DC movie heroes aren’t always the paragons of justice–some brutal moments prove that they can take sometimes take things way too far.
Despite sometimes claiming to be the paragons of truth and justice, many heroes in the DC Universe‘s iconic pantheon have committed truly brutal feats in their live-action appearances. While characters like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are generally known for their heroism and selflessness, there are certain moments in their cinematic history in which these heroes simply took things too far, causing significant destruction, pain, and even death. While these moments are certainly the exception to the rule, this fact makes their actions no less horrifying in hindsight.
DC films will undergo massive changes in 2023 as the DCEU transitions from its original vision to a new and improved franchise helmed by The Suicide Squad director James Gunn. Previously, the cinematic universe of DC characters was somewhat controversial for its darker renditions of beloved characters. In fact, the DCEU featured many of the most brutal scenes in DC’s cinematic history, creating a rather dark universe as a result. However, several films with lighter tones are on the horizon, including Blue Beetle and Superman: Legacy, suggesting that DC may be leaving its darker days behind it in favor of a brighter cinematic universe.
6Superman Snaps General Zod’s Neck (Man of Steel)
Superman killing General Zod remains one of the most controversial movie moments in DC’s long history in cinema. During the climactic final fight in 2013’s Man of Steel, Henry Cavill’s superhero comes to blows Michael Shannon’s General Zod, a Kryptonian extremist who wishes to turn Earth into a new Krypton. In the final moments of their battle in Metropolis, Zod threatens the lives of an innocent family, inching his laser vision closer and closer to the bystanders as Superman grapples him from behind. In a last-ditch effort to save their lives, Superman snaps Zod’s neck, killing him before any more innocent lives are lost in his relentless crusade.
For years, Zod’s controversial death in Man of Steel has been the subject of endless debate. Taking a life is not something that Superman often condones, let alone in such a brutal fashion. Superman’s anguished scream after killing Zod certainly goes a long way in keeping the character from deviating too far from his comic book counterpart but doesn’t completely erase his actions by a long shot. Coming at the end of Cavill’s very first film as the Man of Steel, the death of Zod ultimately characterized the DCEU’s Superman as far darker than previous incarnations, a point of contention that still persists among the franchise’s followers to this day.
5Batman Blows Up A Thug (Batman Returns)
As beloved as it has become, Tim Burton’s Batman Returns plays fast and loose with the Caped Crusader’s one rule. While different live-action iterations of Batman have indirectly taken lives over the years, Michael Keaton’s superhero is shown purposely killing one of the Penguin’s thugs in Batman Returns. In the scene, an imposing thug ambushes Batman in an alleyway, planting a comically large bomb on his suit. Batman counters his attacker, turning the tables by sticking the bomb back on the thug. Flashing a sinister smile, Batman casually throws his enemy down a nearby sewer grate just in time for him to be blown to pieces by his own explosive.
Although Batman has broken his no-kill rule on various occasions throughout his comic book history, this scene is an especially disturbing example primarily because of the enjoyment that he seems to get from murdering this thug. Not only does he nonchalantly leave the minion to his death but also genuinely smiles after planting the bomb on him. It is a chilling departure from Batman’s typical characterization, which goes unaddressed in the later events of the film. Though it certainly wouldn’t be the last time Batman killed someone onscreen, the mystery of why Burton elected to include such a memorably brutal scene may remain unanswered forever.
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4Wonder Woman Obliterates A Bank Robber (Zack Snyder’s Justice League)
Though technically not DCEU canon, Zack Snyder’s Justice League includes a particularly shocking kill involving Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot). In her introductory scene, Wonder Woman is seen foiling a terrorist-sponsored bank robbery in London, as is also the case in Justice League‘s theatrical cut. However, the extended scene goes on to show how Diana deals with the remaining member of the terrorist organization. As the man threatens to kill his hostages, Wonder Woman steps forward to shield them from his explosive rounds. She manages to repel the blast, obliterating the man’s body and blowing up a section of the bank while keeping the innocent civilians therein safe from harm.
