As saturated as the current streaming market is, blockbuster franchises are still moving between platforms, including Netflix‘s recent additions from Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios. The streaming juggernaut is adding an entire collection’s worth of DC’s contemporary theatrical releases.
These movies range from superhero icons out of DC Comics’ source material to an antihero-themed team-up. Each of these titles offers unique and entertaining flavors of the superhero film genre sure to satisfy fans looking for something moody and atmospheric or some over-the-top action with raunchy comedy. Along with the rest of Netflix’s diverse catalog of movies and shows, these DC features are great standalone stories.
The Batman (2022)
Along with characters like Spider-Man, DC Comics’ Batman is one of the most enduring figures in the superhero genre, and last year’s reboot laid the groundwork for something thrilling. Director Matt Reeves’ The Batman sees Robert Pattinson (Good Time, The Lighthouse, Tenet) don the cape and cowl in a feature that taps back into the pulpy neo-noir roots of the Dark Knight’s comic books.
Depicting a Batman just two years into his vigilante career, the hero meets his tactical match when an elusive serial killer dubbed the Riddler (played by Paul Dano) murders a slew of prominent political figures in Gotham City. Meanwhile, the brooding protagonist finds the mysterious Catwoman (played by Zoë Kravitz) is somehow connected to this grisly case. The Batman is a fantastic mystery-thriller that emphasizes the hero’s “World’s Greatest Detective” traits while also taking cues from gritty noir movies like David Fincher’s Seven and Zodiac.
Wonder Woman (2017)
Completing the DC Trinity alongside Batman and Superman, Wonder Woman finally gets the theatrical spotlight she deserves in director Patty Jenkins’ movie. 2017’s Wonder Woman expands on the Warrior of Truth’s origin story in the — soon-to-be former — DC Extended Universe after featuring in a supporting role for Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Set against the backdrop of World War I, the titular hero (played by Gal Gadot) feels compelled to venture out from her and her fellow Amazons’ world of Themyscira. Diana believes that the war plaguing humanity was started by the Amazons’ long-time enemy, Ares, the Olympian God of War. She partners up with a U.S. pilot named Steve Trevor (played by Chris Pine) to root out this threat. Wonder Woman was well-received thanks to its vibrant visuals, action set pieces, emotional story, and creative use of the “period piece” approach.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Now the co-CEO of DC Studios, director James Gunn first jumped from Marvel Studios to helm The Suicide Squad. A standalone sequel to the 2016 movie by director David Ayer, The Suicide Squad is a solid jumping-on point for the uninitiated viewer. The movie revolves around a group of supervillain convicts agreeing with intelligence officer Amanda Waller’s offer for lighter sentences in exchange for thwarting a secret superweapon plan codenamed “Project Starfish.”
This new task force includes Harley Quinn (Barbie‘s Margot Robbie), Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), Peacemaker (John Cena), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), and Ratcatcher (Daniela Melchior). The Suicide Squad earned a positive critical reception thanks to embracing its bombastic premise, action, and comedic elements. Much like Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies for Marvel, this DC feature executes its underdog theme well.
Warner Bros. and DC Studios’ The Batman, Wonder Woman, and The Suicide Squad are all available to stream now on Netflix.
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