Honestly, trying to keep track of every single entry in the list of dc universe animated movies is a bit like trying to herd cats in a thunderstorm. You think you’ve got it figured out—start with the 90s, end with the new stuff—and then you realize there are three different "universes," a bunch of Elseworlds stories that don't care about rules, and a handful of movies that are technically sequels to video games. It's a mess. But it’s a beautiful, high-stakes mess that often handles the source material way better than the live-action blockbusters ever did.
If you’re just diving in, the first thing to accept is that "DC Animated Movies" isn't one long line. It’s more like a tree with a dozen weird branches. You’ve got the DC Universe Animated Original Movies (DCUAOM), which started in 2007 with Superman: Doomsday. Then you’ve got the DC Animated Movie Universe (DCAMU), which is a specific 16-movie arc that basically reset the world. And now, as we’re sitting here in 2026, we’ve just seen the "Tomorrowverse" wrap up its massive Crisis on Infinite Earths trilogy.
The Core List of DC Universe Animated Movies (The DCAMU Era)
Most people looking for a "list" are actually looking for the New 52-inspired continuity. This was a bold experiment. They wanted to make animated movies feel like a TV show where the status quo actually changes. Characters die. Relationships stick. Batman actually has to parent a murderous pre-teen son (Damian Wayne) across multiple films.
If you want the meat of the modern era, you have to watch these in order. No skipping.
- Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013) – The one that breaks the world.
- Justice League: War (2014) – The first meeting of the new League.
- Son of Batman (2014) – Introducing Damian Wayne.
- Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015)
- Batman vs. Robin (2015)
- Batman: Bad Blood (2016)
- Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016)
- Justice League Dark (2017) – When things get magical and weird.
- Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
- Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018) – Surprisingly gritty and R-rated.
- The Death of Superman (2018)
- Constantine: City of Demons (2018)
- Reign of the Supermen (2019)
- Batman: Hush (2019)
- Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (2019)
- Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)
That last one, Apokolips War, is basically the Avengers: Endgame of this universe, except way more depressing. It’s notoriously violent. Characters you’ve watched for fifteen movies get obliterated in seconds. It’s polarizing, sure, but you can't deny it has guts. It effectively ended that specific timeline, leading into a "soft reboot" known as the Tomorrowverse.
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Wait, What is the Tomorrowverse?
After the total reset at the end of Apokolips War, DC shifted styles. They went for a cleaner, "thick-line" animation look that feels a bit more like mid-century comic art. This era kicked off with Superman: Man of Tomorrow in 2020.
For a long time, fans weren't even sure if these movies were connected. They felt like standalone stories. Then Justice League: Warworld happened, and suddenly we realized it was all leading to the 2024-2025 Crisis on Infinite Earths trilogy. Now that we're in 2026, the dust has settled on that era too. We’re moving into James Gunn’s new DCU vision, which includes the upcoming Dynamic Duo (an animated origin for the Robins) slated for 2028.
The Tomorrowverse Quick-List:
- Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2020)
- Justice Society: World War II (2021)
- Batman: The Long Halloween (Parts 1 & 2)
- Green Lantern: Beware My Power (2022)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (2023)
- Justice League: Warworld (2023)
- Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths (Trilogy)
The Standalone Gems You Actually Shouldn't Skip
The problem with a strict list of dc universe animated movies is that some of the best ones don't belong to any timeline. They’re "Elseworlds"—basically "What If?" stories. If you only stick to the connected universes, you miss out on the actual masterpieces.
Take Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010). Ask any hardcore fan, and they’ll tell you it’s arguably the best Batman movie ever made, live-action included. It’s a standalone. It doesn't care about Flashpoint or Crisis. It just tells a tight, emotional story about failure and revenge.
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Then there’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. It’s a two-part adaptation of Frank Miller’s legendary comic. It’s brutal. It’s political. It features an old, grumpy Bruce Wayne coming out of retirement to punch a tank. If you haven't seen it, stop reading this and go find it.
Other Standalone Must-Watches:
- Justice League: The New Frontier – A 1950s period piece that is pure retro-cool.
- Superman: Red Son – What if Superman landed in the Soviet Union instead of Kansas?
- Justice League: Gods and Monsters – A totally different Trinity (Batman is a literal vampire here).
- Batman: Gotham by Gaslight – Victorian-era Batman hunting Jack the Ripper.
The "Hidden" Continuities
Just to make your life harder, there are smaller pockets of continuity. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies has a direct sequel called Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. There’s also the "Arkhamverse" movie, Batman: Assault on Arkham, which is technically a prequel to the video games, not the other movies.
And we can't forget the DCAU (the Timmverse). These are the movies tied to the 90s Batman: The Animated Series. While most are decades old, like Mask of the Phantasm, DC occasionally revisits this world, like they did with Batman and Harley Quinn (2017) and Justice League vs. the Fatal Five (2019).
Actionable Strategy: How to Actually Watch These
If you're staring at this massive list of dc universe animated movies and feeling overwhelmed, don't try to watch everything at once. You'll burn out. Instead, pick a "flavor" based on what you like:
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- The "I Want a Big Story" Path: Follow the DCAMU (New 52) list starting with Flashpoint Paradox. It feels like a long-form TV show.
- The "I Just Want the Best Movies" Path: Watch Under the Red Hood, The Dark Knight Returns, and The New Frontier. These are the gold standards.
- The "Modern Style" Path: Start with the Tomorrowverse (Man of Tomorrow). It’s less "edgy" than the mid-2010s stuff and has a very distinct aesthetic.
The beauty of DC animation is its willingness to fail. Sometimes they try a weird art style (like the 3DCG Watchmen chapters) and it doesn't quite land. Sometimes they adapt a classic comic like The Killing Joke and add a weird prologue that nobody asked for. But even the misses are more interesting than the safe, cookie-cutter stuff we see elsewhere.
Start with Flashpoint Paradox. If you like the grit, keep going. If you hate it, jump to the standalones. There's no "wrong" way to do this, as long as you recognize that the timeline is going to break eventually anyway.
Your next move: Go to your streaming service of choice—likely Max or a digital store—and look for Batman: Under the Red Hood. It is the perfect entry point because it requires zero prior knowledge of other movies but delivers the highest emotional payoff. Once you've seen that, you'll know if you're ready to commit to the 50+ other films on this list.