| DC Extended Universe | |
|---|---|
 DC logo used from 2016 to 2024 | |
| Original work | Man of Steel (2013) |
| Owner | Warner Bros. Discovery |
| Years | 2013–2023 |
| Based on | DC Universe by DC Comics |
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics. The DCEU also includes comic books, short films, novels, and video games. Like the original DC Universe in comic books, the DCEU is established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.
Warner Bros. began trying to bring various DC Comics superheroes together in films in 2002, when Wolfgang Petersen was to direct a crossover of the Superman and Batman film franchises. A planned Justice League film was put on hold in 2008. Initial universe plans were scrapped after the 2011 film Green Lantern was a critical and commercial failure. Warner Bros. finally established its shared universe with the 2013 film Man of Steel and 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. This was followed by 13 films and the first season of Peacemaker, a television series for HBO Max (later renamed Max). The DCEU's fifteenth and final film, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, was released in December 2023.
The DCEU is the ninth-highest-grossing film franchise and the fifth-highest-grossing superhero film franchise, having grossed more than $7 billion at the global box office. The highest-grossing DC Comics-based film is Aquaman (2018), which earned more than $1.15 billion worldwide. However, eight of the fifteen theatrically released films failed to break even theatrically, being considered box-office bombs. Reception to the franchise was generally mixed among critics and fans.
A new rebooted franchise of films and television series, the DC Universe (DCU), is planned by James Gunn and Peter Safran, who were appointed DC Studios' co-chairmen and co-CEOs in a late-2022 restructuring. Certain DCEU characters, such as Peacemaker, Amanda Waller, and Blue Beetle, will be moved to the DCU, while the second season of Peacemaker will take place in the new universe.