Characters of the DC Extended Universe
The DC Extended Universe is a shared universe centered on a group of film franchises based on characters by DC Comics and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Despite numerous film franchise in the past on characters such as Superman and Batman, none of those film series were connected. The DCEU debuted in 2013 with Man of Steel, centered on Superman, and has grown to include other characters such as Batman, Wonder Woman, and several others included in this list. The shared universe, much like the original DC Universe in the comics, was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters, and crossed over with separate timelines from other DC-licensed film series in The Flash to create a "multiverse" before being largely rebooted as the new DC Universe franchise under new management from DC Studios, with the previous universe concluding in 2023 with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Central characters
The DCEU centers mostly on superhero characters, including the members of what would become the [|Justice League], but also features antiheroes such as Floyd Lawton / Deadshot, Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn, Christopher Smith / Peacemaker, and Teth-Adam / Black Adam.Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman
Clark Kent, born Kal-El, is a Kryptonian refugee sent to Earth by his parents [|Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van] prior to the planet's destruction and is raised by [|Jonathan and Martha Kent] in Smallville, Kansas. As the Sun's radiation enhances his cells, Clark develops superhuman abilities, but struggles with his identity when Jonathan reveals his otherworldly origins. After Jonathan's death, Clark travels the world trying to find himself and eventually discovers his true identity after finding a Kryptonian scout ship. He eventually embraces his powers after learning from his biological father's hologram, gaining the military codename Superman as he uses his powers to protect the Earth's citizens. Superman eventually comes to odds with Batman before finding commonality and inspires Batman and other vigilantes and metahumans to band together and protect the world from greater threats.Cavill is the first non-American actor to portray Superman in film. In addition, Zack Snyder has aimed to give Superman a more realistic arc in his DCEU films as opposed to in the past and not be a "one-dimensional Boy Scout".
Bruce Wayne / Batman
Bruce Wayne is the multibillionaire CEO of Wayne Enterprises, but secretly moonlights as the feared vigilante Batman in an effort to battle crime in Gotham City, taking inspiration from his parents' deaths and his fear of bats to crack down on criminal activity. He has been active as Batman for 20 years prior to Clark Kent's emergence as Superman, becoming jaded and disillusioned over time, especially after the murder of his protégé Robin. Bruce antagonizes Superman after personally witnessing the Battle of Metropolis, in which the ruckus caused by the Kryptonians destroys a considerable part of the city, including the destruction of Wayne Tower and the deaths of a large portion of Wayne's workforce in Metropolis. He is determined to kill the Man of Steel until finding commonality with him and later becomes inspired by Superman's selflessness and sacrifice, later recruiting other metahumans around the globe to form the Justice League and embarking on a path to redemption after years of moral ambiguity.The DCEU iteration of Batman is notably older and more battle-weary than previous cinematic portrayals. Affleck's Batman is described as the "angriest we'd ever seen" by Screen Rant, and was inspired by Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns comic storyline.
Diana Prince / Wonder Woman
Diana of Themyscira, commonly known by her civilian name Diana Prince, is an immortal Amazon warrior from the hidden island of Themyscira who is the daughter of [|Hippolyta], the queen of the Amazons and the Greek God, Zeus, the king of the Olympians. Upon venturing to the world of Men after [|Steve Trevor] crash-lands on Themyscira and warns of a global conflict threatening the world, Diana begins protecting mankind as Wonder Woman, secretly living amongst humanity while ending conflicts for nearly 100 years and gradually learning more about the world after living a sheltered life on Themyscira. Diana is inspired by Steve's bravery and learns to find the goodness in mankind, despite evil existing in the world. She is brought back to the forefront after an extraterrestrial threat emerges, with Bruce Wayne recruiting her and other metahumans to fight against the forces of Apokolips.Despite being part of DC Comics' main "trinity" of superhero characters alongside Superman and Batman, Wonder Woman did not debut on the silver screen until her appearance in Batman v Superman in 2016. Gadot was originally offered the role of Faora in Man of Steel, but turned it down due to pregnancy at the time. This paved the way for her casting as Wonder Woman, with Zack Snyder saying she had the "magical quality" that made her perfect for the role.
