DC Animated Movie Universe
The DC Animated Movie Universe is an American media franchise and shared universe of animated films distributed between 2013 and 2024 by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment. Based on characters from the DC Universe, the franchise is part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line.
The main film series are split into two story arcs with different continuities. The first story arc began in 2013 with Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox and ended in 2020 with Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, while the second story arc, nicknamed the "Tomorrowverse", began later that year with Superman: Man of Tomorrow and concluded in 2024 with the Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths trilogy.
The franchise comprises 25 films overall, with tie-in media including 5 short films, one web series and two digital comics.
Development history
First story arc: "New 52" (2013–2020)
The franchise was initially loosely based on a set of storylines from the New 52, DC Comics' 2011 reboot of its monthly comics' continuity. Following a teaser in the franchise's first film Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, a five-film story arc loosely based on the "Darkseid War" storyline written by Geoff Johns, started from Justice League: War and was later revisited in The Death of Superman, Reign of the Supermen and concluded in Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.After the first story arc ended, screenwriter Ernie Altbacker teased the possibility of a new project related to that continuity. He said that "the way we ended it... it's really like a tough balancing act: It ends something on a bittersweet yet hopeful note, and I'll just say, people who are saying, 'Oh man, we're not going to get anymore of these!'...you're not losing something, you're gaining something new..."
The DC Showcase short film Constantine: The House of Mystery was released in May 2022 and is a narrative sequel to Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.
Second story arc: "Tomorrowverse" (2020–2024)
Pre-production of the DCAMU's second story arc began in 2018 when Butch Lukic and Jim Krieg decided to plan out a ten-film story arc that would be set after the events of Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, which ends the first story arc with a universal reset. The arc itself originally was not planned to have the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" storyline as a major plot point, but these plans were eventually changed once executives from Warner Bros. Animation asked for it to serve as the finale.Lukic and Krieg were also unaware of the Arrowverse's plans for their own adaptation at the time and only found out when Eric Carrasco contacted them, since he served as a writer for Justice League vs. the Fatal Five and knew them personally.
The franchise's second story arc has the art style and storyline being carried over to further films that were set in the same continuity. It gained the nickname of "Tomorrowverse" after the release of Superman: Man of Tomorrow.
Constantine: The House of Mystery continues certain story elements and helps set up the Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths plot, which was later confirmed to be a three-part storyline and serves as the overall conclusion to the DCAMU, with all the remaining films being released in 2024.
Films
Potential projects
Other media
Extended setting
Super FriendsReception
Sales
| Title | U.S. release date | Gross video sales | Rotten Tomatoes | IGN | |
| Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox | $5,263,783 | 100% | |||
| Justice League: War | $5,806,863 | 50% | |||
| Son of Batman | $7,035,303 | 64% | |||
| Justice League: Throne of Atlantis | $4,661,509 | 63% | |||
| Batman vs. Robin | $4,275,014 | 100% | |||
| Batman: Bad Blood | $4,884,919 | 100% | |||
| Justice League vs. Teen Titans | $4,680,315 | 80% | |||
| Justice League Dark | $3,321,532 | 78% | |||
| Teen Titans: The Judas Contract | $3,279,855 | 83% | |||
| Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay | $2,880,096 | 88% | |||
| The Death of Superman | $6,551,111 | 92% | |||
| Constantine: City of Demons – The Movie | October 9, 2018 | $1,699,592 | |||
| Reign of the Supermen | $3,797,618 | ||||
| Batman: Hush | $3,603,543 | 88% | |||
| The Death and Return of Superman | |||||
| Wonder Woman: Bloodlines | $1,723,810 | 88% | |||
| Justice League Dark: Apokolips War | $5,576,143 | 100% | |||
| Superman: Man of Tomorrow | $3,460,174 | 93% | 7/10 | ||
| Justice Society: World War II | April 27, 2021 | $3,676,453 | 76% | 9/10 | |
| Batman: The Long Halloween – Part One | $3,621,499 | 100% | 8/10 | ||
| Batman: The Long Halloween – Part Two | $2,565,761 | 100% | 9/10 | ||
| DC Showcase Animated Shorts – Constantine: The House of Mystery | |||||
| Green Lantern: Beware My Power | $798,310 | 56% | 4/10 | ||
| Batman: The Long Halloween – Deluxe Edition | |||||
| Legion of Super-Heroes | $962,432 | 60% | |||
| Justice League: Warworld | $995,545 | 50% | 6/10 | ||
| Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One | $839,881 | 88% | 6/10 | ||
| Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Two | April 23, 2024 | 17% | 4/10 | ||
| Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three | July 16, 2024 | 20% | 4/10 |
Accolades
In 2019, Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay and The Death of Superman were nominated for the Golden Reel Award in the category of "Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Sound Effects, Foley, Music, Dialogue and ADR for Non-Theatrical Animated Long Form Broadcast Media".In 2020, Superman: Man of Tomorrow was nominated for a Critics' Choice Award in the category of "Best Superhero Movie".