The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared fictional universe that is the setting of superhero films independently produced by Warner Bros., based on characters that appear in DC Comics publications.
As the franchise is composed of films adapted from a variety of DC Comics properties, there are multiple lead actors. Henry Cavill stars as Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman in the films Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), while Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot portray Bruce Wayne / Batman and Diana Prince / Wonder Woman, respectively, in the latter film, along with Ezra Miller as Barry Allen / The Flash, Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry / Aquaman, and Ray Fisher as Victor Stone / Cyborg. Affleck and Miller reprise their roles in Suicide Squad (2016), while Gadot reprises her role in Wonder Woman (2017) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020). All six actors reprise their roles in Justice League (2017), as well as in its 2021 director's cut. Momoa stars in Aquaman (2018) and its sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), while Miller stars in The Flash (2023) with Affleck, Gadot, Cavill, and Momoa making cameo appearances.
Margot Robbie portrays Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad and reprises her role in Birds of Prey (2020) and The Suicide Squad (2021). Zachary Levi portrays the eponymous protagonist in Shazam! (2019), with Asher Angel playing the character's alter-ego Billy Batson; both return in Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023). John Cena stars as Christopher Smith / Peacemaker in the television series Peacemaker (2022), after also appearing in The Suicide Squad, while Dwayne Johnson portrays Teth-Adam / Black Adam in Black Adam (2022) and Xolo Maridueña headlines Blue Beetle (2023) as Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle.
Other prominent cast members who appear in the films and/or series within the franchise include Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Amber Heard, Jeremy Irons, Mark Strong, Jared Leto, Ewan McGregor, Joe Morton, Connie Nielsen, Chris Pine, Michael Shannon, Kristen Wiig, and Pedro Pascal.
This section includes characters who have appeared in the films.
This section includes characters who have appeared in the films.
This section includes characters who have appeared in the series.
Character | 2022 |
---|---|
Peacemaker season 1 | |
Introduced in films | |
Barry Allen The Flash | Ezra Miller C [288] |
Flo Crawley | Tinashe Kajese C [239] |
Arthur Curry Aquaman | Jason Momoa C [288] |
John Economos R | Steve Agee M [289] |
Kal-El / Clark Kent Superman | Brad Abramenko (stand-in) C [290] |
Rick Flag | Joel Kinnaman A [291] |
Emilia Harcourt R | Jennifer Holland M [292] |
Diana Prince Wonder Woman | Kimberley von Ilberg (stand-in) C [293] |
Christopher Smith Peacemaker R | John Cena M [294] Quinn Bennett Y [295] |
Amanda Waller R | Viola Davis C [296] |
Introduced in Peacemaker | |
Leota Adebayo | Danielle Brooks M [297] |
Adrian Chase Vigilante R | Freddie Stroma M [298] |
Eagly | Dee Bradley Baker V [299] |
Larry Fitzgibbon | Lochlyn Munro [300] |
Jamil | Rizwan Manji [301] |
Judomaster | Nhut Le [302] |
Locke | Christopher Heyerdahl [300] |
Clemson Murn Ik Nobb Llok | Chukwudi Iwuji M [300] |
Auggie Smith The White Dragon | Robert Patrick M [292] |
Sophie Song | Annie Chang [300] |
The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #28. The team was conceived by writer Gardner Fox as a revival of the Justice Society of America, a similar team from DC Comics from the 1940s which had been pulled out of print due to a decline in sales.
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Since their first appearance in The Brave and the Bold #28, various incarnations of the team have appeared in film, television, and video game adaptations.
Aquaman has made several appearances in numerous adaptations since his comic book debut in 1941. The character has also been referenced beyond the scope of traditional comics entertainment.
Throughout his 80-year history, the Flash has appeared in numerous media.
Since her debut in All Star Comics #8, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman has appeared in a number of formats besides comic books. Genres include animated television shows, direct-to-DVD animated films, video games, the 1970s live action television series, Wonder Woman, The Lego Movie and The Lego Batman Movie, and the live-action DCEU films Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Wonder Woman (2017), Justice League (2017), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021), Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), and The Flash (2023).
The Flash is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, Double Dream, and the Disco Factory, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the 13th installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film was directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Christina Hodson and a story by Joby Harold and the writing team of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. It stars Ezra Miller as Barry Allen / The Flash alongside Sasha Calle in her film debut, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, and Michael Keaton. In the film, Barry travels back in time to prevent his mother's death, which unintentionally results in his being stranded in an alternate past.
Justice League is a 2017 American superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name. Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Atlas Entertainment, and Cruel and Unusual Films, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the fifth installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Directed by Zack Snyder and written by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon, the film features an ensemble cast including Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and J. K. Simmons. In the film, following the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) Batman and Wonder Woman recruit The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg after the death of Superman to save the world from the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons.
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics. The DCEU also includes comic books, short films, novels, and video games. Like the original DC Universe in comic books, the DCEU is established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.
