The DC Animated Universe, or the DCAU, is a shared universe involving DC blithe shows and movies—here's the correct order to watch them all. While the concept of a shared universe became popular on the big screen relatively recently thanks to the MCU, DC had already seen its characters and storylines crossing over from ane Television receiver show to another since the belatedly '90s. The crossovers between the Batman and Superman animated series led to the production of a Justice League ane, and thus a total-fledged animated universe featuring DC'southward biggest heroes and villains like Darkseid was created.

Behind the DC Animated Universe, which is also known as the "Timmverse," were names like Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Dwayne McDuffie, and Alan Burnett. Together, these and other creators were responsible for masterfully translating the DC universe from comics to Television set years. They were inspired by both comic book runs that were in vogue at the time, like Grant Morrison's Justice League of America, and classic stories from DC's history. Not only that only the DCAU was also responsible for creating original characters that would later be incorporated into the DC comics, such as Harley Quinn, now the star of movies similar Birds of Prey and The Suicide Team, and Terry McGinnis.

While watching the DCAU in release order is not a bad choice, watching every movie and series in that universe in chronological order makes for an fifty-fifty better experience. In all, the DCAU is made upward of eight shows and half-dozen films, all of which share at least some caste of interconnectivity. From the offset solo serial in the universe to ensemble shows like Justice League Unlimited, a chronological spotter of the DCAU tells one of the best DC universe stories ever told.

Batman: The Animated Series (Season 1)

Batman: The Blithe Series is one of the best iterations of the Nighttime Knight and a classic of its own, simply it is as well the nascency of the DCAU. The creative team led past Bruce Timm was on a mission to create a show that followed up on the shift in how the full general public perceived Batman later the Tim Burton Batman movies, hence why the option for the noir aesthetic and the darker themes. At the time, Batman: TAS was not supposed to be the start of a DC blithe universe, and each season of the show has an episodic structure in which every episode stands on its ain.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

While it is hard to pinpoint when Batman: Mask of the Phantasm takes place in the TAS' chronology, the pic works fine equally something that happens between seasons 1 and 2 of the bear witness. Mask of the Phantasm besides flashbacks to an before point of Bruce's life and reveals what this Batman'southward year one was similar. To this mean solar day, Mask of the Phantasm is one of the near praised Batman films, in pair with live-action ones such as Nolan'southward Dark Knight trilogy.

Batman: The Animated Series (Seasons 2-iii)

After reasserting himself equally Batman following his reunion with Andrea, Batman's adventures continue in Batman: The Animated Series seasons 2 and 3. Once once again, the bear witness has an episodic construction, and an episode can be watched without too many concerns about chronology. It is worth noting that some tend to carve up Batman: TAS into just 2 seasons, simply most streaming platforms, equally well as the Blu-ray boxes, have the episodes spread over three seasons, with The New Adventures of Batman serving as season 4.

Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero

Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero was the 2d film to be produced for the DCAU. It continues the highly praised Batman: The Animated Series Mr. Freeze story, which reinvented the character by giving him a tragic backstory and sympathetic motives. Unlike Mask of the Phantasm, Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero was not a theatrical release. Curiously, Arnold Schwarzenegger played Freeze in Batman & Robin in 1997, a year before Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero was released.

Superman: The Blithe Serial (Season i)

The success of Batman: TAS in both ratings and reviews was such that Warner Bros. tried to repeat the formula with Superman – and it worked. With Superman: TAS, both Bruce Timm and vocalisation actor Tim Daly managed to create a character that embodied the heroes' classic elements but still felt like something new, which is something modern adaptations like Zack Snyder'southward Superman struggled with.

Superman: TAS (Season 2-three)/The New Batman Adventures

The terminal 2 seasons of Superman: The Animated Series happen meantime with The New Batman Adventures, which is often referred to equally Batman: The Animated Series season 4. Despite the new fine art style and the new name, The New Batman Adventures is essentially a continuation of Batman: TAS and brings back most of the original show's crew, including Kevin Conroy as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Marking Hamill as the Joker. In Superman: The Blithe Serial season ii's three-part episode "World's Finest," Batman and Superman meet for the first time.

