Justice League Animated Movies in Order
The Justice League is the ultimate superhero team within the DC Universe, composed of the world’s greatest heroes. Because there are some threats that one superhero can’t face by themselves, they act as brave guardians and Earth’s first line of defense against terrestrial, extra-terrestrial, interdimensional, and supernatural threats.
The Justice League is the DC universe equivalent of Marvel’s Avengers, and they’re one of the most well-known superhero teams in comic lore. They first appeared in DC Comics in 1960 and although the original founding members were 7, the team has had multiple members added or removed through the years.
In this article, I will list the 7 central members of the Justice League as well as all the animated movies of the Justice League, in the right order to watch.
The Justice League And Its Members
When you look at the composition of the Justice League, every member of the team brings in something special. They are all completely qualified to lead the team since they all already are the leaders of their own comic verses. The 7 central members of the team are:
1. Aquaman / Arthur Curry
Arthur Curry or better known as Aquaman was the son of a lighthouse keeper and the queen of Atlantis and when he was little he discovered he possessed the ability to communicate with the sea creatures and also breathe underwater. As he became older, Arthur Curry returned to Atlantis to find his destiny and while there, he eventually became the King of Atlantis and ruled the Seven seas.
2. The Flash / Barry Allen
Barry Allen’s mother was killed in a home invasion, and his father was blamed for the crime and imprisoned. Not believing his father to be guilty, he decided to prove his innocence by using forensic evidence to solve his mother’s murder. However, he got into an accident at work that turned him into the Flash, a superhero with superhuman speed among other abilities.
3. Green Lantern / Hal Jordan
Hal Jordan was a test pilot who discovered an alien who had crash-landed on Earth. The alien gave him a ring that granted him great power and also made him a member of an intergalactic space force called the Green Lantern Corps. The power of the ring is only limited by its user’s imagination, and also grants its wielder the ability to fly.
4. Martian Manhunter / J’onn J’onzz
J’onn J’onzz or better known as the Martian Manhunter is one of the two aliens on the Justice League and one of its strongest members. In 1955, an experiment gone wrong teleported him from Mars to Earth. When he got to Earth, the scientist conducting the experiment died from shock thereby leaving J’onzz stranded and as he was unable to go back to his world, he decided to use his abilities to help mankind.
5. Wonder Woman / Diana Prince
Wonder Woman is a warrior princess raised on the mythological Amazon Island of Themyscira. When she became an adult, she became a diplomat to the world of men, sent to save them from destroying themselves. When Earth was attacked by the Imperium, she defended it against the invaders and after defeating the Imperium, she became a member of the Justice League.
6. Batman / Bruce Wayne
Batman is the team’s strategist and one of the most respected members of the Justice League, despite the fact that he possesses no powers. His alter ego is Bruce Wayne, the son of Thomas and Martha Wayne, who were murdered, leaving him as an orphan. Their death inspired him to train vigorously until he became a superhuman fighter, the world’s greatest detective, and a criminal’s worst nightmare.
7. Superman / Clark Kent / Kal-El
One of the last surviving members of the planet Krypton, Kal-El was sent to Earth as a child and raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent to help humans with his incredible power, which is granted by Earth’s yellow sun. He is a beacon of hope for humanity and being the strongest superhero on Earth, he is the last line of defense for all humanity.
The Order To Watch Justice League Animated Movies
1. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
Release Date: 2013
Where Can I Watch It: HBO Max
The Flashpoint Paradox is one of the best animated comic movies that brings The Justice League together in an alternate timeline where best friends are bitter enemies. The movie revolves around The Flash (Barry Allen) as he tries to figure out what exactly happened to the world where he has no powers, Aquaman and Wonder Woman are at war, and his mother is alive.
He meets Batman, who is Thomas Wayne in this timeline as Bruce Wayne was the one who died, making his father the feared vigilante, and they team up to find the source of the alterations which lead back to Professor Zoom. Along their journey, they meet America’s greatest hero, the bionic man, Cyborg, and meet a few other altered timeline heroes along the way. With the war coming to a head, the real reason for the timeline is revealed and in the midst of the world’s end, The Flash is left to save everyone at the expense of losing a loved one.
Thomas Wayne’s Batman is the stand-out character in The Flashpoint Paradox. Just when you thought Batman could not get any more grim and intimidating, Thomas Wayne shows up and raises the ante. Picture the Batman you know, but very, very ticked off.
2. Justice League: War
Release Date: 2014
Where Can I Watch It: HBO Max
A routine night on the job turns into a battle of epic proportions when Batman and Green Lantern discover proof of a covert operation carried out by bionic aliens. Superman gets involved due to his alien origins, while a faulty experiment leads to the transformation of Victor Stone into a bionic Cyborg. All this climaxes in a full-scale invasion, pulling in Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Shazam, who just happen to be in the right place at the right time.
Despite the many characters involved, Justice League: War delivers ample development to the characters and fleshes most of them out flawlessly. Cyborg’s tension with his father, Green Lantern’s overconfidence in his power, and Wonder Woman as the outsider in a land she doesn’t understand all play out quite nicely. All the characters are voiced by an exceptional cast who ease right into their roles.
