The DC Universe is full of powerful characters that often go unrecognized in its movies, full of heroes and villains whose screen presence betrays their staggering strength. Many characters are often painfully glossed over in the eternal debate for who is the most powerful player in DC movie history. Whether due to the fact that they’re hidden in an infamously bad film or that they simply don’t have enough screen time, many DC movie characters’ power levels fly under the radar.
Due to its nature as a high-power-level setting full of gods, monsters, and ancient aliens, the movies of the DCEU contain the lion’s share of staggeringly strong heroes and villains that often go underrated as a major player in the hierarchy of the world. That being said, the occasional sneak from an earlier one-off DC film can also manage to be far stronger than they might seem at first glance. No matter what movie they come from, these characters aren’t to be underestimated.
10
Steppenwolf
Justice League
Although he’s simply the opening act for the terrifying Darkseid, the equivalent of the MCU’s Thanos for the DCEU, Steppenwolf is often unfairly glossed-over in the conversation for DC’s strongest movie villain. The alien ruler admittedly gets his lunch stolen in the original cut of Justice League, where he’s able to batter around the heroes a bit before ultimately being overpowered. However, Zack Snyder’s Justice League adds some additional scenes showcasing the ancient general’s strength.
Additional scenes of Steppenwolf in the Zack Snyder cut show the villain demolishing the Amazonians on Themyscira with his army. His reactive armor, powerful strength, electric axe, and eons of experience allow him to overwhelm any Justice League member individually (other than Superman, of course) in both cuts, deserving him more respect in the wider pantheon of DC movie villains. Steppenwolf came dangerously close to creating a very different world for the DCEU.
9
El Diablo
Suicide Squad
2016’s Suicide Squad might not be the most fondly-remembered entry in the DCEU, especially in the wake of James Gunn’s later revision on the concept that was great enough to warrant handing the reins of the entire franchise over to the proven superhero director. However, the original film should be given some kudos for introducing some of the most quietly powerful beings in the entirety of the DCEU. Namely, El Diablo goes sorely undersung as one of the franchise’s biggest powerhouses.
Carlos Santana was once a normal criminal who was gifted (or cursed) with a powerful pyrokinetic ability passed down to him by the metahuman Lazarus Lane. El Diablo’s powers allow him to unleash massive swathes of intense flames that can wash away all but the most sturdy fire-proof opponents. In his powered-up skeletal form, El Diablo is able to battle the ancient god Incubus to a standstill, although the effort does kill him. By far the most powerful member of the original squad and James Gunn’s new cast combined, El Diablo’s name deserves more respect.
8
Green Lantern
Green Lantern
Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern has lived on in infamy over a decade since its release as one of the most ill-informed superhero films ever made. Not only has the movie been lambasted by tongue-in-cheek references in Reynolds’ Deadpool series, but the hate for the film has even breached containment from the superhero genre, being blasted in other blockbusters like Sonic the Hedgehog 3. However hated it may be, the film offered a surprisingly strong version of Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern.
Hal might be out of his depth in the film, but he adopts to his new bizarre circumstances as a spacefaring superhero surprisingly quickly. He demonstrates an almost prodigy-level of control over the Green Lantern ring’s constructs, with creations as elaborate as miniguns, giant fists, and even entire anti-aircraft turrets. Thanks to the lack of the filmmakers’ understanding of how vast distances in space are, the film also unintentionally made Green Lantern one of the most impressive speedsters in a DC movie ever.
7
Ares
Wonder Woman
It seems absurd that the strength of a figure as imposing and powerful as Ares would need to be defended in the DC movie universe, but Wonder Woman‘s handling of the character bears some defense. Sharing his name with the real-life ancient Greek god of war, Ares exists as the same in the DCEU, inspiring bloodshed the world over with his wrathful manipulation. By the time audiences see him in Wonder Woman, Ares is not in his prime, but his history betrays some truly staggering strength.
Long before the events of most of the DCEU’s movies, Ares is able to hunt down and kill every other Olympian god, with the exception of Zeus. Even if the patriarch of the Greek pantheon is ultimately able to banish him to a weak form as a normal British man by the time of the modern day, the battle with Ares very nearly kills the father of Wonder Woman. If it weren’t for his mediocre final battle with Wonder Woman at the end of her eponymous film, Ares would be taken far more seriously.
6
Faora
Man of Steel
Michael Shannon’s Zod is given much-deserved props in Man of Steel by being one of the best live-action Superman villains to headline a movie. His great performance ends up overshadowing one of the most underrated villains of the entire DCEU, the vicious Faora-Ul. The right-hand-woman of General Zod and second-in-command of the Sword of Rao, Faora is a fellow Kryptonian who proves to be one of Superman’s most capable combatants.
