10 Hardest DC Movie Scenes To Watch More Than Once

April 27, 2024, 6 p.m.

Movies

10 Hardest DC Movie Scenes To Watch More Than Once

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Summary Lex Luthor's creation of Doomsday in Batman v Superman proves a poorly adapted, rushed climactic battle.

Wonder Woman's underwhelming dialogue delivery in the climactic battle in Wonder Woman makes it uncomfortable.

The Flash's overuse of CGI and convoluted narrative conclusion makes the ending difficult to rewatch.

Throughout the cinematic history of the DC Universe, there have been multiple movie scenes that have since proven difficult to rewatch. DC Comics boasts some of the most iconic characters in all pop culture, and many of them have made it to the big screen on multiple occasions. Adapting the likes of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and more into live action via the movies of the DCEU and other continuities hasn’t always been a smooth transition, however.

Despite there being many excellent DC movies, there have been some films – both good and bad – that feature scenes that prove difficult to revisit. Sometimes this is due to the emotion involved, particularly where the scene pertains to a beloved character. However, in other cases, such as throughout the DCEU’s movie timeline, there are examples of scenes that are simply painful to watch due to their poor handling of key storylines or characters. With that in mind, here are the 10 hardest DC movie scenes to watch more than once.

Related Every Upcoming DC Movie In 2024 And Beyond Here's every new DC movie confirmed as in development by WB for 2024 and onwards, including release dates and where they belong in the franchise.

10 Superman Vs Doomsday

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Zack Snyder Release Date March 24, 2016 Runtime 152 minutes

Though Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has benefitted from a more favorable reappraisal in the years since its initial release, there are still aspects of the DCEU’s sophomore effort that fall decidedly short. The most obvious is the movie’s climax, in which Lex Luthor creates Doomsday, leading to a battle that ends in the death of Superman. Though Superman’s death inevitably proved temporary, the scene attempted to adapt the iconic Death of Superman story to the big screen.

What makes it difficult to rewatch is how poorly adapted the story is. Not only does the movie attempt to adapt several other storylines, but it throws them together in a way that makes its climactic battle feel rushed. The circumstances of Doomsday’s creation are also something of an affront to the comics, making the scene difficult to watch more than once for those with a particular connection to DC’s established comic canon.

9 Wonder Woman’s Climactic Battle

Wonder Woman (2017)

Wonder Woman Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Patty Jenkins Release Date June 2, 2017 Runtime 141 Mins

Considered by many to be one of the best movies in the DCEU, 2017’s Wonder Woman explored the origins of the iconic hero. Its story follows Diana Prince as she leaves Themyscira with Steve Trevor in an attempt to stop Ares from spreading war across the Earth. Set during World War I, Wonder Woman combines historical elements with its superhero action, making it a unique insight into its titular hero. Sadly, its climactic battle was painfully underwhelming.

Once Diana finally uncovers the identity of Ares, the pair face off in what should have by rights been an epic showdown. Sadly, it isn’t, with Gal Gadot’s wooden delivery of her cheesy dialogue making the scene uncomfortable and largely uninteresting. It’s difficult to watch the scene more than once simply because it fails to live up to the standard set by the rest of the movie, delivering a poor conclusion to the origin story.

8 The Flash’s Multiverse Mess

The Flash (2023)

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Andres Muschietti Release Date June 16, 2023 Runtime 2 hours 24 minutes

As one of the final installments in the DCEU, The Flash was presented with a singular challenge to keep its stakes feeling relevant even in the face of a collapsing franchise. Multiple behind-the-scenes issues and delays plagued the movie’s production, and ultimately so many last-minute changes came to reflect upon the movie itself. Despite its issues, there’s only really one scene in the film that’s unpleasant to reexperience, and that comes toward The Flash’s ending.

After abruptly realizing the timeline and his new hero friends are doomed, Barry learns that the Multiversal villain is a dark reflection of his future self. He then witnesses multiple realities crashing into one another in a scene so packed with CGI it’s difficult to make sense of what’s happening. The heavy-handed conclusion to the movie's promising narrative was disappointing, and the overuse of CGI ultimately makes the scene difficult to rewatch.

7 Diana & Steve Trevor’s Relationship

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Patty Jenkins Release Date December 25, 2020 Runtime 115 Minutes

The sequel to 2017’s Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman 1984’s cast saw the return of Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, despite his death at the end of the previous movie. Made possible by magic, Diana is thrilled to have her lost love back, although the pair’s relationship is incredibly problematic. This makes many scenes in the movie difficult to watch more than once.

The main issue stems from the fact that Steve Trevor is brought back into the body of another man. This person's physical form is seemingly taken over by Steve, who then uses it to engage in an emotional and physical relationship with Diana. The subtextual issue with the body hijacking is uncomfortably difficult to overlook, as it raises questions about consent and has messy moral implications for two otherwise good characters. The controversy was clearly unintended, but it’s impossible to overlook upon a second viewing.

