Summary
- DCEU movies are known for their grim and gritty tone, with many characters sacrificing themselves for the greater good.
- Heartbreaking deaths in DCEU include Diana saying goodbye twice to Steve Trevor and Polka-Dot Man's dream of being a superhero cut short.
- Other notable deaths include Rick Flag's betrayal, Jimmy Olsen's shocking execution, Superman's noble sacrifice, and Starro's tragic demise.
Warning! This post contains spoilers for all DCEU movies, including Blue Beetle.
The the DCEU's movies have been decidedly more grim and gritty than their Marvel counterparts, both in the tone they addressed their audiences with and the content of their stories. A big contributing factor is the franchise's refusal to shy away from death, with many integral characters routinely meeting their demise at a rate of at least one per movie.
The most common category for the DCEU's tragic deaths to fall under is the heroic sacrifice, with many a hero or ing cast member contributing their lives to the greater good in some grand display of martyrdom. Other times, even villains can have sympathetic deaths, as many of the DCEU's heroes are surprisingly brutal. Whatever the case, the historic comic book movie franchise has plenty of poignant deaths to its name, leaving behind a trail of misty eyes in theaters.
10 Diana Says Goodbye To Steve Trevor (Twice)
Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman 1984
The only man to ever capture Diana's heart across the ages, Steve Trevor was a spy for the Allies in the first World War, falling in love with Wonder Woman only to sacrifice himself by taking the German's deadly gas out of commission. After Diana brings him back to life in the 80s with the Wish Stone, she has no choice but to renounce her wish in order to regain her powers, adding another layer of grief to their tearful second farewell. The fact that Wonder Woman was able to briefly reunite with her deceased lover only to have to lose him again makes his two deaths all the more painful.
9 Polka-Dot Man Stands Up To His Mom
The Suicide Squad
An R-Rated dark comedy about an expendable task force, The Suicide Squad, unsurprisingly, has enough memorable deaths to fill this list on its own. One of the most devastating, however, is the loss of Polka-Dot Man, who finally gets to live out his dream of being a true superhero for a precious few seconds before being stomped out by Starro. The moments of camaraderie leading up to Polka-Dot Man's death between him and Bloodsport only for his hopes to be immediately dashed along with his life make this example a particularly crushing moment, both literally and metaphorically.
8 Rick Flag Betrays His Country
The Suicide Squad
The self-assured veteran leader of the Suicide Squad, Rick Flag reveals himself to be not as blindly patriotic as his name implies when he refuses to go along with Amanda Waller's plan to destroy all evidence regarding the U.S. government's involvement in Project Starfish. Unfortunately, he has to contend with Peacemaker, who refuses to abandon the mission. The two engage in a brutal, drag-down fight, culminating in Peacemaker stabbing his former comrade through the chest with a broken piece of tile. Flag gets the last word, however, spitting out "Peacemaker...What a joke" at his killer before perishing, making his death one of the most haunting in all the DCEU.
7 Jimmy Olsen Is Executed By General Amajagh
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Far from the cheery, freckle-cheeked Jimmy Olsen Superman fans know and love, Zack Snyder's take on the Daily Planet photographer was a gritty, undercover CIA operative. Still, this iteration of Jimmy still had the classic charisma the character is known for, making it all the more tragic when he's burned by General Amajagh's men and promptly executed. The shocking surprise and lack of ceremony to Olsen's death hits particularly hard, and his insistence on distancing Lois Lane from his operation in a vain attempt to protect her had him go out a noble man to the very end.
6 Silas Stone Vaporizes Himself In Front Of His Son
Zack Snyder' Justice League
Expanding on Cyborg's lore, Zack Snyder's version of Justice League gave much more screen time to Victor Stone's father, Silas. Even though he was merely a scientist meddling in forces beyond his control, Silas understood the gravity that Steppenwolf's pursuit of the Motherboxes implied, overloading the box held by S.T.A.R. Labs with a laser in order to supercharge its thermal heat signature, making it possible for the Justice League to track. Disintegrated before his son's very eyes, Silas' death affected the entire Justice League, recognizing the man's sacrifice with solemn reverence.
The 10 Saddest Deaths In The DC Animated Movie Universe
The DCAMU saw dozens of incredible battles, and even more characters meeting their end in them. Which deaths left the audience the most emotional?
5 Superman Makes The Ultimate Sacrifice
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
It's impossible to discuss noble deaths in the DCEU without mentioning the ultimate noble death - Superman's self-sacrifice to kill Doomsday. Hoisting Batman's Kryptonite spear, the Man of Steel gave his own life to stop the rampaging monster from hurting anyone else, being impaled himself on the creature's bone spikes in retaliation. While the strategy behind killing off Superman in what was only his second appearance in the DCEU was questionable, there's no denying that the way his death was shot, framed, and performed by Henry Cavill delivered the emotional weight the moment deserved, even if he was resurrected soon after.
4 Starro Watches Himself Die
The Suicide Squad
Even though Starro was the main antagonist of The Suicide Squad, it's hard not to see him as a victim by the end of the story. The kaiju-sized starfish alien went out in a particularly brutal way, even by The Suicide Squad standards, being eaten alive from the inside out by Rats before having Harley Quinn plunge Javelin's spear into his eye. As Starro watches himself die through the eyes of his hosts, he muses "I was happy... floating... staring at the stars", reminiscing on his life in space before being kidnapped by the American government in order to serve as a weapon. He may have been a monster, but Starro's death was undeniably tragic.
3 Antiope Gives Everything To Save Diana
Wonder Woman
The aunt of Wonder Woman and head general of the Amazon warriors, Antiope dying in battle was no great surprise. Still, her selfless protection of Diana to the very end stung, as the ferocious fighter dropped everything to catch a bullet for her niece. As she succumbed to her wounds, Antiope tearfully bade Wonder Woman to leave the island and defeat Ares, making a profound impact on the young warrior woman's desire to fulfill her destiny as the God-Killer.
2 Alberto Reyes Accepts His Destiny
Blue Beetle
When Blue Beetle's family gets kidnapped and held hostage, Jaime Reyes puts everything on the line in order to keep them safe. Sadly, even though he's able to prevent the bad guys from harming his family, the stress of the situation proves to be too much, and Jaime's father, Alberto, suffers a fatal heart attack. This death is sad enough on its own, but Jaime meeting his father one last time in the afterlife only for Alberto to accept his destiny as being there to shepherd Jaime back into the land of the living is one of the most heartbreaking moments in all of the DCEU.
1 Doctor Fate Sacrifices Himself To Hold Back Sabbac
Black Adam
One of the founders of the Justice Society and perhaps its wisest member, Doctor Fate's death was incredibly impactful. The powerful magician threw everything he had at the demon lord Sabbac, putting every ounce of power he had into preventing the demon lord from taking the throne. All the while, Fate mentally ed Adam from within his imprisonment at the A.R.G.U.S. Task Force X Black Site, giving him the push he needed to break his restraints and face Sabbac. Considering Sabbac likely wouldn't have been stopped were it not for Doctor Fate's actions, his death was one of the most influential in the entire DCEU.