Although Wonder Woman had previously killed Ares in the DCEU, the death of the bank robber is rather shocking and brutal in comparison. While Ares was a powerful god in human form, the bank robber was a mere mortal who stood no chance against Diana’s incredible strength. While heroic, Diana’s actions could be construed as somewhat unnecessary, as she could have easily stopped the man before he fired the explosive rounds in the first place. Moreover, the crowd of innocent bystanders, which included at least one young child, was forced to watch the carnage unfold before their very eyes, a sight that they would not soon be able to forget.
3Black Adam Brutally Kills Sabbac (Black Adam)
Although better known for what is now an incredibly awkward Superman post-credit scene, Black Adam also includes a rather horrendous kill in its final act. As Dwayne Johnson’s signature anti-hero battles Sabbac for the last time, he proves just how different he is from other DC superheroes, especially the morally upright Justice Society. Lifting Sabbac into the air and away from his minions, Black Adam finishes his nemesis once and for all. Black Adam sends Sabbac back to Hell, ripping the supervillain in half with his bare hands and dropping his corpse to the ground, but not before dropping his new catchphrase: “tell them the man in black sent you.”
While no one would argue that Black Adam shouldn’t have killed Sabbac, there is no denying just how brutal the scene is. Not only is Sabbac’s manner of death surprisingly gory, but his body also gives way to the molten lava within until little remains of the deranged supervillain. However, this particular moment, unlike many other brutal DC scenes, was fully intended to be shockingly violent as a depiction of Black Adam’s moral ambiguity. Nevertheless, the intent behind the scene still doesn’t change just how brutal Black Adam’s actions are, setting him apart from other heroes in the DCEU, especially the Justice Society, who aided him in defeating Sabbac.
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2Harley Quinn’s Escape In Corto Maltese (The Suicide Squad)
Although certainly not a hero by choice, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn always seemed to find herself fighting for the good guys, though not without adding her own brutal flair. The Suicide Squad perfectly shows just how dangerous the character can be in her incredibly violent rampage scene. In escaping her imprisonment, Harley strangles a man to death, shoots over twenty guards in the adjoining room, bashes a man’s head with a barred door, cuts two guards’ throats, and then proceeds to mow down more of her enemies with a machine gun. Harley ends her rampage by picking up a javelin and brutally killing the few remaining guards.
Unlike the 2016 film, James Gunn’s Suicide Squad was decidedly not PG-13, and this scene proves it. While The Suicide Squad sported plenty of memorably brutal scenes, Harley Quinn’s rampage is certainly one of the most memorable. She takes no less than thirty lives during her escape and seems to have very little remorse in doing so, once again highlighting her villainous roots. Taking advantage of its hard R-rating, The Suicide Squad doesn’t shy away from the gore of Harley’s kills, and, provided Robbie remains following the DCU shakeups, future films in the franchise may struggle to top the brutality of this unforgettable moment in her character’s history.
1Peacemaker Turns On The Suicide Squad (The Suicide Squad)
Prior to his heroic redemption in his own HBO Max series, Peacemaker (John Cena) was responsible for The Suicide Squad‘s worst death. As the titular team finally completed their mission, it was revealed that Peacemaker had been specifically hired by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to dispose of any evidence regarding ARGUS’s involvement with Project Starfish. The other members of the team object to this, leading Peacemaker to engage in a one-on-one fistfight with Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman). Keeping with the film’s gory sensibilities, the fight gets more brutal with each second, ending with Peacemaker stabbing Flag in the heart with a shard of glass, killing him.
Although many DC movies sport gory kills, this moment is particularly brutal because of its emotional weight. Flag and Peacemaker had been comrades throughout the entire film, making Peacemaker’s betrayal even worse. Moreover, killing Rick Flag had a major effect on Peacemaker’s character arc in his HBO Max series, which showed his regret over this moment in his past. This scene in The Suicide Squad is not just violent, but it is emotionally brutal, kicking off a series of events that would play out in other DC projects. As such, it remains one of the most heart-wrenching and brutal acts committed by a so-called hero in any DC Universe film.