Black Adam is a 2022 American superhero film based on the DC character of the same name. Produced by New Line Cinema, DC Films, Seven Bucks Productions, and FlynnPictureCo. and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a spin-off from Shazam! (2019) and the 11th film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra from a script by Adam Sztykiel and the writing team of Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, the film stars Dwayne Johnson as Teth-Adam / Black Adam, an ancient superhuman who is released from his magic imprisonment by a group of archeologists to free the nation of Kahndaq from the crime syndicate Intergang, whose local leader plans to obtain an ancient relic called the Crown of Sabbac to take control of it. Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari, Quintessa Swindell, and Pierce Brosnan appear in supporting roles.
The 2017 film Justice League had a troubled production history, undergoing major changes before and during production, including a change in directors. This resulted in the theatrical release being markedly different from its conception in pre-production and principal photography.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC character Shazam. Produced by New Line Cinema, DC Studios, and the Safran Company, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the sequel to Shazam! (2019) and the 12th installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Directed by David F. Sandberg and written by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan, it stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, D. J. Cotrona, Grace Caroline Currey, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou, and Helen Mirren. In the film, Billy Batson / Shazam and his foster siblings fight the Daughters of Atlas.
Diana of Themyscira, also known by her civilian name Diana Prince or her superhero title Wonder Woman, is a fictional character in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), based on the DC Comics character of the same name created by William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter. First appearing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, she is portrayed by Gal Gadot and later plays a major role in the films Wonder Woman,Justice League, and Wonder Woman 1984, along with cameo appearances in Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash. She has become one of the central characters in the DCEU. Gadot's performance as Wonder Woman, the first of the character in live-action cinema, has received critical praise.
Bruce Wayne, also known by his superhero vigilante alias the Batman, is a fictional character in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The character was portrayed by Ben Affleck in Zack Snyder's 2016 superhero film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the 2017 film Justice League, Suicide Squad (2016), and The Flash (2023). Fans nicknamed this iteration of the character "Batfleck", a portmanteau of "Batman" and "Affleck". In the films' universe, Bruce had already been active as Batman for twenty years before the emergence of Superman, and despite being initially at odds with him to the point of paranoia and anger, Batman comes to appreciate the former, starting the Justice League in his honor after Superman's sacrifice to stop Doomsday. The Justice League, under Wayne's leadership, fights to prevent Steppenwolf from collecting the three Mother Boxes and destroying Earth alongside his master Darkseid, eventually resurrecting Superman to aid in their collective efforts.
Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen, also known as The Flash, is a fictional character in the DC Extended Universe. Based on the DC Comics superhero of the same name, he is portrayed by American actor Ezra Miller. Originally appearing in a minor role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, Barry had a prominent role in the film Justice League, its director's cut, and in his titular film. Miller also reprised the role in cameo capacity in other DC Comics media such as the Arrowverse event series Crisis on Infinite Earths and in the HBO Max series Peacemaker. The DC Extended Universe marks the first time The Flash has been portrayed in live-action film.
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on superhero films and other series starring various titular superheroes produced by DC Films / DC Studios, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, and based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics. Despite numerous film series in the past on characters such as Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern, none of those film series were connected. The DCEU debuted in 2013 with Man of Steel, centered on Superman, and has grown to include other characters such as Batman, Wonder Woman, and several others included in this list. The shared universe, much like the original DC Universe in comic books, was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters, and crossed over with separate timelines from other DC-licensed film series in The Flash to create a "multiverse" before being largely rebooted as the new DC Universe franchise under new management from DC Studios.
The DC Universe (DCU) is an upcoming American media franchise and shared universe based on characters from DC Comics publications. It was created by James Gunn and Peter Safran, co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios. The franchise is a soft reboot of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), a previous franchise featuring DC characters. The DCU retains certain DCEU cast members while replacing others. In contrast with the previous state of DC Comics adaptations, the DCU features a united continuity and story across live-action films and television, animation, and video games. Concurrent DC adaptations that do not fit within this continuity are labeled "DC Elseworlds".
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) media franchise has experienced a turbulent history since its inception in 2013, characterized by highly publicized clashes between studio executives and talent, constantly changing approaches to worldbuilding, and repeated changes in management. Warner Bros. Pictures originally announced plans for a shared universe of live-action films based on the DC Comics, starting with the release of Man of Steel (2013), with director Zack Snyder set to spearhead the franchise. Following the negative reception to Snyder's follow-up film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Warner Bros. created DC Films, a new division led by Geoff Johns and Jon Berg tasked with overseeing development of the DCEU. DC Films attempted to correct the course of the franchise, culminating in the troubled production and disastrous release of the crossover film Justice League (2017), which significantly deviated from Snyder's original vision.
Creature Commandos is an upcoming American adult animated television series based on DC Comics featuring the eponymous team. Produced by DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation, it will be the first television series in the DC Universe (DCU) and the first installment overall. It focuses on a black ops team of monsters assembled by Amanda Waller. All seven episodes were written by James Gunn.