Special mention goes to young Zach Callison who faultlessly voices Billy Batson as a streetwise but insecure kid, hiding his insecurities behind an arrogant small tough guy act. Little sub-plots complement the story, such as Cyborg and Shazam’s issues with trust, Green Lantern learning some humility, and a developing romance between Superman and Wonder Woman. Some stuff though is left unexplained, but it hardly matters since it makes for a pretty entertaining flick.
3. Justice League: Throne Of Atlantis
Release Date: 2015
Where Can I Watch It: HBO Max
Justice League: Throne of Atlantis begins in the Marianas Trench, where the USS California submarine is attacked and her crew killed. Upon receiving the news, Cyborg proceeds to investigate what happened. He is later joined by the other members of the Justice League, and Wonder Woman (voiced by Rosario Dawson) identifies the attackers as warriors from Atlantis.
In Atlantis, Queen Atlanna tries to keep the peace, but her son Prince Orm the Ocean Master, as well as Black Manta, are pushing for an all-out war against the humans in retaliation for the aftermath of Darkseid’s planetary invasion. Queen Atlanna asks Mera to go up to land and find her other son, Arthur Curry (Aquaman). There, she finds Arthur living in coastal Maine, drinking heavily and mourning the recent demise of his father.
After Mera rescues Arthur from soldiers sent by Black Manta, he’s taken to Atlantis to finally meet his long-lost mother. However, Prince Orm (who is Aquaman’s half-brother) has other plans, and as the Justice League prepares to battle with the Atlanteans, Arthur is seen not only as the hero who can save Atlantis from Prince Orm, but also as a bridge between the humans and Atlanteans.
Justice League: Throne of Atlantis is an impressive addition to the Justice League Animated Movies and explores, in detail, the politics of Atlantis and the struggles of Aquaman to become the King of the Seas.
4. Justice League Vs. Teen Titans
Release Date: 2016
Where Can I Watch It: HBO Max
The super demon Trigon has sent a demon to Earth, ultimately resulting in a battle between the Justice League and Legion of Doom. Angered over being relegated to the sidelines during the battle, young Damian disregards Batman’s orders and takes part in the battle, stopping the demon but not giving Batman and the others a chance to find out more about it.
Enraged at Damian’s tactlessness, Batman ships him to be trained under Starfire with the Teen Titans. Damian detests this and believes himself to be a stronger and more competent fighter than both his new peers and also his instructor, but a fight with the Blue Beetle knocks him out and proves him wrong. Raven saves his life, and as she uses her healing abilities to save him, they both get glimpses into each other’s lives.
Meanwhile, another demonic creature is sent to attack, and possesses Superman, who reveals that the demon is after “the girl.” Superman escapes, and Batman and Cyborg go off in search of the identity of this girl. As Starfire takes the Teen Titans to the fair with the hopes that they can bond and become friends, the demon appears and attacks Raven.
After the Teen Titans thwart the demon, Raven reveals why the demon is after her and reveals to them for the first time her backstory, and her relationship. While they attempt to comprehend why the demon is there, Cyborg, Flash, and Wonder Woman have also become possessed, and it’s up to the Teen Titans to save them.
This movie makes a good point to explore a bit more depth into Raven’s backstory, being that the movie is centered around her backstory, and this helps answer a lot of questions to the audience that did not have the luxury of reading her story from the comics. With lots of fast-paced, exhilarating, and rather vicious action sequences, Justice League vs. Teen Titans has a lot of thrilling moments and maximizes the potential in the story department, too.
5. Justice League Dark
Release Date: 2017
Where Can I Watch It: HBO Max
Demons are on the move at the opening of Justice League Dark, but not everyone can see them. They are manifestations in the minds of a few unsuspecting innocents who see those demons in the bodies of others, including their own loved ones. So when a young mother in Gotham prepares to throw her infant from the top of a tall building, Batman appears to rescue the baby.
In similar events, Wonder Woman and Superman save the day in Washington, D.C., and Metropolis. The three quickly conclude that a supernatural force is in their midst, causing these nightmare crimes. The fate of all humanity may be at stake.
It’s up to Batman to undertake the challenging task of getting some answers, but the masked vigilante is not the central hero in this story. He calls upon the one person who may be able to help. That hero, an expert in the occult, is John Constantine.
Accompanied by Zatanna, a performing magician, and with Batman along for a little derring-do himself, Constantine must face an onslaught of nefarious criminals, creatures, and the possessed to finally come up against the most powerful villain of all. Justice League Dark is another incredible addition to the Justice League Animated movies, that successfully explores the more magical side of the DC universe, and the star of the show, John Constantine, is brilliantly written as the hero of the story.
6. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War
Release Date: 2020
Where Can I Watch It: HBO Max
In the final entry of this list, things are not going well for Earth and its inhabitants at the start of Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, except for maybe John Constantine, the occult expert who has finally found happiness with Zatanna. Darkseid and his army of parademons have their sights set on Earth, so Superman mobilizes heroes from various teams to preemptively attack planet Apokolips.
Although some are hesitant, Damian Wayne among them, the heroes put their trust in Superman only to be led right into an ambush, and then things only get worse. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War may position the magic-based team in its title, but the end of the world stakes bring characters in from all around the DC Universe to take back Earth from Darkseid’s reign before it’s too late.
Justice League Dark: Apokolips War takes full advantage of the fact that it’s the final chapter in a 15-movie arc. Its story deviates in some very unexpected and exhilarating directions, and somehow it manages to pay off the loose ends from across the Justice League Animated movies.
