The Best DC Comics Animated Movies

Ranker Film
Updated July 27, 2023 42.2K votes 6.1K voters 376.9K views
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Here is a list of the best DC animated feature length movies including new DC animated movies as well. These are feature length animated films based on DC comics such as Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern, characters that live within the DC Universe. In the 1990s, when live action movies based on DC Comics were in a slump, the Warner Bros' DC animation division took the reins, putting forth great quality animated films led by the likes of Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and Alan Burnett. Today, animated films based on DC Comics are still popular. 

What are the best DC animated movies? Are the animated Batman movies like Batman: Under the Red Hood and Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker your favorites? DC Comics is currently owned by DC Entertainment, which in turn is owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment. These may not be all the DC animated movies, but they are the greatest.

You may think this is a list of DC movies, but in fact it is list of DC animated movies only. So you won’t find the likes of The Dark Knight, or Man of Steel here, but you will for sure see all the Superman animated movies. Maybe once DC makes enough we can have a Justice League movies list.  

Most divisive: Superman: Brainiac Attacks
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  • Batman: Under the Red Hood
    1

    Batman: Under the Red Hood

    Neil Patrick Harris, Jensen Ackles, Kelly Hu
    3,253 votes
    • Released: 2010
    • Directed by: Brandon Vietti
    Year of Release: 2010
    Batman: Under the Red Hood is a 2010 American superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and released by Warner Home Video. It is the eighth animated feature in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series. It was released on July 27, 2010. The film stars Bruce Greenwood as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Jensen Ackles as the Red Hood/Jason Todd, John DiMaggio as the Joker, Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing/Dick Grayson, Jason Isaacs as Ra's al Ghul, and Wade Williams as Black Mask. The screenplay was written by Judd Winick, who also wrote the "Under the Hood" run in the monthly Batman comic. The two-disc special edition and Blu-ray also includes an animated short featuring Jonah Hex.
  • Justice League: the Flashpoint Paradox
    2

    Justice League: the Flashpoint Paradox

    Nathan Fillion, Ron Perlman, Cary Elwes
    3,022 votes
    • Released: 2013
    • Directed by: Jay Oliva
    The Flash causes a temporal ripple that creates a fractured reality where the Justice league has never formed, Superman does not exist and a war rages between Wonder Woman and Aquaman. Flash teams with Batman and Cyborg to restore the timeline.

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  • Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
    3

    Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

    Kevin Conroy, Efrem Zimbalist, Bob Hastings
    2,307 votes
    • Released: 1993
    • Directed by: Eric Radomski, Bruce Timm
    Year of Release: 1993
    In the animated film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Batman (voiced by Kevin Conroy) finds himself caught in a deadly game. An enigmatic figure known as The Phantasm (Stacy Keach) is carving a bloody path through Gotham's underworld, leaving Batman to shoulder the blame. As he battles to clear his name, Bruce Wayne is forced to confront his past and the love he left behind, Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delany). This noir-style thriller weaves in elements of romance and mystery, delivering a fresh take on the Dark Knight's lore. The film presents a compelling exploration of Batman's dual identity and the line between justice and revenge.

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  • Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
    4

    Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

    Will Friedle, Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill
    1,776 votes
    • Released: 2000
    • Directed by: Curt Geda
    Year of Release: 2000
    In the Gotham City of the future, an older Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) trains a college student, Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle), to replace him as Batman. Meanwhile, the Joker (Mark Hamill) has re-emerged as the leader of the Jokerz, a gang inspired by their evil hero, who was previously thought to be dead. Terry tries to stop the theft of communications gear by the Jokerz, but the Joker narrowly escapes. The truth about the Joker's life and death slowly emerges through violent confrontations.

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  • The Dark Knight Returns
    5

    The Dark Knight Returns

    Ariel Winter, Michael Emerson, Peter Weller
    2,533 votes
    • Released: 2012
    • Directed by: Jay Oliva
    Year of Release: 2012
    Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a two-part direct-to-video animated superhero film, an adaptation of the 1986 comic book The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller and serves as a sequel to 2011's Batman: Year One. It was directed by Jay Oliva, who worked as a storyboard artist on Man of Steel, Batman: Year One and Batman: Under the Red Hood. Several other Batman veterans were also involved in the film. Part 1 was released September 25, 2012, and Part 2 was released January 29, 2013. A deluxe edition combining parts 1 and 2 was released on October 8, 2013. It is the 15th film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series.

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  • Justice League: Doom
    6

    Justice League: Doom

    Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Susan Eisenberg
    2,106 votes
    • Released: 2012
    • Directed by: Lauren Montgomery
    Year of Release: 2012
    Vandal Savage uses stolen information from Batman's secret files to mastermind a plan to exterminate the Justice League.

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