been entertaining comic book fans with its variety of colorful characters. With the likes of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman headlining their incredible stable of characters, the publisher’s icons have reached the status of pop-cultural legends, ever-present in our lives whether it’s through shows, movies, or merchandise. The movies, of course, are the ones we talk about the most, and with good reason. It is incredible to see these stories come to life on the big screen, and now with streaming, people are able to re-live their cinematic experiences from the comfort of their own homes. Ranging from comedies to dramas, this list of the best DC movies that you can stream on Max will keep any comic book fan entertained.
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‘Man of Steel’ (2013)
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane
Man of Steeldepicts the origin story of Superman (Henry Cavill), in which Clark Kent discovers he is actually an alien from the planet Krypton who has superpowers. He chooses to use his superpowers to protect mankind, specifically from the villain General Zod (Michael Shannon) who is attempting to destroy the human race.
‘Watchmen’ (2009)
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Malin ?kerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Patrick Wilson
Based on the series of the same name, Watchmen is a deconstruction of the superhero genre. The setting is an alternate history during the Cold War, which gives the film a dark tone. The plot involves retired American superheroes who gather together to discover who murdered one of their own. This leads them to uncover a conspiracy and also brings about questions of their own morality.
‘Batman’ (1989)
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle
This Batman film is the first installment of the Warner Bros. initial Batman film series, so it is historically important. Tim Burton was the director, putting his quirky and dark twist on the set and characters. The villain of the film is Jack Napier/The Joker and we get to see Jack Nicholson have fun with the character. Fresh off of his portrayal of Beetlejuice, Michael Keaton tackles the more serious role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. We see Batman in his early days, taking on the crime of Gotham City.
‘Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans’ (2019)
Director: Jeff Mednikow
Cast: Greg Cipes, Scott Menville, Khary Payton, Tara Strong, Hynden Walch
This movie is an interesting crossover between the original Teen Titansand the more modern television series Teen Titans Go! We see superheroes battling against themselves plenty, but this particular bout is all thanks to the Master of Games, a creature who is able to travel the multiverse to find heroes at their best moments in time. The original Teen Titans are coerced into fighting for the Master of Games after he warns that if they do not cooperate then he will destroy their Earths.
‘The LEGO Batman Movie’ (2017)
Director: Chris McKay
Cast: Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, Zach Galifianakis
The LEGO Batman Movie is a computer-animated comedy starring Batman (Will Arnett), The Joker (Zack Galifianakis), Robin (Michael Cera), and Batgirl (Rosario Dawson). It is the second installment of the LEGO movie franchise and is based on the LEGO DC Super Heroes’ Batman toy line. As you might imagine, this film is meant to appeal to children and is a more light-hearted version of Batman, but it’s still quite enjoyable for adult audiences as well.
‘Wonder Woman’ (2017)
Director: Patty Jenkins
Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis
Wonder Woman is a prequel/spinoff to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and therefore is the second appearance of Wonder Woman / Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) in a live-action theatrical film. We get to see the backstory of this strong female lead, growing up as an Amazon princess. After an American pilot and spy named Steve (Chris Pine) crashes on her island home, Diana believes that an enemy of the Amazons, Ares, started World War I, and she leaves her home to stop him. In the process, she falls in love with Steve and discovers more about her true power.
‘Joker’ (2019)
Director: Todd Phillips
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy
Probably the darkest film on this list, Joker is a thriller starring Joaquin Phoenix. Phoenix won the Academy Award for his depiction of the Joker, who is a wanna-be stand-up comedian and failed clown with a serious mental health condition. The Joker goes rogue in Gotham after being outcast and forgotten by society, inspiring others to violence as well. This film is the first live-action theatrical Batman film to receive an R rating and is not for the faint of heart.
