How to Watch the DC Animated Movie Universe in Order

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Pop Culture & Entertainment Analyst Krist Bozaia explains where to start with the DC animated movies

Co-authored by Krist Bozaia and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: August 11, 2026 Fact Checked

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DCAMU Watch Order

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Tomorrowverse Watch Order

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Standalone Movies

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Is the DCAMU connected?

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Where to Watch

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More DC Content

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If you’re a DC fan, you probably know there’s a lot of content out there, especially animated films. While some DC animated movies stand on their own, others have interconnected plots and are part of the DCAMU, or DC Animated Movie Universe. In this article, with help from a pop culture and entertainment expert, we’ll explain how to watch the DCAMU and Tomorrowverse in order, as well as list some popular standalone movies. Let’s dive in!

How do you watch the DCAMU in order?

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A graphic showing the watch orders for the DCAMU and Tomorrowverse.

Pop Culture & Entertainment Analyst Krist Bozaia says to watch Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox first, which is the initial DCAMU release. Because the DCAMU movies are interconnected, it’s best to watch the rest in release order, as well. Then watch the Tomorrowverse, starting with Superman: Man of Tomorrow.

Section 1 of 6:

How to Watch the DCAMU in Order

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The DCAMU, or DC Animated Movie Universe, is a series of interconnected animated films following your favorite DC superheroes. While you can technically enjoy each film on its own, it’s best to watch them all in the order they were released to fully understand the complete story arc. Here’s the complete list:^{[1]
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- Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
  - Bozaia says he always recommends The Flashpoint Paradox first. It’s the very first DCAMU release (making it a great starting point), but Bozaia says it’s also just a beautiful animated film that everyone should see.^{[2]
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    Krist Bozaia
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- 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)
- The Death of Superman (2018)
- Reign of the Supermen (2019)
- Batman: Hush (2019)
- Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (2019)
- Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Krist Bozaia is a pop culture & entertainment analyst, content creator, and a self-proclaimed fandom nerd. He’s been making fandom-related content for about 6 years.

Section 2 of 6:

How to Watch the Tomorrowverse in Order

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The Tomorrowverse is another series of connected animated films that were released after the DCAMU was completed. It includes 10 movies, and like the DCAMU, it’s best to watch each movie in release order to understand the interconnected narrative. Here’s the full list:^{[3]
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- Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2020)
- Justice Society: World War II (2021)
- Batman: The Long Halloween – Part One (2021)
- Batman: The Long Halloween – Part Two (2021)
- Green Lantern: Beware My Power (2022)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (2023)
- Justice League: Warworld (2023)
- Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One (2024)
- Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Two (2024)
- Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three (2024)

Section 3 of 6:

Standalone DC Animated Movies

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Not all DC animated movies are actually a part of the DCAMU. These standalone movies exist outside of the DCAMU continuity, so it isn’t necessary to watch them to understand the events of the DCAMU. These movies are standalone films that often take place in alternate realities, but you still may want to watch them if you’re a big DC fan: ^{[4]
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- Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
- Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero (1998)
- Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
- Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
- 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)
- Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)
  - Bozaia says Batman: Under the Red Hood, is a personal favorite of his because it’s such a complex and nuanced story.^{[5]
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- Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)
- All-Star Superman (2011)
- Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (2011)
- Batman Year One (2011)
- Justice League: Doom (2012)
- Superman vs. The Elite (2012)
- Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012)
- Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 (2013)
- Superman: Unbound (2013)
- Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014)
- Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015)
- Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)
- Batman and Harley Quinn (2017)
- Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018)
- Constantine: City of Demons (2018)
- Justice League vs. the Fatal Five (2019)
- Superman: Red Son (2020)
- Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021)
- Injustice: Gods Among Us (2021)
- Catwoman: Hunted (2022)
- Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons (2022)
- Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (2023)
- Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen – Part One (2023)
- Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen – Part Two (2023)
- Watchmen Chapter I (2024)
- Watchmen Chapter II (2024)

Section 4 of 6:

Are the DCAMU movies connected?

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Yes, the DCAMU movies are connected. While you can watch most of the DCAMU movies by themselves and understand the main plot, they’re all connected in some way, confirms superhero expert Khalon Howard.^{[6]
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Khalon Howard
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Expert Interview} Often, characters from previous movies appear in newer ones, and many plot points are carried over. All the movies are designed to build toward the finale, Apokolips War.^{[7]
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- The Tomorrowverse serves as a sequel to the DCAMU, but the timeline has been rebooted, so you don’t technically need to watch the DCAMU first. It is recommended, though, because some of the later Tomorrowverse movies tie back to the DCAMU universe.

Section 5 of 6:

Where to Watch the DCAMU Movies

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Stream DCAMU movies on HBO Max. HBO Max is currently home to most of the DC animated movies, including those that aren’t a part of the DCAMU. If you don’t have HBO Max, many DCAMU movies are available to rent or purchase on sites like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.