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Studios & universes

DC Universe on screen

The 16 movies of the “DC Universe on screen” bracket, with year, director, runtime and rating for each — then play the knockout tournament and let your own duels pick the winner.

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What is in this bracket

The bracket spans 33 years of cinema, from 1992 to 2025, with an average TMDB rating of 7.4/10. The dominant genres are Action (14 movies), Adventure (7 movies), Crime (6 movies), Fantasy (6 movies). Zack Snyder appears 4 times, Christopher Nolan appears 3 times, James Gunn appears 2 times — a good sign of how much one filmography weighs on the outcome. Watching the whole line-up back to back would take about 39 hours. The 2010s are the best represented decade with 7 entries.

The highest-rated entry going in is The Dark Knight (2008) at ★ 8.5/10 — but a bracket is not a ranking: it only takes one duel against a favourite of yours for it to go out in the first round.

The full line-up (16 movies)

Seeded in the order they enter the bracket. 16 titles means 4 rounds and 15 duels to a champion.

  1. The Dark Knight 2008 · Christopher Nolan · 152 min · ★ 8.5/10

    Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker.

  2. The Batman 2022 · Matt Reeves · 177 min · ★ 7.7/10

    In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.

  3. Joker 2019 · Todd Phillips · 122 min · ★ 8.1/10

    During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.

  4. Batman Begins 2005 · Christopher Nolan · 140 min · ★ 7.7/10

    Driven by tragedy, billionaire Bruce Wayne dedicates his life to uncovering and defeating the corruption that plagues his home, Gotham City. Unable to work within the system, he instead creates a new identity, a symbol of fear for the criminal underworld - The Batman.

  5. Watchmen 2009 · Zack Snyder · 163 min · ★ 7.4/10

    In a gritty and alternate 1985, the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown. But after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered, an investigation into the killer is initiated. The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so they uncover a sinister plot that puts all of humanity in grave danger.

  6. Superman 2025 · James Gunn · 130 min · ★ 7.3/10

    Superman, a journalist in Metropolis, embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.

  7. The Dark Knight Rises 2012 · Christopher Nolan · 165 min · ★ 7.8/10

    Following the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for Dent's crimes to protect the late attorney's reputation and is subsequently hunted by the Gotham City Police Department. Eight years later, Batman encounters the mysterious Selina Kyle and the villainous Bane, a new terrorist leader who overwhelms Gotham's finest. The Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city th

  8. Batman Returns 1992 · Tim Burton · 126 min · ★ 6.9/10

    The monstrous Penguin, who dwells in the sewers beneath Gotham, joins up with corrupt mayoral candidate Max Shreck to topple the Batman once and for all. But when Shreck's timid assistant Selina Kyle finds out, and Shreck tries to kill her, she's transformed into the sexy Catwoman. She teams up with the Penguin and Shreck to destroy Batman, but sparks fly unexpectedly when she confronts the caped

  9. The Suicide Squad 2021 · James Gunn · 132 min · ★ 7.5/10

    Supervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker and a collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese.

  10. Wonder Woman 2017 · Patty Jenkins · 141 min · ★ 7.2/10

    An Amazon princess comes to the world of Man in the grips of the First World War to confront the forces of evil and bring an end to human conflict.

  11. Man of Steel 2013 · Zack Snyder · 143 min · ★ 6.7/10

    A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.

  12. Zack Snyder's Justice League 2021 · Zack Snyder · 242 min · ★ 8.1/10

    Determined to ensure Superman's ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne aligns forces with Diana Prince with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions.

  13. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 2016 · Zack Snyder · 152 min · ★ 6/10

    Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.

  14. Aquaman 2018 · James Wan · 143 min · ★ 6.9/10

    Half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry is taken on the journey of his lifetime to discover if he is worth of being a king.

  15. Shazam! 2019 · David F. Sandberg · 132 min · ★ 7/10

    A boy is given the ability to become an adult superhero in times of need with a single magic word.

  16. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) 2020 · Cathy Yan · 109 min · ★ 6.9/10

    Harley Quinn joins forces with a singer, an assassin and a police detective to help a young girl who had a hit placed on her after she stole a rare diamond from a crime lord.

How this tournament works

  1. 16 movies enter a knockout bracket.
  2. Two titles face off at a time — you pick the one you would rather watch.
  3. Winners advance round by round until one champion is left: your pick for tonight.

There is no “right” answer and no algorithm deciding for you: the bracket only forces a series of small, easy comparisons instead of one impossible choice in front of a catalogue. You can also play it with friends — everyone votes the same duels from their own phone in a Brawl Room.

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