Batman: Mystery Of The Batwoman

This animated pic has Barbara Gordon living outside of Gotham for college, which places it far in the future in The New Batman Adventures' timeline. It was also the beginning entry in the DCAU to suggest that Bruce Wayne and Barbara Gordon had a human relationship, by far one of Bruce Timm'south most controversial and criticized creative decisions. This same concept was carried over into the animated adaptation of The Killing Joke.

Justice League

The prove that brings it all together. Justice League featured Batman, Superman, and The Flash, all of whom had appeared on previous shows, as well as Wonder Woman, Green Lantern (John Stewart) Hawkgirl, and Martian Manhunter. The show ran for 52 episodes before beingness replaced past Justice League Unlimited.

Static Shock

Static Stupor brought Virgil Hawkins, a character from Milestone Comics, to Idiot box. While the testify had some of the Milestone comic volume creators similar Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan as producers, information technology made some changes to the source material. Past flavour two, heroes like Batman, Superman, and the Justice League started to announced.

Justice League Unlimited*

Justice League Unlimited picked up where Justice League had left off, except on a much larger scale. In addition to the returning founding members of the Justice League, Justice League Unlimited featured a plethora of DC characters, many of whom had never appeared in any moving picture or show. It follows a chronological order, but episode 26, set a few years in the future, should maybe exist skipped.

Batman And Harley Quinn

Featuring Kevin Conroy as Batman and The Big Bang Theory actress Melissa Rauch as Harley Quinn, Batman and Harley Quinn is a tardily addition to the DCAU. The 2017 blithe film directed by Sam Liu is loosely connected to the DCAU, but its art manner and creator reveal that information technology is supposed to be set in that universe. Information technology happens somewhere effectually during the events of Justice League Unlimited.

Justice League Vs. The Fatal Five

This moving-picture show is also a later addition to the DCAU. Justice League Vs. The Fatal 5 is gear up afterward the events of Justice League Unlimited and brings new additions to that universe, such as Dark-green Lantern, Jessica Cruz, and Miss Martian, the latter fatigued in a style similar to the i from the DC prove Young Justicdue east. It was directed past Sam Liu and brought most of the original bandage back.

Batman Beyond

Batman Beyond was released in 1999 but, as the proper name suggests, is ready in the hereafter. The show was the first follow-up to Batman: The Animated Series and brought dorsum most of the artistic team. Batman Beyond told the story of a retired Bruce Wayne training a new Batman, Terry McGinnis.

The Zeta Project

The Zeta Project was a spinoff of Batman Across that took place around the same time. Apart from a Terry McGinnis, it had no major connections to the DC universe. The show had 26 episodes.

Batman Across: Return of the Joker

While Batman Beyond featured mostly original villains, the Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker motion picture brought back Marker Hamill as the Clown Prince of Law-breaking. It is a very dark Batman story and helps fill up in some gaps in the DCAU chronology. It was directed by Curt Geda and written by Paul Dini.

Justice League Unlimited, Episode 26

One of the most beautiful episodes of Justice League Unlimited, "Epilogue," is the closest matter to an ending the DC Animated Universe had. It featured an older Terry McGinnis learning more than virtually Batman thank you to Amanda Waller. She reveals to Terry i of Batman's most hard choices, and the episode ends with a heartwarming moment betwixt Terry and Bruce.

Side by side: Where General Zod Was In Superman: The Animated Series

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About The Author

Marcelo Leite (372 Articles Published)

Marcelo Leite is a senior author for Screen Rant with years of experience in artistic and bookish writing. Before starting working as a author, Marcelo gave Mathematics and Physics lessons, both in individual and public institutions. He started his professional person life very immature, every bit he was selected, during high schoolhouse, to serve as a instructor in a tutoring program offered by one of the all-time universities in his state. Marcelo has also worked as a motivational speaker at the invitation of an institution of preparatory courses as a issue of his school results and success in some of the near competitive entrance exams in his country. He has lived in three different cities, all to pursue the all-time education he could accept. Although his chosen field was structure engineering science, there is aught Marcelo likes improve than writing almost the things he loves. That includes Marvel and DC superheroes, not-linear movies, fast and furious cars, and a galaxy far, far away.

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