Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Blue Beetle.

Summary

  • Cyborg's father sacrifices himself to save the heroes in Justice League, restoring a heartbreaking moment in Zack Snyder's version of the film.
  • In Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes' father dies from a heart attack while Jaime is trapped, leading to a heartbreaking goodbye between father and son.
  • Superman's controversial decision to kill General Zod in Man of Steel showcases the pain and agony his choice inflicted, becoming one of the most heartbreaking moments in DC movies.

DC movies have had many heartbreaking moments over the years, both in the DCEU and not, and a few of them have emerged as the most heartbreaking. DC is getting ready for a big change, with new DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran replacing the old DCEU with their DC Universe, which will not only cover movies, but will also see actors play their roles across TV series, animation, and video games. The new DC Universe's first movie character is Xolo Maridueña's Blue Beetle, while the first movie is 2025's Superman: Legacy, which Gunn will direct.

With DC looking forward to a bright future, there are some important moments from the studio's past that merit a look back in order to keep the same emotion for the new DC Universe. One of the most gripping aspects of past DC movies has been their ability to present emotional moments. Even though the DCEU was not holistically the major success it was hoped to be, there were still several heartbreaking scenes that emerged from it, which were also present in pre-DCEU films, and that compelling nature of storytelling should make a comeback in Gunn's new DC Universe.

10 Cyborg’s Father Dies In Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Dr. Silas Stone's death in Zack Snyder's Justice League

2017's Justice League is controversial due to the reshoots conducted by The Avengers' Joss Whedon making major changes to the story envisioned by director Zack Snyder for the movie. After Snyder was given the chance to release his version of the movie to the world through 2021's Zack Snyder's Justice League on Max, one of the most heartbreaking DC movie moments was restored. While Silas Stone fizzled out of the theatrical cut of Justice League with no explanation, Snyder's version of the movie saw Cyborg's father bond with his son, making peace between them, before he sacrificed himself and gave the heroes a way to track the last Mother Box.

9 Jaime Reyes’ Dad Dies In Blue Beetle

Damián Alcázar as Alberto Reyes in Blue Beetle

In Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes' biggest strength is his family, with most of the movie's high points coming from the several hilarious moments he shares with them. While Blue Beetle is mostly a light-hearted film, there are times when it gets really serious. In the movie's most shocking scene, Jaime's father, Alberto, has a heart attack while his son is trapped and is forced to watch, unable to help, later dying in an ambulance after Jaime was taken away by Victoria Kord. The movie shifts gears after the moment, and Blue Beetle's afterlife moment later brings Jaime and Alberto together for a heartbreaking goodbye that cements Jaime as a hero.

8 Superman Kills Zod In Man Of Steel

Superman killing Zod in Man of Steel.

The DCEU's first movie, 2013's Man of Steel, already started the cinematic universe with a major moment, which proved itself equal parts controversial and emotional. At the end of the film, Henry Cavill's Superman realizes that he will be unable to stop Michael Shannon's General Zod from killing civilians unless he is willing to end the villain's life, which he does, snapping Zod's neck. The moment has become one of DC's most controversial live-action scenes ever, as Superman is not meant to kill. Regardless, after killing Zod, Cavill's Superman lets out a scream that shows how much pain that decision inflicted, becoming one of the most heartbreaking DC movie moments.

7 The Reveal Of The Dark Flash's Identity In The Flash

Dark Flash in The Flash 2023

Despite The Flash's box office bomb, there are several heartbreaking moments in the DC film. One of those emotional scenes comes from the reveal of the Dark Flash's identity. After Michael Keaton's Batman and Sasha Calle's Supergirl die in the heroes' battle with Zod's forces, the younger Barry Allen, played by Ezra Miller, can't accept their destinies, going back to the past numerous times to try and save the duo, all without success. Due to his messing with time, the young Barry becomes corrupted by his failure, becoming the Dark Flash, the being that had hunted the main Barry Allen earlier in the movie, a tragic twist.