In her fight with the Man of Steel in Smallville, Faora keeps Superman on the ropes for the majority of their match, demonstrating her earned reputation as a war criminal by slamming him through populated buildings with reckless glee. Faora seems to take well to the powers granted by Earth’s yellow sun, demonstrating a mastery of them in a matter of hours that took Superman years. She’s only defeated by a combination of being unused to Earth’s atmosphere and a sacrifice by Air Force Colonel Nathan Hardy.
5
Cyborg
Justice League
Steppenwolf isn’t the only character whose cinematic reputation is hurt by their lack of agency in the theatrical cut of Justice League. In the original film, Victor Stone is given quite little to do, being by far the most underdeveloped member of the Justice League who never even got his own dedicated solo film. Besides being a discredit to Ray Fisher’s great performance, this editing travesty also minimizes chances to explore Cyborg’s capable powerset.
With the advanced technology keeping him alive, Cyborg isn’t only super strong and durable, but able to generate mechanical creations like powerful energy blasters that can shoot down Parademons with ease and jets that allow him to soar through the air like Iron Man. Perhaps even more impressive is his technopathy and mastery over digital systems, which the Snyder cut explains as being able to essentially control the entire world’s economy with a thought. It’s a shame that the DCEU didn’t take more chance to explore Cyborg’s potential.
4
Martain Manhunter
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Not only did Zack Snyder’s Justice League elaborate on characters that were given the short end of the stick in the initial edit, but it also added entirely new additions to the DC Extended Universe. One such character was none other than Harry Lennix’s Martian Manhunter, appearing in his full alien glory in a cameo at the tail-end of the film. Though he doesn’t get a chance to do much other than show off his ability to fly, it’s fair to consider that Martian Manhunter should be given full access to his impressive suite of powers from the comics.
In the comics, Martian Manhunter is capable of flight, telepathy, phasing through objects, and morphing his body into all kids of fantastic shapes. According to one fan-theory, Martian Manhunter actually does show-off his shapeshifting and acting abilities earlier in the DCEU by pretending to be Secretary of Defense Calvin Swanwick, who is also played by Harry Lennix. If this theory is true, than it at least speaks to Martian Manhunter’s skills in subterfuge and deception over a long time period.
3
Nuclear Man
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
Mark Pillow’s Nuclear Man is another one of those characters whose in-universe strength is preceded by his infamy. In Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Nuclear Man is created as a being born from Superman’s DNA, somehow creating a fully-distinct humanoid villain with his own flashy costume. Nuclear Man nearly manages to bring Superman to his knees, resulting in one of the hero’s most intense on-screen fights. If it wasn’t for his dependency on nuclear energy, he might’ve very well defeated his heroic progenitor.
Like his genetic father, Nuclear Man is nigh-indestructible, being essentially immune to all forms of physical damage. His immense strength and speed match Superman’s as the two punch each other across various famous places across the globe and even to the moon. Nuclear Man also comes equipped with several unique tertiary powers, including hyper-dense claws capable of scratching and weakening Superman, powerful energy bolts launched from his hands, and even a telekinetic tractor beam.
2
Karathen
Aquaman
Sometimes the most powerful beings in superhero movies aren’t humanoid characters at all, but massive, monstrous kaiju that operate on a world-ending scale. Enter Karathen, a major plot-point and character in James Wan’s Aquaman. Karathen is an ancient and staggeringly powerful sea creature that lives in the deepest depths of the ocean, guarding the mythical Trident of Atlan. If it wasn’t for Karathen’s help, it’s doubtful that Aquaman would’ve been able to overcome his brother in the events of the first Aquaman.
Not just an unintelligent animal, Karathen is voiced by Julie Andrews as she demonstrates her sentience and intelligence, allying herself with Aquaman. Karathen is so powerful that even King Atlan feared her, and he wasn’t able to actually defeat her, merely imprisoning her in the deepest depths of the sea. She slaps Aquaman around like a fly, defeats his mother countless times off-screen, and was even stated by director James Wan to be the most durable living being in the entire DCEU.
1
Artemis
Justice League
Although she ultimately fell to Ares in the DCEU mythology, Artemis is another on-screen character who manages to show off an impressive suite of power in her brief appearance. Another of the old Greek gods, who Wonder Woman states to be the Earth’s best chance at defeating Steppenwolf and Darkseid, Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, animals, chastity, childbirth, and the moon. She appears in Wonder Woman and Justice League, showing off some impressive fortitude in the latter.
In Justice League‘s ancient flashback, Artemis is shown to be able to use her enchanted bow to shoot down entire Apokoliptian battleships, making her a walking artillery piece on a galactic scale. Not only that, but she manages to stab Steppenwolf’s general, Urax, and her mere presence in the battle implicates her as being the third most powerful Old God after Zeus and Ares. Artemis might not exactly be a posterchild character for the DC Universe, but is undoubtedly one of the movies’ most powerful inclusions.
Upcoming DC Movie Releases
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Superman
Release Date
July 11, 2025
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Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Release Date
June 26, 2026
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The Batman Part II
Release Date
October 1, 2027
