How to Watch DC Animated Original Movies by Order – Release Date, Miscellaneous, Phase

The DC Universe may feature a bunch of action films, but it continues to shine through its animated movies. There are so many of them, so there's lots of content to go through. Let's figure out how to watch DC animated films in order!

Starting with 2007, Warner Bros has been working on expanding the collection of direct-to-video animated films that feature DC Comics characters. There's plenty of material to base these off, as there are decades worth of comic books featuring your favorites - Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and so on. 

Some of these movies are connected, while others are standalone. They also have different casts, so you won't always hear the same voice behind Batman, for instance. 

While it's true that DC characters have popped up in animated movies before 2007, those fall under the "DC animated universe." For the most part, the difference between the two is that the DC Universe Animated Original Movies are made for an older audience. 

So, there are a few ways you can watch the DC animated movies. 

How to Watch DC Animated Movies by Production Order

If you want to watch the DC animated movies by their release date, we have the list ready for you. 

• Superman: Doomsday (2007)
• Justice League: The New Frontier (2008)
• Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)
• Wonder Woman (2009)
• Green Lantern: First Flight (2009)
• Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009)
• Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010)
• Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)
• Under the Red Hood (2010)
• All-Star Superman (2011)
• Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (2011)
• Batman: Year One (2011)
• Justice League: Doom (2012)
• Superman vs. The Elite (2012)
• The Dark Knight Returns – Part 1 (2012)
• The Dark Knight Returns – Part 2 (2013)
• Superman: Unbound (2013)
• Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
• Justice League: War (2014)
• Son of Batman (2014)
• Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014)
• Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015)
• Batman vs. Robin (2015)
• Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015)
• Batman: Bad Blood (2016)
• Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016)
• Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)
• Justice League Dark (2017)
• Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
• Batman and Harley Quinn (2017)
• Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018)
• Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018)
• Constantine: City of Demons (2018)*
• The Death of Superman (2018)
• Reign of the Supermen (2019)
• Justice League vs. the Fatal Five (2019)
• Batman Hush (2019)
• Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (2019)
• Superman: Red Son (2020)
• Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)
• Superman: The Man of Tomorrow (2020)
• Batman: Death in the Family (2020)

Another four movies are to be released this year:

• Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021)
• Justice Society: World War II (2021)
• Batman: Long Halloween – Part 1 (2021)
• Batman: Long Halloween – Part 2 (2021)

Shorts:

• The Spectre (2010)
• Jonah Hex (2010)
• Green Arrow (2010)
• Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam (2010)
• Catwoman (2011)
• Nightwing and Robin (2015)

How to Watch Miscellaneous DC Animated Movies 

Another way you can watch the DC animated movies that are not necessarily interconnected. 

Miscellaneous

Some of the movies from the list we mentioned above are not connected at all and can be enjoyed individually, in any order. 

• Superman: Doomsday (2007)
• Justice League: The New Frontier (2008)
• Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)
• Wonder Woman (2009)
• Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010)
• Under the Red Hood (2010)
• All-Star Superman (2011)
• Batman: Year One (2011)**
• Justice League: Doom (2012)
• Superman vs. The Elite (2012)
• Superman: Unbound (2013)
• Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014)
• Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015)
• Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)
• Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018)
• Superman: Red Son (2020)
• Superman: The Man of Tomorrow (2020)
• Batman: Death in the Family (2020)
• Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021)
• Justice Society: World War II (2021)

Green Lantern

While Green Lantern is present in other DC films too, these two are connected to each other, but not to other films where we've encountered this particular superhero. 

• Green Lantern: First Flight (2009)
• Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (2011)

Superman vs. Batman

Similar to the situation with the Green Lantern movies, the Superman vs Batman movies are tied to one another, but not to others. 

• Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009)
• Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)

The New 52

The New 52 movies somewhat follow the same timeline, so if you're going to watch, take this road:

• Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
• Justice League: War (2014)
• Son of Batman (2014)
• Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015)
• Batman vs. Robin (2015)
• Batman: Bad Blood (2016)
• Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016)
• Justice League Dark (2017)
• Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
• Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018)
• Constantine: City of Demons (2018)
• The Death of Superman (2018)
• Reign of the Supermen (2019)
• Batman Hush (2019)
• Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (2019)
• Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)

How to Watch DC Animated Movies by Phases

This particular order was recently shared on Quora and it makes perfect sense and is a valid way for fans to watch these animated movies.

Phase 1 - Origins

• Batman - Year One (2011)
• Catwoman (2011)
• Superman - Doomsday (2007)
• Wonder Woman (2009)
• Green Lantern - First Flight (2009)
• The Spectre (2010)
• Green Arrow (2010)
• Superman & Shazam - The Return of Black Adam (2010)
• Batman - The Killing Joke (2016)

Phase 2 - Dawn of Justice League

• Superman & Batman - Public Enemies (2009)
• Superman & Batman - Apocalypse (2010)
• Batman - Under the Red Hood (2010)
• Superman Unbound (2013)
• DC Showcase: Batman - Death in the Family (2020)
• Justice League - Crisis on Two Earths (2010)

Phase 3 - Flashpoint Saga

• Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
• Justice League: War (2014)
• Son of Batman (2014)
• Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015)***
• Batman vs. Robin (2015)
• Batman: Bad Blood (2016)
• Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016)
• Justice League Dark (2017)
• Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
• Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018)
• Constantine: City of Demons (2018)
• The Death of Superman (2018)
• Reign of the Supermen (2019)
• Batman Hush (2019)
• Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (2019)
• Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)

Phase 4a - Downfall of Justice League

• Justice League - Doom (2012)
• Green Lantern - Emerald Knights (2011)
• Superman vs The Elite (2012)
• Batman - Assault on Arkham (2014)
• Batman - The Dark Knight Returns part I (2012)
• Batman - The Dark Knight Returns part II (2013)

Phase 4b - The New Beginning

• Superman - Man of Tomorrow (2020)
• Batman - The Long Halloween part I (2021
• Batman - The Long Halloween part II (2021

Alternate Universes Due to Flashpoint

• Batman - Gotham Knight (2008)
• Batman - Soul of the Dragon (2021)
• Batman - Gotham by Gaslight (2018)
• Superman - Red Son (2020)
• All-Star Superman (2011)
• Justice League - The New Frontier (2008)
• Justice League - Gods and Monsters (2015)