DC Animated Movie Universe - Timeline

[Dallas Kinard]

Does anyone want to help me timestamp the standalone DC animated movies starting with "Superman: Doomsday"? I have notes for all of them I can share to help get you started.

Here I'll start with Justice League: The New Frontier, which I have taking place from 1953 - July, 1960.

Here's my evidence....

 

[Pro Bot]

I honestly should start doing that myself, really. It'd be fun.

 

[Dallas Kinard]

I honestly should start doing that myself, really. It'd be fun.

Oh it is. For Batman: Soul Of The Dragon we know it's clearly the 1970s, but Bruce Timm stated indirectly that this film takes place in 1973 pre-disco era in the sneak peak for the movie.

 

[selfishmisery]

Oh it is. For Batman: Soul Of The Dragon we know it's clearly the 1970s, but Bruce Timm stated indirectly that this film takes place in 1973 pre-disco era in the sneak peak for the movie.

Random Question: How old is Batman in Soul of the Dragon?

My headcanon for that has been that it could be the New Frontier (Earth-21) universe. Could be wrong?

 

[Dallas Kinard]

Random Question: How old is Batman in Soul of the Dragon?

My headcanon for that has been that it could be the New Frontier (Earth-21) universe. Could be wrong?

ME TOO! In fact, here are the films I consider canon to eachother. I call it "Earth-Prime".



As for Bruce's age, it lines up perfectly.

New Frontier: Bruce Wayne is 23 in the beginning of the film, and 29 years old by the end of the film.

Soul Of The Dragon: Bruce Wayne is 42 years old by this time. Bruce Wayne has been Batman for around twenty years by this time, which means the flashbacks in this film are set sometime in the 1940s or early 1950s.

Dark Knight Returns: Bruce Wayne is Fifty-Five by this time. Bruce Wayne has been retired as Batman for ten years by this time. This means he retired in the year 1976, three years after the events of "Batman: Soul Of The Dragon". Superman mentions both Wonder Woman and Green Lantern: "Diana went back to her people......Hal left the planet." It seems that The Justice League split up in 1976 as well due to the following dialogue: "You know, we almost had this talk ten years ago when you wouldn't go along with the deal we made. Everyone else agreed. Diana went back to her people. Hal left the planet. And Oliver? Did he agree?"

JLA Adventures: The "present day" scenes must occur sometime before 1976 since "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Deluxe Edition" reveals that Batman and The Justice League retired by that year. It's likely they are set after "Batman: Soul Of The Dragon" due to Robin being absent from that film. So Bruce is in his mid-40s in this one.

 

[barryh]

Doom Patrol is more of a parody/gag series IMO.

 

[selfishmisery]

ME TOO! In fact, here are the films I consider canon to eachother. I call it "Earth-Prime".

View attachment 3999

As for Bruce's age, it lines up perfectly.

New Frontier: Bruce Wayne is 23 in the beginning of the film, and 29 years old by the end of the film.

Soul Of The Dragon: Bruce Wayne is 42 years old by this time. Bruce Wayne has been Batman for around twenty years by this time, which means the flashbacks in this film are set sometime in the 1940s or early 1950s.

Agree.

Dark Knight Returns: Bruce Wayne is Fifty-Five by this time. Bruce Wayne has been retired as Batman for ten years by this time. This means he retired in the year 1976, three years after the events of "Batman: Soul Of The Dragon". Superman mentions both Wonder Woman and Green Lantern: "Diana went back to her people......Hal left the planet." It seems that The Justice League split up in 1976 as well due to the following dialogue: "You know, we almost had this talk ten years ago when you wouldn't go along with the deal we made. Everyone else agreed. Diana went back to her people. Hal left the planet. And Oliver? Did he agree?"

JLA Adventures: The "present day" scenes must occur sometime before 1976 since "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Deluxe Edition" reveals that Batman and The Justice League retired by that year. It's likely they are set after "Batman: Soul Of The Dragon" due to Robin being absent from that film. So Bruce is in his mid-40s in this one.

Disagree, personally.