6 Rachel Dawes’ Death In The Dark Knight

Rachel Dawes at a dinner party in The Dark Knight

Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy has its fair share of heartbreaking moments, and Maggie Gyllenhaal's Rachel Dawes is at the forefront of one of them. Heath Ledger's Joker came up with the perfect plan to destroy Harvey Dent and Batman at the same time. The Joker gives Batman the addresses to where Rachel and Harvey are being kept, with both places rigged to explode. However, the villain lied about who was where, leading to Batman arriving on the scene to save Harvey, not Rachel. She then dies with Bruce unable to save her, while half of Harvey's face burns, leading to Two-Face's rise.

5 The Dark Knight’s Ending

Harvey Dent tragically transforms into Two-Face in The Dark Knight

After Rachel's death, Harvey let go of his self-control, becoming the Batman villain Two-Face, serving as a vigilante in The Dark Knight as he embarked on a path to kill everyone that was involved in Rachel's death. At the end of the movie, Batman tackles Two-Face off the top of a building to save Jim Gordon's son, which leads to Harvey's death. Christian Bale's Batman then tells Gordon that he must pretend the hero killed all the people that Harvey murdered; in order to protect Dent's legacy and keep Gotham City on the right path. Batman is then forced to go on the run from the police, hated by everyone.

4 Diana Renounces Her Wish In Wonder Woman 1984

Diana and Steve Trevor hugging in Wonder Woman 1984

Wonder Woman 1984 might not have been the sequel that fans expected for the beloved hero, but Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman 3 can take a lesson from the movie's most emotional moment. After Wonder Woman featured the death of Chris Pine's Steve Trevor, Wonder Woman 1984 brought the character back, Diana's deepest desire, thanks to magic. To be able to save the world, Diana needed to undo her wish, which led to what is likely Gadot's best performance in a scene as Wonder Woman, with the hero renouncing her wish while crying and then taking to the skies to go after Pedro Pascal's Maxwell Lord to save the world.

3 Peacemaker Kills Rick Flag In The Suicide Squad

The Suicide Squad Rick Flag Death

Before Gunn became DC Studios' new creative chief, he was the writer and director of 2021's The Suicide Squad. One of the few remnants from 2016's Suicide Squad, Joel Kinnaman's Rick Flag played a major role in the film, with his death hitting particularly hard. Despite being the field leader of the Suicide Squad, Flag is not completely aligned with Amanda Waller's goals, which is why he tries to do the right thing and expose the U.S. government's secrets before John Cena's Peacemaker fights him and ends up killing Flag. His last words, "Peacemaker, what a joke," impact Cena's character greatly in Max's Peacemaker series.

2 Billy Batson Finds His Mom In Shazam!

Billy meets his mom.

Across both Shazam movies, it has become clear that the franchise's most emotional scenes come when Asher Angel takes over the dual lead character as Billy Batson. 2019's Shazam! brings one of DC movies' most heartbreaking scenes, with Billy finally coming face to face with his biological mom after years of running away from foster homes in search of her. However, the reunion does not go the way Billy expected, with Marilyn, his mom, revealing that she purposely abandoned him as she felt she could not take care of him and does not want to have a relationship with her son going forward, leaving Billy heartbroken.

1 Barry Allen’s Goodbye To His Mom In The Flash

The Flash scene with Barry saying goodbye to his mom using super speed.

While The Flash's box office numbers are disappointing, the multiversal adventure is responsible for the most heartbreaking DC movie moment. At the end of the film, Barry goes back in time to fix the mess he created. While Barry never reveals his identity to his mom, he gets a final moment with her to say goodbye, and she gives him a hug due to Barry being visibly distressed. He then goes back to the future where his mother has been dead for years, concluding The Flash's most important plot in emotional fashion, which is worthy of being DC's movies' most heartbreaking scene.