Summary

Though Batman might be one of DC ’s most iconic figure of speech , the movie in the widerDC Universehave feature some slap-up villains independently of the Dark Knight ’s rogues ' veranda . The Caped Crusader undeniably boasts one of the greatest rogues ’ galleries in all of soda pop culture . AcrossmanyBatmanmovies , the hero has fight a number of his most iconic foe , including several iterations of the Joker , the Penguin , the Riddler , and more . However , the characters of DC strip carry much further than Gotham City .

Many DC moving picture not feature Batman have star excellent villain . The like of Superman , Wonder Woman , Aquaman , and more have all done fight with evildoers without the support of the Dark Knight , with many exciting antagonists have in these cinematic outings . Throughout themovies of the DCEUand some of those antedate the dealership , here are 10 expectant DC movie villains not in Batman movie .

Here ’s every new DC movie confirmed as in development by WB for 2024 and onwards , including release dates and where they go in the franchise .

Collage of characters from Super Man 2025, Constantine and Batman II

10Starro Brought Kaiju Action To The DCEU

The Suicide Squad (2021)

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Cast

Thecast ofThe Suicide Squadmay sport a number of back up Batman characters , but not the fighter himself . Instead , the 2021 picture follows an unbelievable mathematical group of former villains dub Task Force X given an improbably grave commission to investigate a political commotion on the island of Corto Maltese . There , they discover that the US government had captured and experimented on Starro the Conqueror , a giant exotic starfish subject of mind control .

Starro stands out as a villain in theDCEU ’s timeline of moviessimply because he ’s unlike from the remainder . He has no convoluted backstory or complex motivations , he ’s just a colossal alien colossus being subjected to experimentation . The Suicide Squad ’s exploit to bring down Starro blend epic superhero legal action with sci - fi funniness , making the villain one of the most entertaining in the entire DCEU .

9Ignacio Carapax Was The Antithesis Of Jaime Reyes

Blue Beetle (2023)

In thecast ofBlue Beetlethere are multiple nefarious fictional character , though it ’s the movie ’s secondary adversary who shines as the film ’s skilful . After bind with the symbiotic Scarabaeus sacer that yield him the top executive of the Blue Beetle , Jaime Reyes comes up against Victoria Kord , a chief executive officer intent on recover it . However , it ’s really her partner in crime , Ignacio Carapax , who stand out as the more compelling opponent .

Carapax is written to be the opposite of Jaime , create a pleasant parallel of latitude between champion and baddie . Though they come to own roughly the same ability , Carapax ’s own traumatic past and deficiency of any folk is a dreary reflection of Jaime ’s own inviolable sense of belong and community . Carapax is a baddie that is utterly written to have opposite Jaime ’s Blue Beetle , and that ’s ultimately what make believe him such a adept antagonist .

8The DCEU’s Controversial Max Lord Was Given Great Depth

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Wonder Woman 1984proved a controversial movie for many reasons , but the movie ’s delineation of villain Max Lord was something that many comic book lover took event with . Though the film ’s portrayal of Lord was far from comic precise , the reimagining of the villain actually made him a peculiarly interesting character in the DCEU.What ’s more , Pedro Pascal was honk in the part , adding an extra stratum of charisma to Lord that helps bring the version of the fibre to spirit just as intended .

What makesWonder Woman 1984 ’s Max Lord such a good villain is that there are multiple points in the movie in which the audience begin to root for him . partially down to the sympathetic characterization of the villain and partly to Pascal ’s excellent performance , Max Lord in the end comes off as singularly sympathetic . The complexity of the character may have been part of the movie ’s comic inaccuracies , but they in reality made Max Lord a better DCEU movie villain overall .

7Gabriel’s Role As A Villain Challenged Perception

Constantine (2005)

2005’sConstantineis an often overlooked but well - considered comic book movie following Keanu Reeves ’ John Constantine . The movie follows the nominal exorcist as he uncover a secret plan involve angel , demons , and the beginning of a state of war that peril to establish Hell on Earth . boast as many demons as the picture show does , there ’s no shortage of evil grapheme , but it ’s Tilda Swinton ’s Gabriel who essentially acts as the film ’s chief resister .

Swinton ’s androgynous portrayal of the Angelica Archangelica Gabriel comes with a turn : the angel ’s contempt for humans has bubble over into a plot of ground to unblock the Word of Lucifer . Gabriel ’s status as both an angel and a villain gainsay perceptionsby throw off a traditionally good figure in an antagonistic role , subtly laying a initiation of complicated moral standing withinConstantine ’s movie canon . Gabriel being the film ’s true villain establishes angels as equally menace to humanity as demon , form Swinton ’s role all the more fascinating .

6Doctor Poison Was An Interesting Supporting Villain

Wonder Woman (2017)

Doctor Isabel Maru , also know as Doctor Poison , is not the main antagonist ofWonder Woman . In fact , she ’s not even the moving picture ’s secondary antagonist , rather play as a crony of sorting to Danny Huston ’s General Ludendorff . Maru ’s master function in the flick is develop a virulent gas for the German strength to help rick the tide of World War I in their favor , putting her in Wonder Woman ’s crosshairs when she mistakenly identify Ludendorff as Ares , the idol of war .