TDKR is Earth-31.
JLA Adventures I think is more likely the Batman Unlimited universe, those shorts plus the 3 movies since they had the same character designer that worked on JLA Adventures. (Eric something, I forgot his last name. He has a deviantART account or did at one point.)

 

[Dallas Kinard]

JLA Adventures is set in the "present day" but it's ambiguous as to when exactly that is.

It's stated: "This is Lex Luthor. It says here his body was found in the year twenty-eight fifty-six." Lex Luthor then states "The year twenty-eight fifty-six. I've been frozen for nearly a thousand years." This can't be true due to simple math. If 2856 minus 1000 equals 1856, then that would place the opening "present day" scenes in 1856, which doesn't line up with the technology being shown.

However, Lex does say "nearly a thousand years". This is vague enough to make it 881 years or so instead of 1000. 2856 minus 881 equals 1975. Lex Luthor then states: "I am Lex Luthor, and I want you to take me back in time. A thousand years ago, to be exact." If he is travelling from the 31st century, this would take him to the early 2000s..

After time travelling, the two Legion Of Superheroes members ask_"Are we truly a thousand years in the past? Looks like it."_ Due to the technology, it can't be 1856. Dawnstar then states "Remember this is the twenty first century, a time of great ruthlessness." Since 1856 took place in the 19th century and the characters believe they are in the 21st century, the most logical conclusion is that there is a continuity error and the characters mistakenly believe they are in the 21st century, when in fact they are in the 20th century.

Later, it's stated: "I am Dawnstar. This is Val Armorr, also known as karate Kid. We're from the future. The thirty first century. A thousand years from now. The one you know as Lex Luthor had been discovered in the year 2856 during the big thaw of the second warming. It took a massive ice thaw and hundreds of years for civilization to find Lex frozen in this wasteland." The 31st century spans the years 3001 - 3100. It makes more sense that this film is set in the 1970s.

This film takes heavy inspiration from the "Super Friends" franchise which began airing in 1973. Batman and Superman's designs resemble their Earth Two comic counterparts of the 1970s.

 

[Dallas Kinard]

This weekend I'm going to watch TMNT for the first time. I have a theory that the turtles in that movie are the same turtles we see in Batman versus Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles. The main reason is the character designs are similar and also Warner Brothers produced and distributed TMNT. It was the only Ninja turtles film that Warner Brothers produced. So we can call those turtles the Warner Brothers turtles who then of course ended up crossing over with Batman. It could be argued the same turtles are in the Injustice games as well.

 

[barryh]

It was the only Ninja turtles film that Warner Brothers produced.

They didn't produce TMNT (2007), they only had the US and Canadian distribution rights. It's the same as Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Movie (2004) or Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning (2023) - WB just dealt with distribution and had no production rights or input.

 

[Dallas Kinard]

They didn't produce TMNT (2007), they only had the US and Canadian distribution rights. It's the same as Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Movie (2004) or Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning (2023) - WB just dealt with distribution and had no production rights or input.

They are still the closest thing to Warner Bros turtles we'll ever get.

 

[barryh]

Warner are doing theatrical reruns of the 1990 movie this week: https://www.mediaplaynews.com/warne...rtles-in-theaters-for-films-35th-anniversary/

 

[Dallas Kinard]

Not sure where else to post this, but Batman Return Of The Caped Crusaders is firmly set in 1966.

 

[Megatron]

Not sure where else to post this, but Batman Return Of The Caped Crusaders is firmly set in 1966.

View attachment 4097

In the Earth-66 timeline thread!

 

[Pro Bot]

I'm pretty sure the year has to be dismissed if you count the whole 66 world, but nice find even still.

 

[Pro Bot]

Maybe I should start doing the other DC animated timelines.

 

[selfishmisery]

Not sure where else to post this, but Batman Return Of The Caped Crusaders is firmly set in 1966.

View attachment 4097

"Alfred, how many years has that calendar been there?"

 

[Dallas Kinard]

I'm pretty sure the year has to be dismissed if you count the whole 66 world, but nice find even still.

Personally I consider the two animated films "based on" the live action series rather than a part of it. But your milage may vary.

 

[Dallas Kinard]

"Alfred, how many years has that calendar been there?"