6 Enchantress Starts Belly Dancing

Suicide Squad (2016)

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director David Ayer Release Date August 5, 2016 Runtime 123 minutes

2016’s Suicide Squad isn’t a movie known for its quality, though it does have some positive elements that go in its favor. The film’s main antagonist simply isn’t one of them, though, with Cara Delevigne’s Enchantress proving a bizarre and poorly-written character who fails to convey any true sense of menace. One of the villain’s key moments in the movie is perhaps the best example of this, and it makes the scene difficult to watch more than once.

Upon transforming into the Enchantress, Dr. June Moon begins a magical ritual. The spell-casting comes complete with an inexplicable belly dance, which serves no discernible purpose and simply distracts from the movie’s plot. The first time around, the bizarre moment is easy to laugh off, but watching again highlights just how conceptually odd the dancing is. On closer examination, Enchantress’ belly dancing spellcraft is the epitome of Suicide Squad’s issues, as it showcases a complete lack of self-awareness.

5 Bruce Wayne’s Funeral

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Christopher Nolan Release Date August 16, 2012 Runtime 2h 45m

Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy rank among the most beloved comic book movies of all time. The third and final installment, The Dark Knight Rises, saw Bruce Wayne retire from his vigilantism with an apparent heroic sacrifice. Though it’s later revealed that he found a way to survive, the death of Bruce Wayne facilitated the inclusion of a scene that’s incredibly difficult to watch.

Believing his young ward to have died saving Gotham, the elderly Alfred Pennyworth watches wistfully as Bruce Wayne’s small funeral takes place. Alfred giving the young man he raised his final rites beside his parents’ graves is a powerful image, and one that Michael Caine’s emotional performance makes uncomfortable to revisit. The reveal that Wayne actually survived makes the scene even harder to watch the second time around, as it confirms that Alfred’s heartbreak was ultimately unnecessary.

4 Pa Kent’s Death

Man of Steel (2013)

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Zack Snyder Release Date June 14, 2013 Runtime 143 minutes

Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel was the movie that started the DCEU, introducing Henry Cavill’s Superman through its gritty take on the hero’s origin story. Part of bringing that origin to life involved the death of Superman’s adopted father, Jonathan Kent. The moment comes during a tornado, when Jonathan rushes into danger to save a trapped dog. When Clark attempts to use his powers to save his father, Jonathan tells him not to, dying to protect his son’s secret.

Rewatching the scene robs it of much of its emotion, as multiple flaws in its logic come to light. Closer analysis makes Pa Kent’s sacrifice seem pointless, especially as Clark could likely have saved his father fast enough that no one would have directly witnessed it. Even so, the scene is still incredibly heartbreaking, which makes rewatching it simultaneously upsetting and mildly infuriating.

3 Penguin & Catwoman’s Sexual Tension

Batman Returns (1992)

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Tim Burton Release Date June 19, 1992 Runtime 126minutes

Tim Burton’s Batman movies are remembered fondly by many, as they incorporate the director’s trademarked gothic quirkiness into the story of one of pop culture’s most beloved superheroes. Batman Returns marked Burton’s second foray into the world of the Dark Knight, and the director opted to introduce both Catwoman and the Penguin to proceedings. Watching the scenes that the two characters share has proven especially unsettling over the many years since the movie’s release.

Danny DeVito’s Penguin is written to be a particularly disgusting character, while Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman leans heavily into the cat gimmick. As such, scenes which depict a blossoming physical relationship between the pair prove incredibly uncomfortable to watch, as their animalistic habits make their romance seem especially gross. Though the scene has always been unpleasant to watch, it simply hasn’t gotten any easier over time, especially going into a rewatch knowing what's to come.

2 Batman & Robin Argue Over Poison Ivy

Batman & Robin (1997)

Batman & Robin Director Joel Schumacher Release Date June 20, 1997 Runtime 125minutes

Joel Schumacher’s Batman movies are often reviled by many, derided for their overwhelming campiness and dismissed as overly silly takes on the hero. Though this appraisal isn’t entirely fair, there are scenes that are decidedly difficult to watch more than once, owing to the fact that they’re simply cringe-inducing. Arguably the worst of these comes during 1997’s Batman & Robin, shortly after the titular heroes encounter Poison Ivy for the first time.

Iv’s use of pheromones to manipulate the heroes results in a childish squabble over who should get to spend time with the villain. It soon devolves into an outright bidding war, leading to the appearance of the infamous Bat-credit card. The scene is so incredibly ridiculous and unfunny that it’s painful to watch, as it epitomizes the unbridled campiness of Schumacher’s Batman movies in the worst way possible.

1 Superman Vs Nuclear Man

Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987)

There are few DC movies as widely reviled as Superman IV: The Quest For Peace. The movie’s thinly veiled call for nuclear disarmament is confused by its bizarre plot, which involves Lex Luthor creating an evil clone of Superman, who he dubs Nuclear Man. Widely considered the worst Superman movie ever made, The Quest For Peace’s climactic battle is perhaps the worst scene in the entire film.

Superman and Nuclear Man’s showdown on the moon is nowhere near as epic as it sounds. In fact, the two powerhouses mostly just throw boulders at one another before Nuclear Man uses his nuclear scratching powers to attack the Man of Steel. The first time around, the scene is funny in how poor it is, but watching it more than once is a painful experience down to the poor quality of the action, making it the most difficult scene to rewatch in the history of the DC Universe.