With 11 released films including Zack Snyder's Justice League and more on the way, the DCEU is in full swing. It's even expanded to long-form storytelling, with the first season of HBO Max's Peacemaker working as a movie in its own right, to the point of nearly warranting inclusion.
But the DCEU can also prove to be a mixed bag, and Metascores are a great way to find a starting place. Even more interesting is how greatly the Metascore and user score can differ for the very same movie.
Suicide Squad (2016): 40
Featuring some of the worst relationships in the DCEU, there's not a lot of cohesion in David Ayer's Suicide Squad, either amongst the teammates or between the parts of the movie's construction. Even still, there are aspects of it that work, including Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and Jai Courtney's performance as Captain Boomerang.
Suicide Squad's Metascore of 40 indicates mixed reviews, which is within the range it received from users. With that being said, the user score was almost one and a half times larger at 5.9.
Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016): 44
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was the big one when it came to fully establishing the DCEU as a rival to Marvel. Unfortunately, things didn't quite pan out that way. Time has shown the movie to be a bit underrated, but there's little doubt it bit off more than it could chew so early into the universe.
Snyder's follow-up received mixed reviews from critics to the tune of a 44 Metascore. However, its user score was far higher, receiving favorable reviews and a 7.0 rating.
Justice League (2017): 45
Few could have predicted that a Justice League movie would flop at the box office, but that's exactly what happened. After director Zack Snyder stepped down to tend to a devastating family matter, Warner Bros. brought in another successful superhero movie director to cobble together its pieces. In the end, two directors with two separate visions for one story is one director too many.
The theatrical version of Justice League received a mixed Metascore of 45, with its user score again being higher, at 6.1.
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021): 54
Harry Lennix's Martian Manhunter made his official debut in Zack Snyder's Justice League, and many fans think he's a DCEU character that needs to return. Snyder's return to his version of Justice League was a vast improvement over the theatrical cut, and including Martian Manhunter's true form is just one of many things it added back into the epic mix.
While Zack Snyder's Justice League received a mixed Metascore just like the theatrical version, it's almost 10 points higher at 54. Furthermore, ZSJL received acclaim from general audiences, with a user score of 8.5.
Aquaman (2018): 55
James Wan's Aquaman was a major hit, arguably the biggest of 2018's holiday season. However, its Metacritic scoring doesn't consistently show high praise.
Aquaman received average reviews from critics, but its score of 55 is towards the top of its category. In fact, Wan's film received more positive marks than it did mixed. Lastly, Arthur Curry's first solo adventure was again more well-received by audiences, who gave it a 7.1 viewer score.
Man Of Steel (2013): 55
Snyder's solo Superman film, Man of Steel, received what is essentially the definition of mixed critical reviews. However, even if MoS isn't the deepest film ever made, its action sequences are top-tier and Henry Cavill is the Supes Warner Bros. should keep around for the long haul.
The entryway into the DCEU only received average reviews, with a Metascore of 55. However, its user score was quite a bit higher at 7.5, reflecting favorable reviews.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020): 60
Wonder Woman 1984 has the distinction of being the DCEU's first official sequel (not counting BvS), but the response was mixed. Even still, fans loved Lynda Carter's cameo, one of the DCEU's best, and Pedro Pascal's take on Maxwell Lord.
Widely seen as a step down from Jenkins' first go-round with the character, Wonder Woman 1984 only managed to receive a Metascore of 60, indicating mixed reviews. However, unlike most other DCEU films where the user score is higher, enthusiasm tumbled when analyzing audience response. Viewers only like the film enough to get it a 3.5, which is a stand-in for unfavorable reviews.
Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn): 60
There's an argument to be made that Birds of Prey is the best DCEU movie. At the very least, it's the most cult-item entry in the universe, and the most rewatchable.
Like the female-led Wonder Woman 1984, Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey holds a user score far lower than its Metascore. The pattern is noticeable, especially given the fact that the Metascore is twice as much as the average rating given it by people streaming at home. The former stands at 60 while the latter is 3.0. Yan's film is a far cry better than that dreadful rating, so it could be the result of internet toxicity.
Shazam! (2019): 71
If one were to ask either critics or streamers whether the exclamation point in the title of Shazam! was warranted, they would both probably respond in the affirmative. Because of this, the difference between the Metascore and user score is lower, with the former holding at 71 while the latter stands at 7.7.
It makes sense that the reviews for David F. Sandberg's film universally skewed positive, it's a delightful film that's suitable for just about any age range outside of one creepy boardroom scene. The hype is at a fever pitch for Sandberg's follow-up: Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and its exciting to imagine what the director and cast can do now that the origin story is out of the way.
The Suicide Squad (2021): 72
The disparity between the Metascore and user score again shrinks with James Gunn's phenomenal franchise reboot, The Suicide Squad.
With a Metascore of 72, The Suicide Squad received positive marks from critics, which is also what it received from the general audience, who liked it enough for a slightly higher rating of 7.4. Gunn's swift return to the world he reinvented, Peacemaker, did comparably. The first season holds a Metascore of 70 and a user score of 7.5.
Wonder Woman (2017): 76
Wonder Woman is the highest-rated installment of the DCEU and it could very well stay that way for a while. Jenkins' 2017 film captured the zeitgeist and even proved to studios that, yes, female-led superhero movies can make money.
Like its sequel, Wonder Woman bucks the trend when it comes to comparing its Metascore and user score. On the former side, it received favorable reviews and a score of 76. However, its user score was surprisingly lower at 5.9, which only indicates a mixed response.