Arthur Curry / Aquaman
Arthur Curry is a brooding metahuman with aquatic superpowers, later gaining the moniker Aquaman. The son of, Thomas “Tom” Curry, a human lighthouse keeper and Atlanna, queen of Atlantis, Curry is portrayed as a reluctant hero. Dealing with his dual identity, he chooses to hide among humanity despite helping in small doses. After being sought out by Batman to join the Justice League and stop [|Steppenwolf], Arthur is later called by his old mentor [|Nuidis Vulko] and [|Mera] to claim his rightful spot as King of Atlantis, regaining confidence in himself.Aquaman was heavily redesigned in the DCEU, sporting tattoos and a gruff demeanor as opposed to his comics counterpart who is often ridiculed due to his campy depiction in previous adaptations of the source material. Critics have described this iteration of the character as an extension of the "larger than life actor who portrays him, Jason Momoa".
Barry Allen / The Flash
Barry Allen is a college student and a metahuman with the ability to move at supersonic speeds, along with time-traveling abilities. As his father Henry was wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and Barry's mother Nora, Barry seeks to prove his father's innocence while occasionally engaging in vigilantism with his superpowers. Batman discovers Barry upon recruiting metahumans to join the Justice League upon the forces of Apokolips arriving on Earth. First cast in 2014, Miller made cameo appearances in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and [|Suicide Squad] before appearing properly in Justice League and the 2021 director's cut Zack Snyder's Justice League. Miller would later make future appearances as the character in the Arrowverse crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths and the season one finale of Peacemaker. Miller reprised the role in The Flash, the first ever solo film for the character.Victor Stone / Cyborg
Victor Stone is a former college football player who suffers devastating injuries in a car accident that also kills his mother, Elinore. Rebuilt into a cyborg by his estranged father, Silas, Victor is recruited by Wonder Woman and Batman to join the Justice League. Initially refusing to join at first, he joins the team after his father is endangered and the device that rebuilt him, one of three Mother Boxes, is being sought by Steppenwolf. Victor provides the team key intel on the devices, and while working with the League, he learns to trust others again, overcome his trauma, and use his new abilities for the greater good, becoming instrumental in stopping Steppenwolf from terraforming Earth with the Mother Boxes. Following the battle, he accepts his new abilities and potential as Cyborg.Cyborg's character development in the theatrical cut of Justice League was controversially cut down and minimalized by the studio and replacement director Joss Whedon, despite the character being described as the "heart of the movie" in Zack Snyder's original version, which has since been released as Zack Snyder's Justice League. Fisher's performance in the latter version of the film has received critical acclaim. Prior to landing the role, Fisher was a little-known theater actor.
Billy Batson / Shazam
Billy Batson is a mischievous and troubled teenager from Philadelphia in the foster-care system. Having been abandoned at a carnival at a young age by his single mother, Marilyn, Billy has gained a reputation as a "problem child", repeatedly escaping from foster homes and hijacking police cruisers to locate his mother. After being apprehended again, Billy is placed into the home of the Vazquez family, which also has other foster children such as [|Freddy Freeman] and [|Mary Bromfield]. Upon returning from school on the subway, he is contacted by the dying wizard Shazam, who bestows his powers to Billy after deeming him worthy as his champion.Gaining the ability to transform into an adult superhero upon calling the name "Shazam", Billy creates a YouTube channel with Freddy to display his superpowers and continues to act mischievously until friction occurs with his foster siblings and [|Doctor Sivana] emerges, being envious of Billy's powers and wanting them himself after being denied by Shazam earlier. Billy realizes the importance of using his powers for good, battling Sivana and the Seven Deadly Sins with little success at first. After he learns why his mother abandoned him, Billy accepts his foster family as his true family, sharing his superpowers with his siblings and creating the [|Shazam Family], which allows them all to defeat Sivana and imprison the Seven Deadly Sins and fully staff Shazam's temple.
Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn
Dr. Harleen Quinzel first appears in Suicide Squad as an up-and-coming psychiatrist who works with the Joker, falling madly in love with him and being swayed to insanity and a life of crime by the "Clown Prince" of crime. Picking up the moniker Harley Quinn, she and Joker terrorize Gotham City until she is apprehended by Batman. She is later recruited by Amanda Waller along with Deadshot and other criminals into Task Force X, also known as the Suicide Squad, before Joker breaks her out. Birds of Prey explores Harley's misadventures and personal development after she breaks up with Joker, while The Suicide Squad sees her re-incarcerated and sent on another mission with a later roster of the Suicide Squad.Harley's character arc in the films sees her go from being defined by her abusive relationship with Joker to becoming more independent and willing to help society, despite her malevolent tendencies and chaotic, unpredictable personality. Robbie stated that it took three hours to prepare her hair, makeup and costume for the role and "at least 45 minutes" to take it off.