From MAN OF STEEL To WONDER WOMAN: Top 8 Best Scenes In The DC Films Universe So Far
Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and Wonder Woman. Four (well, three) divisive DC Films Universe movies full of amazing moments. These are the eight best ones.
The DC Films Universe gets a bad rap, but it's not hard to see why. While Wonder Woman may be a critical and commercial success, Man of Steel provided a very divisive take on Superman's origin story and both Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad proved to be just as controversial.
Regardless of whether you loved or hated the movies above, though, there's no denying the fact that each of these DC Comics adaptations featured a lot of incredible and very memorable moments.
What you'll find here then is a look at the eight best ones. With scenes chosen from all four movies, we break down those which stand out from the crowd and inspect what exactly makes them so special. With Justice League and Aquaman on the way, we'll no doubt be able to add more to this list soon, but for the time being, these eight sequences are without a doubt among the best the genre has to offer.
8. Superman Takes Flight
I have some issues with how Clark Kent's transformation into Superman was handled in Man of Steel, but there's no denying that the first time he took flight was truly incredible. Zack Snyder found the right combination of ingredients to make this sequence particularly memorable as the mixture of Hans Zimmer's score, some breathtaking visuals and Jor-El's narration was downright epic.
Wearing the iconic costume for the first time, the iconic DC Comics superhero tries to fly before focusing his powers, placing his fist to the ground and taking flight like a jet. Blasting through the air, Kal-El rockets over a variety of terrains (including one which seemingly pays homage to Mark Waid and Leinil Yu's Superman: Birthright) and it was here that it become clear Snyder was providing us with a Superman comic book fans could really fall in love with.
7. Steve Trevor's Farewell
Wonder Woman may not have provided us with definitive answers in regards to why Diana Prince seemingly hid from humanity for decades until the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. However, one thing we could all probably guess going into the movie was that Steve Trevor would die. However, the way Patty Jenkins handled it is arguably even better than any of us could have imagined.
Realising that he has no choice other than to destroy Doctor Poison's plane to save thousands of lives, Steve flies it as high above Earth as he can manage moments after telling Diana that he loves her. With one last smile on his face seeing that his friends have succeeded and thinking of the woman from Paradise Island, he fires a fateful shot which brings his life to an explosive end. Gal Gadot's reaction to that makes this scene truly heartbreaking.
6. Meet Deadshot
Huge changes made during the postproduction process made Suicide Squad something of a stylish mess, but there was a lot about the movie which still worked really well. Chief among them was the way that the members of Task Force X were introduced and the highlight for me had to be how David Ayer showed off what makes Floyd Lawton/Deadshot tick.
Set to Action Bronson, Dan Auerbach, and Mark Ronson's "Standing in the Rain," Deadshot forcing his client to pay double really emphasised what a badass he is, as did the shot he fired off which took out his target. The fact he then puts on the mask was a definite highlight, though a moment really appreciated by comic book fans came during that intro card which saw Will Smith recreating an iconic pose as the fan-favourite Batman villain.
5. The Trinity
It's been a while now, but you know what, I'm still not quite ready to forgive Warner Bros. for spoiling this moment in the trailers for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Despite that, there's still no denying that seeing Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman together at last on the big screen was a moment which will be remembered by comic book fans forever.
Even more special than The Avengers assembling back in 2012, these three DC Comics icons coming together was something we all spent years dreaming about (and it really did feel like it was never going to happen for a while). Zack Snyder framed the moment perfectly and the fight which followed between the three heroes and the admittedly awful looking Doomsday was great fun to watch and something that left everyone counting down the seconds until Justice League.
4. The Man Of Steel Goes To War
One of the things that makes Man of Steel so divisive is the fact that the battle between Superman and General Zod ends with the hero breaking the Kryptonian's neck. Regardless of your thoughts on that (to me, it really wasn't that big of a deal), there's no denying that the fight that preceded it was a remarkable piece of filmmaking. One of the biggest complaints coming out of Superman Returns was that we never got to see the hero throw a punch or, well, be Superman, so Snyder made up for that here in a big way.
Battling throughout Metropolis, this fight sequence really emphasised what it would be like for two insanely powerful beings like this to go to war on our world and the fact Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice then picked up on the ramifications of that made it even better. As superhero movie fight scenes go, this remains one of the best ever.
3. Harley Quinn's Origin Story
Suicide Squad's take on The Joker divided fans; some loved Jared Leto's bizarre take on the Clown Prince of Crime, while others were horrified to see the iconic villain taken in a direction so vastly different to the comic books. No matter which side you're on, his scenes (most of which wound up on the cutting room floor) with Harley Quinn were a definite highlight in this movie, with those exploring her origin story particularly memorable.
Dr. Harleen Quinzel plummeting into that vat of chemicals was great, while the confrontation she has with Batman was also a fun moment for fans of the character despite being far too brief. Harley is one of the best additions made to the DC Films Universe, so it's no wonder that Gotham City Sirens is now a movie everyone is incredibly excited about despite David Ayer returning to take the helm.
2. Batman v Superman
I know that some fans loved Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and others hated it, but if you didn't enjoy this battle, then there's something wrong with you! We waited a long time for the movie to reach this point, but it was damn well worth it, and seeing these two icons go to war in Gotham City was truly an amazing sight to behold. The way Batman laid out the fight to get the best of Superman was genius and there was enough here to make fans of both the Man of Steel and Dark Knight happy.
Shots like Batman punching Superman's jaw as it hardens and the hero using the enhanced strength given to him by his armoured suit to swing him through some pillars were especially excellent. Does the "Martha!" scene ruin it? I don't think so as far too much focus has been put on that since the movie's release and it really wasn't the worst way in the world for the fight to come to an end.
1. No Man's Land
Wonder Woman was a triumph, but when it comes to the movie's best scene - and the greatest moment in the DC Film Universe so far - it has to be this one. Disgusted by the horrors of war, Diana decides that she has no other choice than to cross No Man's Land (after all, she's not a man) and the way we watch her confidence build as she heads into the German's gunfire is a moment which makes her a hero and helps us fall in love with her as one.
The fact this is followed up by an incredible series of action sequences that perfectly use her theme from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice just serves to make the whole thing even better and Patty Jenkins proves here that a woman can direct action and superheroes every bit as well - better, in fact - than men. That should never have been an issue, of course, but Wonder Woman is a real game changer regardless.
What's your favourite moment in the DC Films Universe? Have we missed any scenes worthy of a mention? As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section down below.