Here's every major event that happened in the DC Extended Universe's timeline before Wonder Woman 1984. The DCEU began in 2013 with the release of Man of Steel, but it was Wonder Woman in 2017 that became the franchise's first undisputed hit, as critics and audiences alike praised Gal Gadot's return as Wonder Woman for a prequel solo film. Wonder Woman went on to make over $800 million worldwide and immediately sparked discussions about a sequel.
Wonder Woman was set during World War I, and Gadot made two modern-day appearances in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. Diana Prince's next appearance will return to the past - though the slightly more recent past. As the title suggests, Wonder Woman 1984 will pick up several decades after Diana's last solo movie, but still years before she meets her fellow DCEU superheroes. The sequel will see Wonder Woman battle with Barbara Ann Minerva aka Cheetah and Maxwell Lord in the 1980s. Under normal circumstances the sequel would have already been released, but the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has forced multiple delays. This has prevented fans from seeing how Wonder Woman 1984 continues the story from Wonder Woman while also adding more to the DCEU's past.
Wonder Woman 1984 will be the next DCEU movie released, and several movies are slated to come after it. However, there are no signs that any of them will primarily be set in the past like Wonder Woman 1984. Still, many major DCEU events have already taken place before Diana Prince's next adventure begins.
Kryptonian Expansion
After advancing Krypton's society and technology, Kryptonian scientists created transportation vessels around 98,000 BC to explore the universe. These vessels were filled with small, highly-trained crews and went all over the galaxy to find new planets to colonize. Once the Kryptonian crews found new worlds, they would use World Engines to reshape anything about the environment to suit their needs better. This went on for tens of thousands of years and even saw prominent characters like Kara Zor-El join the Explorer Guild to take part in the exploration.
Steppenwolf’s Invasion of Earth
Around 3,000 BC, Steppenwolf led Apokolips' forces in an invasion of Earth. Darkseid's uncle arrived on Earth with an army of Parademons and all three Mother Boxes, which can be united as The Unity to terraform Earth to be more like Apokolips. All of Earth's armies - the humans, Amazons, Atlanteans, and Olympians - united to fight off this invasion. Some prominent DC characters take part in the war, such as Themyscira's queen Hippolyta, Atlantis' king Atlan, the Olympian god Zeus, and Earth's first Green Lantern, Yalan Gur. The alliance of these forces was enough to stop Steppenwolf, marking his first loss in battle. After Zeus stopped The Unity, the Mother Boxes were split up among humans, Amazons, and Atlanteans for safekeeping. It should be noted, some of this will change with the Snyder Cut of Justice League, as a young Darkseid will lead the invasion instead of Steppenwolf.
War of the Gods
Shortly after helping save humanity, the Olympians begin a war of the gods. Ares, who played a part in defeating Steppenwolf's invasion, grew to hate humans. After the god of war was involved in such a major battle, he began influencing humanity to drive them to war with each other constantly. His rebellion against Zeus sparked a war between the gods. Ares proved to be incredibly powerful during this time, and the war resulted in the deaths of every other Olympian god. Ares personally killed the rest of the gods and challenged Zeus, who cast him out of Olympus and only died due to Ares using the last of his divine powers.
Themyscira Is Created
The war of the gods concluded with a major location in the DCEU being created, as this is when Themyscira is made. Zeus created the hidden island as a location for the Amazons to live peacefully and privately until the time came where they needed to protect humanity. This happened in conjunction with Zeus fathering a daughter with Hippolyta who would have his power, making her the Godkiller capable of defeating Ares. Diana is that daughter, and was born not long after Themyscira was created.
Shazam Defeats Black Adam
Thousands of years before Wonder Woman 1984, Black Adam is created and defeated by the first Shazam. Teth-Adam was a slave in Kahndaq who received SHAZAM's powers after being selected as a new Champion. He used his newfound abilities to overthrow the leadership of the country and take control. However, this also saw him release the Seven Deadly Sins and get into a battle with Shazam, which ended with Black Adam being imprisoned for 5,000 years.
Fall of Atlantis
In the early 1000s, King Atlan accidentally caused Atlantis to sink into the ocean. An experiment with the Trident of Atlan went terribly wrong and destroyed the foundation of the city. Atlantis sank to the bottom of the ocean, and Atlanteans evolved to live underwater. New factions also rose from the ruins of Atlantis, creating the seven underwater kingdoms. Atlan took full responsibility for what happened and went into a self-imposed exile in the Hidden Sea, taking his powerful trident with him.
The Events of Wonder Woman
Almost the entirety of Wonder Woman takes place in 1918. Outside of flashbacks to Diana's childhood, the main story is set at the end of World War I. Steve Trevor's arrival on Themyscira pushes Diana to go into the real world to help stop the war. Their global adventure leads Diana to come face-to-face with Ares finally. She can defeat the god of war, while Steve Trevor sacrifices his life to end the war.
Shazam Summons Thaddeus Sivana
In December 1974, Thaddeus Sivana's life is changed forever when he is summoned to the Rock of Eternity. While he is out for a drive with his dad and brother, Thaddeus' Magic 8 ball suddenly begins showing SHAZAM's symbols. When he meets Shazam in the Rock of Eternity, Thaddeus is tempted by the Seven Deadly Sins. This temptation leads Shazam to decide that Thaddeus is not fit for his powers and sends him back to the car. Upon realizing he missed the chance for such power, Thaddeus freaks out and distracts his father while driving, resulting in a major car crash. Thaddeus spends the next several decades trying to find a way back to the Rock of Eternity
Destruction of Krypton
After thousands of years of prosperity, the end of Krypton comes in 1980. Jor-El discovers that the decision to mine Krypton's core has destabilized the world. Once word of this spreads, General Zod attacks the Council of Five with the hope of taking control of Krypton's future. Meanwhile, Zod and his supporters also search for the Kryptonian codex, leading them to attack Jor-El's home. Jor-El held Zod off at first, allowing Kal-El and the index to be sent away, but Zod finished the fight by killing Jor-El. With his plan failed, Zod is defeated and sentenced to live 300 cycles in the Phantom Zone for reconditioning. However, he and his allies are released when Krypton implodes shortly after.
Kal-El Arrives on Earth
Shortly after the destruction of Krypton, Kal-El's ship crashes on Earth as intended. The Kryptonian vessel lands near Kent Farm, and Jonathan and Martha Kent quickly discover the baby inside. Despite not knowing where exactly he came from, the Kents decide to raise Kal-El as their own son, naming him Clark Kent.
Thomas and Martha Wayne Murdered
The following year in 1981, Thomas and Martha Wayne are murdered. The happily married couple see The Mask of Zorro in theaters with their son Bruce Wayne and walk home. When a robber approaches them in an alleyway, Thomas and Martha are both killed. This leaves Bruce as an orphan and becomes the responsibility of Alfred Pennyworth to raise from that point on.
