Summary
TheDC Universehas introduced many iconic villains to the worlds of its heroes, and many of these have even helped fight greater threats. With someDC villains more effective in shows than moviesand vice versa, there is an enormous library of exceptional characters performing horrible deeds. Villains like Joker have grown to become arguably as famous as many of the heroes, withJoker: Folie à Deux’s impending releaseset to make that movie one of the biggest of the year. While Joker is that movie’s protagonist, however, he is hard to justify as a hero.
Other DC villains have been able to find redemption, having been created with more defined moral compasses in mind. This has allowed them to function as more than obstacles in the way of moral good, but even to be assistive in restoring good to the world. This has occurred in several ways, but it will never grow old to see DC’s worst turning their faces to assist the greater good. This creates more complex characters inDC movies, and they, in turn, are able to elevate the material that they appear in.
Every Upcoming DC Movie In 2025 And Beyond
Here’s every new DC movie confirmed as in development by WB for 2024 and onwards, including release dates and where they belong in the franchise.
10Captain Cold Fights Alongside The Legends Of Tomorrow
Legends Of Tomorrow Season 1
When Leonard Snart first appeared inThe Flash, he was one of the best villains that the hero faced.Armed with a freeze gun, Snart was a destructive thief who set out to destroy Barry Allen due to his obstructive heroism.In time, the villain appeared increasingly in the series and, featuring a charismatic performance by Wentworth Miller, was slowly redeemed. The villain even assisted Flash on multiple occasions.
Where Captain Cold shined most, though, was as a member of the Legends of Tomorrow. Recruited by Rip Hunter to the team,Snart slowly came around to the side of heroism and believed in the causes that the team fought for. In the end, he heroically sacrificed himself to save the team.
Legends of Tomorrow
Cast
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is one of many CW superhero shows that takes place within the Arrowverse. The series follows a rag-tag group of heroes and villains traveling through space and time to prevent apocalyptic events that would destroy the Earth and time itself.Legends of Tomorrowran between 2016 and 2022 for seven seasons. New heroes and villains filtered in and out of the series, butArrowstar Caity Lotz starred in all 110 episodes as Sara Lance, aka White Canary.
9Livewire & Heat Wave Save Lois Lane & Jimmy Olsen
My Adventures With Superman Season 2, Episode 7
My Adventures with Supermanhas efficiently built a populated world of iconic heroes and villains. In a recent episode,Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane worked together to rescue Superman, which involved putting together a team of accomplices.In doing so, they are nearly taken down by Amanda Waller and Task Force X.
Fortunately for them, Livewire and Heat Wave, two of the show’s villainous characters, are there to protect them.Unexpectedly, the two villains find themselves on the side of good for once and help to protect the heroes from Task Force X.This is not a permanent turn to the heroic for the villains, but it is refreshing to see the two fighting for the right side, even temporarily.
My Adventures With Superman
My Adventures with Superman is an animated action-adventure superhero series that follows the Man of Steel in an all-new origin story. Focusing on the light-hearted side of DC’s hero, the series follows Clark Kent’s journey of self-discovery of what it means to be a hero while trying to blend in with society. With his best friend and his crush, Lois Lane, the trio will strike out to cover the most significant stories - all while trying to keep the city of Metropolis safe from giant robots and super-powered villains.
8Aquaman Must Enlist Orm’s Help To Defeat Black Manta
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)
The Ocean Master was a truly villainous foe in the firstAquaman. Played impeccably by Patrick Wilson, who by no coincidence resembled the classic appearance of the Arthur Curry character,Orm led an assault intended to eradicate the surface world. Seeing Atlanteans as a superior species, Orm had to be taken down by Aquaman to restore order.
Locked up at the beginning ofAquaman and the Lost Kingdom, a truce is forced between the two brothers.Orm is broken out of prison by Arthur, and the two set out to stop Black Manta from destroying Atlantis with the Black Trident. Forced to work together for a common cause, Orm is redeemed throughout the film by fighting alongside his brother.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: In this sequel, Black Manta rises as a formidable adversary with the power of the Black Trident, seeking revenge against Aquaman. To defend Atlantis, Aquaman must form an alliance with his imprisoned brother, uniting to protect the kingdom from this new threat.
7Slade Wilson Helps Oliver Queen Defeat Adrian Chase
Arrow Season 5, Episode 23
The relationship between Slade Wilson and Oliver Queen inArrowis long and complex. The two work together throughout many episodes, despite being on opposing sides overall.Looking for redemption, and trying to find his lost son, Slade joins Oliver in the fight against Adrian Chase inArrowseason 5.
Deathstroke is a complex character and one of the most interesting in the entire show. Seeing him fighting alongside Oliver in this episode is a strong point in the series, leading to some ofArrow’s most rewatchablemoments. Following the character’s descent in season 2, it is compelling to see Slade redeem himself in the fight against Chase.
Arrow
Arrow is a television series that debuted in 2012, featuring Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, a billionaire playboy who returns to Starling City after being stranded for five years. Transformed by his experience, Queen becomes a vigilante archer, aiming to purge his city of crime and corruption.
6Lex Luthor Joins Batman And Superman To Fight Darkseid
Justice League Unlimited Season 3, Episode 13
Across the DC animated universe that spawned fromBatman: The Animated Series, team-ups with villains were somewhat rare. That changed, however, during this episode ofJustice League Unlimited,which sawBatman and Superman teaming up with Lex Luthor and his Legion of Doom to fight against Darkseid.Facing an invasion of their planet, the opponents were forced to put aside their differences and fight for something they both believed in: Earth.