Maru ’s characterization and obsession with poisonous substance and destruction makes herWonder Woman ’s most outstanding and interesting baddie . In spite of her little amount of screen time , she stands out as one of the more entrancing villainous characters , particularly as both Ares and Ludendorff are uninterestingin comparison . Doctor Poison ’s potential as a next DCEU villain ultimately move unrealized , but she ’s still a big resister despite being a relatively small-scale theatrical role .

5Ocean Master’s Motivations Were Completely Justified

Aquaman (2018)

sport as the main opponent of 2018’sAquamanis Orm Marius , Arthur Curry ’s half - brother and the king of Atlantis . Patrick Wilson ’s Orm is shown to have a grudge against the surface world due to the constant pollution of the ocean , and the motion-picture show ’s plot middle around his effort to touch off a full - scale war with humanity as a result . What makes Ocean Master such an splendid villain is the complexity of his character , peculiarly where it pertains to his motivating .

In essence , it ’s unmanageable to disagree with Orm ’s views . From his perspective , his home and his kingdom are being threatened by regardless foreigner , and then once Arthur arrives , a stranger appears asserting a claim to his throne . Though he ’s presented as a all the way - baseball swing antagonist , there are many subtleties to the character of Orm that make him a nuanced and interesting baddie .

4Lex Luthor Is A Classic Supervillain

Superman (1978)

Though manyactors have played Lex Luthor in live - natural action , Gene Hackman ’s run in the character is considered a classic example of the character . Hackman first appear as Luthor in Richard Donner ’s 1978 movieSuperman , acting as the film ’s main opponent due to his plot of land to utilize atomic missiles to sink component part of the US and make himself rich . Supermanis often consider the first advanced comic book moving picture , and its groundbreaking nature extends to its delineation of Luthor .

Hackman ’s Luthor is roundabout and life-threatening , and combines second of levity with a dark-skinned and twisted scheme . All of these traits combine to makeSuperman ’s Lex Luthor a particularly solid supervillain , embody the typical quality of the character ’s mirthful book counterpart while also fitting the established format for cinematic antagonists . There are many reasons that Donner ’s film is considered a classic , and Hackman ’s Lex Luthor is one of them .

3Black Manta’s Drive For Revenge Made Him Great

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

Black Manta ’s story was established in 2018’sAquaman , with the fictional character act as a lowly adversary . However , Aquaman and the Lost Kingdombrought the villain to the stem , with the titulary champion battling Black Manta to bilk his programme to overheat the Earth . With the acclaimed Yahya Abdul - Mateen II in the role of the scoundrel , there ’s a dramatic side of the opposer that palpate especially flesh out .

Black Manta ’s entire villain story works well , particularly as it ’s spread across two movies . The spark beginning in the first film with Aquaman pass up to save Manta ’s pirate father build into a all - out stemma feud that drive the scoundrel ’s every action . Black Manta ’s all - use up hatred of Aquaman is definitive comic Bible transportation , and the two - film discharge brings it to living in unrecorded - action mechanism so vividly that it have the antagonist particularly entertaining .

2General Zod’s Invasion Of Earth Was Large-Scale Villainy

Man of Steel (2013)

As the first villain introduced in the DCEU , Michael Shannon ’s General Zod was undoubtedly a polar character for the franchise . Zod ’s plan to apply the world railway locomotive to revivify Krypton on Earth saw him at betting odds with Superman , who fought to protect his adopted home . Shannon ’s powerful functioning as Zod is both compelling and terrible , as he cuts a particularly overlook figure in the role .

There are many look of both Zod andMan of Steelthat make the opposer so great . The villain ’s refusal to give up his design ultimately result in Superman murdering him , adding a dark and unexpected view to the tarradiddle and form the total tone of the DCEU as a whole . Shannon ’s General Zod was in fact so compelling a villain that he was brought back inThe Flashin an alternating reality , proving his longevity despite his death inMan of Steel .

1Ozymandias Raised Complex Moral Issues

Watchmen (2009)

There is no denying that Ozymandias is the villain ofWatchmen ’s story , but his measured plot ultimately has beneficial ramifications for all . That ’s ultimately what ’s at the core of the movie ’s story : that the work of superheroes and villain is often shrouded in moral equivocalness and is rarely as black and ashen as many other movies present it to be .

Matthew Goode ’s carrying into action as Ozymandias is note perfect , capturing the stale brilliance and eccentricity of the character . It ’s the honor - succeed story that makes Ozymandias such a thought - provoking figure , though , as the complicated deduction of his goals make his flagitious actions morally complicated . Despite being a unfeignedly vicious character , Ozymandias ’ action are n’t all unsound , as he is ultimately concenter on what he percieves to be the greater good . This makes him perhaps the swell baddie in theDC Universenot in a Batman movie .

Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) on a motorcycle in Thunderbolts

I’ve-Completely-Changed-My-Mind-About-Lewis-Pullman’s-Sentry-Suit-After-Watching-Thunderbolts

Split image of Michael Shannon as General Zod in Man of Steel and Pedro Pascal as Max Lord on a poster for Wonder Woman 1984

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Headshot Of Idris Elba In The World premiere of Luther: The Fallen Sun at the BFI IMAX in London.

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DC Extended Universe