The Suicide Squad Beating The Dark Knight as Best Rated DC Movie on Rotten Tomatoes

By Richard Nebens Updated:
Batman Dark Knight Suicide Squad

Warner Bros. is just a short time away from bringing its next major blockbuster to theaters with the tenth film in the DC Extended Universe, James Gunn's The Suicide Squad.

The part-sequel-part-reboot has been building considerable hype over the past year with returning regulars like Margot Robbie alongside anticipated newcomers like John Cena and Idris Elba. They will be featured as part of an ensemble of over two dozen DC villains and anti-heroes, many of whom may not even survive for more action after this wild adventure.

Gunn had the opportunity to fully unleash his wacky vision for what this team should be on the big screen; after all, the movie prominently stars an anthropomorphic weasel and a walking, talking shark facing the biggest starfish ever seen on screen.

Early reviews have raved about the outing being absolutely "bonkers," with cast members hyping it up to be one of the greatest comic-book movies of all time. This trend looks to continue as The Suicide Squad inches closer to its release date, including a Rotten Tomatoes score that should be seen quite positively amongst fans.

THE SUICIDE SQUAD KILLING IT

Suicide Squad
DC

At the time of publishing, the Rotten Tomatoes critic approval rating for Warner Bros.' The Suicide Squad is a perfect 100% with 43 reviews. As such, it is currently the highest-rated DC movie on the site, beating out the Oscar-winning The Dark Knight from 2008 and the 1978 Superman directed by the late Richard Donner, which both sit at 94%.

For reference, the rankings for the Rotten Tomatoes scores in the DCEU read as follows:

The Suicide Squad: 100%

Wonder Woman: 93%

Shazam!: 90%

Birds of Prey: 78%

Zack Snyder’s Justice League: 74%

Aquaman: 65%

Wonder Woman 1984: 59%

Man of Steel: 56%

Justice League: 40%

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: 28%

Suicide Squad: 26%

AN EPIC DCEU COMEBACK

Fans are well aware of the critical disaster that was 2016's Suicide Squad, which was plagued with script rewrites and didn't utilize the plot that director David Ayer had planned for this villainous team at all. Whatever was done differently here, it seems to have worked brilliantly with Warner Bros. delivering one of its most beloved films in the DCEU, especially considering it has managed to surpass a critically celebrated film such as The Dark Knight.

James Gunn took his somewhat unorthodox style of storytelling to the world of DC movies after delivering unexpected hits with Marvel Studios for the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies. It appears that he's mastered bringing a team of misfits together regardless of what side of the law they're on by unleashing every weird and wacky idea in his arsenal this time around.

While the plot of this movie remains largely under wraps, the highlights for early critics thus far seem to be the combination of violence, humor, and the actors' chemistry to deliver a special comic-book outing.

As The Suicide Squad's release date moves closer over the coming days, more early reviews and reactions will make their way to the public and continue building the hype for Gunn's first work with DC. No matter what those reactions are, it's abundantly clear that the DCEU fan base will be out in droves to see what the franchise has delivered this time.

The Suicide Squad is set to debut in theaters and on HBO Max on August 6.

- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.