Though Wonder Woman 1984 was a letdown for many fans, it does not take away from the fact that the first DCEU Wonder Woman movie is a fantastic superhero adventure. The large-scale, fun, and inspiring film lived up to the fans’ expectations for a hero they had been waiting to see on the big screen for many years.

The movie manages to accomplish so much, from the introduction of the Amazonian world to the period setting to the love story. It all elevates the usual superhero action to make for a great cinematic experience. Though not every superhero movie can be as good, there are some that touch on the same areas as Wonder Woman.

10 Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)

Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman made her long-awaited big-screen debut in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. The dark and brooding superhero showdown found two of the most iconic comic book characters at odds and facing off against each other.

It is telling that in a movie featuring a fight between Batman and Superman, Wonder Woman managed to steal the show. While the movie has its flaws, she makes a great debut and is one of the highlights of Zack Snyder’s movie.

9 Birds Of Prey (2020)

Like Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn was a female DC character who made a memorable debut in a not-so-memorable movie. However, Margot Robbie managed to wipe off the stink of Suicide Squad and starred in the much better follow-up, Birds of Prey.

This is another comic book movie that has a strong message of female empowerment. Besides that, it is a hilarious, wild, and action-packed ride that makes great use of its R-rating. While it wasn’t a huge box office hit, many considered it one of the best movies of 2020.

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8 Shazam! (2019)

One of the things that Wonder Woman brought to the DCEU was a lighter and more optimistic kind of superhero movie. Zack Snyder’s dark take had proven to be divisive so this more heroic tone was a breath of fresh air.

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The DCEU seemed to take note of this going forward and leaned into more fun heroes, including Shazam!. The story of a young boy who is granted the ability to transform into a powerful superhero made for a funny, light-hearted, and entertaining ride. Fans are already eagerly anticipating the sequel to this one.

7 Black Panther (2018)

One of the most exciting aspects of Wonder Woman was exploring her home of Themyscira. This hidden world was filled with fascinating culture and powerful characters that further enriched the DCEU. It is very reminiscent of what Marvel was able to accomplish with Black Panther.

Though the character of T’Challa was introduced in Captain America: Civil War, his first solo adventure does a brilliant job of exploring the history of Wakanda, how it has remained closed off from the world for so long, and the symbol of the Black Panther.

6 Aquaman (2018)

Aquaman is another DC hero whose solo movie seemed to follow the path set by Wonder Woman. Though there were a lot of questions about how well Jason Momoa’s hero would work in his own movie, it proved to be another winner for the DCEU.

Once again, the movie succeeds by showing audiences a world they had never seen before. The scope of Atlantis and all of the various factions give Aquaman an epic feel. It also maintains that fun and colorful spirit that has guided these movies since Wonder Woman proved such a success.

5 Justice League (2017)

After the massive success of The Avengers, it was only a matter of time before DC got their own team-up movie onto the big screen. Unfortunately, Justice League was much less of the ground-breaking success story and many felt it wasted the opportunity of having these iconic characters share the screen.

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Still, the movie is not as bad as its reputation suggests as there are plenty of fun character moments and superhero action. Once again, Wonder Woman is a highlight. And of course, fans still have Snyder’s vision to look forward to.

4 Thor (2011)

Before Wonder Woman got her chance on the big screen, the MCU had its own story about a god who steps into the human world with Thor. The spirited, entertaining adventure introduced the God of Thunder to the MCU and made an instant star of Chris Hemsworth.

Both of these superhero movies have a lot of fun with the fish-out-of-water comedy of their stories. They also feature similar love plots, although the romance between Diana and Steve Trevor is more compelling than that of Thor and Jane Foster.

3 Captain Marvel (2019)

DC managed to beat the MCU to the punch in bringing its first solo female superhero movie. When Captain Marvel came along, it lacked the same punch as Wonder Woman but succeeded in bringing one of the most powerful Marvel heroes to life.

Brie Larson makes for a strong, badass hero as this cosmic warrior searches for answers to her past on Earth. The movie also has a fun ’90s setting as well as a very entertaining buddy story between Carol Danvers and Nick Fury.

2 Superman (1978)

Given that it was really the first superhero blockbuster, it makes sense that Richard Donner’s Superman is still influencing the genre all these years later. Christopher Reeve made for an iconic version of Superman that many fans still consider to be the best.

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While some aspects of the movie might feel silly compared to modern superhero movies, it is clear that even Wonder Woman was trying to recapture some of the pure heroism shown in that movie.

1 Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Another superhero who seems to be that kind of old-school, noble type of hero is Captain America. He got his first solo movie with Captain America: The First Avenger and quickly became one of the MCU’s most popular characters.

This is another superhero movie that imagines this type of hero in the midst of a real historical event. Instead of World War I like in Wonder Woman, Cap fights in World War II and brings those same kinds of ideals that make him seem like he represents the best of humanity.

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About The Author


Colin McCormick
(2027 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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