The DC Animated Universe (7 films) from Batman: The Animated
Series to Justice League and beyond has given us some of the most definitive
on-screen versions of the Dark Knight and his allies. This guide from my
YouTube channel Cinema Awards Archive walks through the seven
key animated Batman‑centric films you need to know from the DCAU era.
Follows the adventures of billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne
who is secretly the vigilante known as Batman, whom with help from various side
kicks and allies fights a rouges gallery of criminals and super-villains in
Gotham City.
This post is part of my ongoing Batman and DC Animated Universe coverage on the YouTube channel Cinema Awards Archive, where I explore film history, award recognition and animation milestones.
The film is based on Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995) and is the first
film of the DC Animated Universe and the only one to receive a theatrical
release.
Produced between the first and second seasons of the series,
the film follows Batman as he reconciles with a former lover Andrea Beaumont
and faces a mysterious vigilante, the titular Phantasm who is murdering Gotham
City's crime bosses.
The plot partly mirrors Mike W Barr's "Batman: Year
Two" comic book story arc with the Reaper from it loosely inspiring the
Phantasm character made for the film, while also borrowing elements from the
"Batman: Year One" arc recounting how Bruce Wayne became Batman and
his first attempts to fight crime.
The film was the first theatrical feature film produced by Warner Bros Animation and was released through the studio's Family Entertainment label on December 25th 1993 to generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the stylized animation, voice performances, story and music.
Until the limited release of Batman: The Killing Joke in 2016, Mask of the Phantasm was the only animated Batman film to be given a theatrical release as well as the only one to receive a full theatrical release until The Lego Batman Movie in 2017.
2. Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998)
It is a 1998 American animated superhero film directed by Boyd Kirkland.
The second film based on Batman: The Animated Series, taking place between the end of the show and the start of The New Batman Adventures.
Kevin Conroy and Michael Ansara reprise their respective roles from the series
as the two title characters while Mary Kay Bergman replaces Melissa Gilbert as
the voice of Batgirl.
3. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
It is the third film in the DC Animated Universe and is based on the animated
series Batman Beyond while also serving as a continuation of and resolving plot
points from Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures.
The film features the DC Comics Batmen Bruce Wayne (Kevin
Conroy) and Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle), as they try to unravel the
mysterious return of the former's archenemy, the Joker (Mark Hamill), preparing
a climactic showdown with the villain.
The film was heavily censored following the 1999 Columbine
High School massacre and WB's objection to its content, causing its release to
be delayed from October 2000 to December 12th 2000, Subsequently, the PG-13
uncut version was released on DVD on April 23rd 2002.
4. Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
It is a 2003 American animated superhero film based on The New Batman Adventures (1997–1999) directed by Curt Geda. Released in the U S in October 2003, the film was produced by Warner Bros Animation and is the fourth film in the DC Animated Universe.The US DVD release of Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (October 21, 2003) included the bonus short silent film Chase Me. Chase Me is a 2003 American direct-to-video animated short film also based on the animated series The New Batman Adventures.
The silent film was produced by Warner Bros Animation and follows Batman as he
chases Catwoman across Gotham City. The chase sequences are accompanied by a soundtrack mix of a quiet piano score,
and jazz style score that plays up the chase.
5. Batman and Harley Quinn (2017)
It is a 2017 American animated superhero film produced by Warner Bros Animation and distributed by Warner Bros Home Entertainment, directed by Sam Liu. It is the 30th film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies.
It premiered on July 21st 2017 at San Diego Comic-Con and was released into
participating theatres for one night only on August 14th 2017.
The film was released on digital on August 15th 2017 and on
DVD and Blu-ray on August 29,
Batman and Harley Quinn's theatrical release grossed $32,671 in Australia and
$6,420 in the Netherlands, bringing its international total to $39,091.
The film earned $971,323 from domestic DVD sales and $1,182,647 from domestic
Blu-ray sales, bringing its total domestic home video earnings to $2,153,970.
6. Justice League vs. the Fatal Five (2019)
It is a 2019 American animated superhero film produced by Warner Bros Animation and DC Entertainment, directed by Sam Liu.Featuring the DC Comics team Justice League created by Gardner Fox. The film is the 36th of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies.
The film was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con on July 20th 2018 and had its world premiere at WonderCon Anaheim 2019 on March 29th 2019.
The film earned $2,154,235 from domestic Blu-ray sales.
Looking for more cinematic universes, long-running sagas,
and connected movie timelines? Dive into these in‑depth franchise guides:
- The
Ocean’s Film Franchise – Movies in Order & How They Connect
https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/the-oceans-film-franchise-movies_15.html - The
Wizarding World – 20 Years of Harry Potter Movies
https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/the-wizarding-world-20-years-of-harry.html - The
MonsterVerse Movies Explained (Godzilla, Kong & more)
https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/the-monsterverse-movies-explained.html - The
Evolution of the Predator Franchise
https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/the-evolution-of-predator-franchise.html
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