If you’re anything like us, the bright, optimistic aesthetic of Superman has reinvigorated your love of superheroes and left you hungry for more upbeat DC movies. Unfortunately, the next chapter of James Gunn’s new DC Universe, Supergirl, isn’t scheduled to hit theaters for another year. Fortunately, there’s an abundance of feature-length DC content to keep fans new and old satisfied until the Maid of Might returns on Jun 26, 2026. From the ’70s to today, from animated to live-action, DC has carved out a sizable niche in Hollywood.
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But not all of DC’s superhero offerings have the same positive vibe as Superman. Some movies like Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Joker Folie à Deux will extinguish that warm and fuzzy post-Superman glow and have you reaching for an MCU flick faster than you can say “grimdark.” Luckily, we’re here to steer you towards the more lighthearted entries in the DC canon. Here are 10 great DC movies to check out once you’re done geeking out over Superman.
1) Superman: Man of Tomorrow
If you loved Superman but wished James Gunn had included a new take on the hero’s backstory, Superman: Man of Tomorrow is the movie for you. This 2020 animated film flew under many fans’ radars, which is a shame because it’s the perfect modern retelling of the Man of Steel’s origin.
Starring the voice talents of Darren Criss (Superman), Alexandra Daddario (Lois Lane), and Zachary Quinto (Lex Luthor), Superman: Man of Tomorrow follows a pre-Superman Clark Kent as he struggles to decide between hiding his powers from the world or exposing himself to save lives. Featuring fellow DC fan-favorites Martian Manhunter and Lobo, Man of Tomorrow is one of the better DC animated films and the perfect complement to Kal-El’s most recent big screen adventure.
2) Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman Mask of the Phantasm is the best of the Dark Knight’s many theatrical outings, hands down. A big-screen adaptation of Batman: The Animated Series, Mask of the Phantasm is the perfect bridge between the campiness of Batman (1966) and the seriousness of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and The Batman.
Much like Superman, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm makes some changes to the Batman mythos, inventing a long-lost love for the Caped Crusader and integrating her into his origin seamlessly. Mask of the Phantasm has everything: romance, comedy, mystery, incredible fight scenes, and even Mark Hamill’s Joker. Starring the definitive Batman — Kevin Conroy — Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a perfect blueprint for how the Dark Knight should be portrayed when he finally makes his DCU debut.
3) Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
An R-rating doesn’t necessarily make for a darker experience and there’s no better example of this than Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Director David Ayer may have introduced audiences to Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn in 2016’s dismal Suicide Squad, but it was Kathy Yan who placed the character in a manic, candy colored Gotham and let her go wild.
This Harley didn’t need the Joker or Batman to define her, just a bodega breakfast sandwich and a handful of similarly off-kilter female superheroes. If you liked the kinetic energy that Superman gave off but wanted just a tad more racy humor, Birds of Prey is the movie for you.
4) Superman: The Movie
To many fans, David Corenswet is the best live-action Man of Steel since Christopher Reeve, so what better movie to stream following Superman than 1978’s Superman: The Movie? Despite being nearly half a century old at this point, Christopher Reeve’s first outing as the Big Blue Boy Scout is still one of the best.
Sure, some of the special effects have aged poorly, and the movie is slightly corny by modern standards, but Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of Superman remains timeless. For many fans, Reeve is Superman, and no actor — including David Corenswet — is likely to change that anytime soon.
5) The Lego Batman Movie
One of the best things about Superman is that, after the self-seriousness of the Dark Knight trilogy and the nihilism of Batman v. Superman, it felt like James Gunn announcing to the world that live-action DC movies could be fun again. But there’s fun and then there’s fun, and DC defined the latter almost a decade earlier with The Lego Batman Movie.
Will Arnett plays Batman as the same hilarious narcissist from 2014’s The Lego Movie, but manages to give the character more depth despite the film’s largely nonsensical tone. Lego Batman is silly, absolutely charming, and the perfect counterpoint to Hollywood’s usual grimdark take on the Caped Crusader.
6) DC League of Super-Pets
For animal-lovers, the best part of Superman was the lovable, super-mutt Krypto. If you’re one of the many fans who fell in love with the mischievous furball you might want to check out DC League of Super-Pets. The 2022 animated film stars Dwayne Johnson as Krypto the Super Dog alongside frequent co-star Kevin Hart as Ace, a regular dog who suddenly develops superpowers.
Super-Pets relegates Superman, Batman, and the rest of the Justice League to the background while Krypto and his fellow super powered pets take center stage. As an added bonus, DC League of Super-Pets is the only place you can find Keanu Reeves as Batman, a role that, in hindsight, seems tailor-made for the Matrix star.
7) Superman /Batman: Public Enemies
If you can’t wait to see David Corenswet’s Superman team up with Batman like he did the Justice Gang, we’ve got just the movie: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. If you’re looking to see the two comic book titans throw down ala Batman v. Superman, look elsewhere. Public Enemies features a Batman and Superman who are more than just teammates but genuine friends. When a newly elected Lex Luthor frames Superman for murder and places a billion-dollar bounty on his head, it’s up to Batman to help the Man of Steel clear his name while fighting off a gaggle of classic villains all vying for Luthor’s cash prize.
With Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly reprising their Batman/Superman: The Animated Series roles, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is the perfect way to scratch that team-up itch until James Gunn finally gets around to picking a DCU Batman.
8) Batman: Assault on Arkham
Batman: Assault on Arkham might have Batman in the title, but it’s a Suicide Squad movie through and through — quite possibly the best Suicide Squad movie if we’re being honest. Assault on Arkham manages to do everything David Ayar’s Suicide Squad tried to do but failed. It manages to cram Task Force X, the Joker, and Batman into the same movie without it feeling overstuffed or disjointed, and even more impressively, it tells a compelling PG-13 Suicide Squad story that never feels watered down or toothless.
There isn’t much to connect Assault on Arkham to Superman; it’s just another really solid DC movie that manages not to take itself too seriously. As far as we’re concerned, that’s more than enough to earn it a place on this list.
9) Superman II
As great as Superman: The Movie is, it’s missing one of the key components that made the latest Superman so fun: epic fight scenes. Thankfully, the equally classic Superman II makes up for this with a trio of Kryptonian baddies for the Man of Steel to smack around.
While some of the best Superman stories are the ones where the hero solves his problems without throwing a single punch, we’d be lying if we said it wasn’t satisfying to see him sock a superpowered tyrant in the jaw now and then.
10) Teen Titans Go! To the Movies
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is the rare comic book movie that functions as both an actual superhero movie and a satirical deconstruction of the genre. On the surface, the film looks like a bunch of fart jokes and non-sequiturs — exactly the type of content fans of Teen Titans Go! TV series have come to expect. Dig a little deeper however and the movie becomes a treasure trove of obscure DC references — there’s a great bit about mostly forgotten Challengers of the Unknown — and a Simpsons level of clairvoyance — the movie features a joke about the absurdity of an Alfred movie based on Batman’s butler just one year before Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler would make its television debut.
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is a silly, funny, subversive animated romp that makes a perfect double feature with the equally silly, funny, and even slightly subversive Superman.
Most of these DC movies are available to stream on HBO Max. Let us know in the comments if we missed any movies you think should have been on the list.
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Image courtesy of Marvel Studios.