‘Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox’ (2013)
Director: Jay Oliva
Cast: Justin Chambers, Kevin McKidd, Michael B. Jordan, Nathan Fillion, C. Thomas Howell
This movie is the beginning of the DC Animated Universe and starts it off with a bang (or flash). The plot centers on Barry Allen/The Flash (Justin Chambers), who one day finds his world turned upside down. Time travel and the threat of war between the Amazons and Atlantis combine to create one action-packed film as Barry investigates how the world was changed.
Director: James Gunn
Cast: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis
The Suicide Squad brings together a bunch of “bad guys” for a mission that is almost certain to end with all of them dead. The Suicide Squad consists of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), and others. The film follows the team on a mission to South America, where they must work together to destroy a dangerous experiment. What could go wrong? Everything.
‘The Dark Knight’ (2009)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman
The second installment of The Dark Knight Trilogy, this film is one of the best Batman movies ever made. It is full of action, but is thought-provoking, thanks to a plot revolving around Batman (Christian Bale), Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), and The Joker (Heath Ledger). The Joker does his utmost to create chaos in Gotham and Batman must work with law enforcement to stop his maniacal plans. But when you fight an enemy like the Clown Prince of Crime, can you ever really win?
‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ (2021)
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa
This film is a special one on the list, as it is a director’s cut of Justice League. It shows Zack Snyder‘s vision of the film before he left the project and Warner Bros. and Joss Whedon (who replaced Snyder) got their hands on it. Because of fan interest, Warner Bros. decided to release the “Snyder cut” on Max. Audiences get to see some of their favorite DC characters band together to fight an extradimensional New God and his army of Parademons who attempt to conquer Earth.
‘The Batman’ (2022)
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Zo? Kravitz, Paul Dano, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell
With elements of film noir and inspiration from serial-killer thrillers, The Batman brings something new to the table. We get to see more of Batman’s detective side as he investigates the crimes of Gotham City. Our villain in this story is Edward Nashton/The Riddler (Paul Dano), who has been murdering Gotham’s corrupt elite. Robert Pattinson takes over the iconic role of Batman, bringing some much-needed freshness to the role, and he’s joined by an ensemble supporting cast that includes the likes of Zo? Kravitz, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, and more.
‘Justice League: Doom’ (2012)
Director: Lauren Montgomery
Cast: Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Susan Eisenberg, Nathan Fillion, Carl Lumbly
The animated movie Justice League: Doom is a sequel to Crisis on Two Earths. The story revolves around the supervillain Vandal Savage’s (Phil Morris) attempt to wipe out two-thirds of the Earth’s population. The Legion of Doom, a collection of supervillains, is created to carry out his plan. To make sure his plan succeeds, Vandal Savage works with Mirror Master (Alexis Denisof) to steal plans from Batman’s computer that reveal how to incapacitate the Justice League in case they ever turn evil.
‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ (1993)
Directors: Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm
Cast: Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Bob Hastings
There is something so classic about watching an animated Batman movie. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm offers everything we love about Batman from his crime-fighting to his romantic life. Batman (Kevin Conroy) reunites with a past girlfriend, Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delany), while at the same time going up against a vigilante criminal named Phantasm. The film will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2023.
‘Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)’ (2020)
Director: Cathy Yan
Cast: Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett, Ella Jay Basco
Margot Robbie gives her most definitive performance as Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey. The story follows Harley Quinn after her breakup with her fellow “bad guy” the Joker. Quinn is threatened by a crime lord and teams up with a number of other women to bring him down (while looking absolutely fabulous, we might add).
‘Shazam!’ (2019)
Director: David F. Sandberg
Cast: Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou
The life of Billy Batson (Asher Angel) gets shaken up when he meets a wizard named Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) who imbues him with magical powers. When he says the word “Shazam” he immediately turns into an adult superhero (Zachary Levi) with a multitude of different powers. Billy and his foster brother, Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) collaborate to stop Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) and the Seven Deadly Sins. While DC has become known more for its dark and gritty stories, Shazam! is a delightful romp that’s suitable for all ages.
Everyone knows Max is the home of all things DC but these are the best of the best! Read More