As the final episode of the series, the episode is a strong example of using a well examined character in a new way.Different iterations of Lex Luthor have been used effectively in DC media, but this version was one of the longest-running and most compelling.Seeing a moment of heroism from the villain before he inevitably turned back to villainy made for fresh and compelling animated television.
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is the culmination of the DC Animated Universe, reuniting characters introduced in previous shows such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman and introducing new JLA members like Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Booster Gold. The series' three seasons aired from 2004 to 2006.
5Harley Quinn Became A Bona Fide Bat-Family Hero Member In Her Animated Show
Harley Quinn Season 3, Episode 10
Following a series of run-ins with the heroes, Harley Quinn completes a total liberation and transformation of her character when she joins the Bat-Family inHarley Quinnseason 3. Following a villainous path through one ofthe best DC shows for adults, and occasional dabbling in crime,Harley is selected by Batman to lead the Bat-Family in his absence when he is locked in prison.
Much of this doesn’t go well as the series enters its fourth season, but for a while, Harley Quinn is a genuine hero in Gotham.She fights alongside Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl for good rather than evil.This is a significant moment for the character and an excellent reflection on her growth throughout the series.
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn is a 2019 animated series focusing on the titular character’s evolution after severing ties with the Joker. As she seeks to establish herself as an independent force in Gotham City’s criminal underworld, the film explores her journey toward becoming Gotham’s criminal Queenpin.
4Selina Kyle Takes On Carmine Falcone In The Batman
The Batman (2022)
The relationship between Batman and Catwoman has always been a complicated one. The extent to which Selina Kyle is a villain also varies from film to film, withThe Batmanarguably being the most complex iteration of the character.Selina Kyle here is driven to crime by her circumstances. When those circumstances align with Batman’s investigation in Gotham, the two are able to work together.
Falcone is one of the main villains inThe Batman, and his spurned daughter Selina Kyle wishes to take him down, just as Batman does. Still, her anger pushes her a little too far, and she nearly kills him. These moments of alignment still give her moments of heroism that shake her foundations. This leads to interesting developments for the character that will hopefully be explored further in the upcoming Matt Reeves sequel.
The Batman
The Batman follows a young Bruce Wayne as he investigates a sadistic serial killer targeting key political figures in Gotham. As he delves deeper, he is confronted by the city’s hidden corruption and questions surrounding his own family’s legacy.
The Suicide Squadand its predecessor,Suicide Squad,spend a lot of time turning villains into antiheroes. With a cast of characters that includes Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, and Ratcatcher 2,the team face a truly horrifying threat in the enormous kaiju starfish, Starro.As the extraterrestrial monster is loosed upon the city, the team choose to work together to stop it.
Though the team is greatly diminished by the time of the final fight, those left alive make the decision to do the right thing and fight Starro. In doing so successfully, the Suicide Squad saves the city and become heroes. Whatever past crimes led the team to be imprisoned, there is no denying that by the end ofThe Suicide Squadmost of the surviving team members have proven themselves to be heroes.
The Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad: Released in 2021, The Suicide Squad features supervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, and Peacemaker, among others, as they join Task Force X. The team embarks on a mission on the enemy-held island of Corto Maltese under the direction of Amanda Waller in this entry of the DC Extended Universe.
2Black Adam Worked With The JSA To Save Kahndaq
Black Adam (2022)
Traditionally a villain and the main antagonist to Shazam,Black Adam’s story in the 2022 film does everything it can to redeem the superpowered character, primarily due to his being played by the charismatic Dwayne Johnson.While the character is a great enough threat for Amanda Waller to send the Justice Society out to stop him, the two eventually have to work together to take down an even more significant threat.
While at odds,Black Adamsaw all the plot machinations possible to ensure he was constantly at his least villainous, while still trying to stay true to his comic book roots.Seeing him move from his need to rule Kahndaq into a place where he looks instead to protect it is an effective setup.Unfortunately, due to the DCEU’s upcoming reboot, this iteration of the character is unlikely to be explored further.
Black Adam
Black Adam is a feature film centered around the DC Comics antihero Black Adam, portrayed by Dwayne Johnson. The story follows the titular character as he emerges in the modern world, freed after millennia of imprisonment, to deliver his own form of justice.
1Joker And Deathstroke Must Cooperate With Batman In Zack Snyder’s Knightmare
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
A promise of things that were never quite fulfilled, the final scene in Zack Snyder’s updated cut ofJustice Leaguepromised a dark future and an evil Superman. This had been hinted at previously inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but was never fully realized. With one last chance,Snyder filmed an extra scene for the end of his film that showed Batman teaming up with Jared Leto’s Joker and Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke.
Figuring howJared Leto’s Joker fits inis a difficult task, as the scene was largely retrofitted to give Affleck and Leto time onscreen together as their iconic characters.Snyder later revealed that they were searching for Kryptonite, and that Joker was the only one who knew where it was, forcing a reluctant truce between the parties. However the scene came about, seeing Batman and Joker on the same side is a truly rare and unusual sight in theDC Universe.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a reimagining of the 2017 film, where Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince assemble a team of metahumans, including Aquaman, The Flash, and Cyborg, to defend Earth from a looming cosmic threat, following Superman’s previous sacrifice. Released in 2021, it continues the DC Extended Universe narrative.