This is Dick's own apartment after Bruce fired him. So no Alfred!

 

[selfishmisery]

This is Dick's own apartment after Bruce fired him. So no Alfred!

"Dick, how many years has that calendar been there?"

 

[Dallas Kinard]

"Dick, how many years has that calendar been there?"

We never see anyone visit...

 

[Megatron]

We never see anyone visit...

It's irony Mr. Dallas.

 

[Dallas Kinard]

As for Batman VS Two-Face, a 1968 Ford Galaxie 500 can be seen at one point, placing this film in at least this year.

 

[Pro Bot]

As for Batman VS Two-Face, a 1968 Ford Galaxie 500 can be seen at one point, placing this film in at least this year.

That's useful. There's a 6 month time jump, so if you want to isolate it, 1966, 1967-1968/1968-1969.

 

[Dallas Kinard]

That's useful. There's a 6 month time jump, so if you want to isolate it, 1966, 1967-1968/1968-1969.

And then at the end there is this exchange during the final scene, which takes place "months" after the six month jump.

Dick: "Gosh, Bruce, it's been months. How do you think Harvey will act when he sees us?"

Bruce: "The warden says Harvey's been a model prisoner."

 

[iceman109]

What DC Showcase shorts go in which universes?

 

[barryh]

What DC Showcase shorts go in which universes?

DCUAOM
Jonah Hex
The Spectre
Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam
Batman: Death in the Family

Young Justice adjacent
Green Arrow

Batman: Year One
Catwoman

Tomorrowverse
Constantine: The House of Mystery
The Phantom Stranger
Death
Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth!
The Losers
Sgt. Rock
Blue Beetle
Adam Strange

 

[Pro Bot]

DCUAOM
Jonah Hex
The Spectre
Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam
Batman: Death in the Family

Young Justice adjacent
Green Arrow

Batman: Year One
Catwoman

Tomorrowverse
Constantine: The House of Mystery
The Phantom Stranger
Death
Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth!
The Losers
Sgt. Rock
Blue Beetle
Adam Strange

Not quite.

Standalone
DC Showcase: The Spectre
DC Showcase: Jonah Hex
DC Showcase: Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam
DC Showcase: The Phantom Stranger

Young Justice
DC Showcase: Green Arrow

Year One/The Dark Knight Returns
DC Showcase: Catwoman

DC Animated Movie Universe
DC Showcase: Sgt. Rock
DC Showcase: Death
DC Showcase: Adam Strange [Tomorrowverse: Earth-1]
DC Showcase: Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth! [Tomorrowverse: Earth-AD]
DC Showcase: The Losers [Tomorrowverse: Earth-1]
DC Showcase: Blue Beetle [Tomorrowverse: Earth-4]
DC Showcase: Constantine: The House of Mystery [Tomorrowverse: Purgatory]

Batman: Under the Red Hood
DC Showcase: Batman: Death in the Family

 

[Pro Bot]

Also, Young Justice "canon-adjacent" is a silly concept. I mean, there's no reason why Green Arrow and Catwoman: Hunted can't just be objective canon. The contradictions are very minor. Green Lantern is more problematic.

 

[Dallas Kinard]

I'm not so sure about Catwoman. First of all, it's a modern setting. Year One being in the 50s is already a stretch with the vehicles alone not matching that era, but Catwoman seems to be "present day".

Then we have Selina Kyle herself and how she's a different race. Here she is in Year One. Brown skin, dark hair and brown eyes.



Then we have the Showcase. Totally different features. Light skin, light eyes. However, Eliza Dushku voices both.




Edit:
I do see Selina is sporting the same short hair she did in Year One....



Finally we have old lady Selina in Returns. She's sort of a mix of the two. But at least her eyes are brown again. White hair, and light skin. I can believe she's the same Selina from Year One personally.



Then we have Holly Robinson. In both Year One and Showcase she's voiced by Liliana Mumy. The character models are slightly different.

Year One:



Showcase:



One more thing, cell phone can be seen in the Showcase, even though it's likely the 1960s by this time....



Of course, do what you will with all of that info, just figured I'd share.