A good climax to a film—classified as the moment the conflict reaches its peak, leaving only room for falling action afterward—can make or break the entire experience. A project can have the best conflict writing out there, but if it can’t execute on it when it matters most, none of that will really matter. With how long superhero movies have reigned supreme over the box office, it’s also safe to say that superhero movies have had some amazing climactic scenes, too.
While Marvel may be the top dog—most of the time, that is—in superhero cinema, DC Comics has always held their own and released some phenomenal projects over the years. With that, fans of the company and its character roster have gotten some great climaxes in their films across the decades of cinema they’ve been part of.
9
‘Watchmen’ (2009)
Ozymandias in his costume toasting with a glass of champagne in Watchmen
Watchmen‘s climax comes in the form of Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) staging a fake alien invasion to “destroy” New York City in hopes of avoiding a nuclear war. He accomplishes his goal, yes, and brings the superheroes of the universe together to face it, but they must decide whether they tell the world the truth of it all or not. It is filled with complexities and thrills, which makes it super memorable.
8
‘Joker’ (2019)
Joaquin Phoenix in JokerImage via Warner Bros. Pictures
The climax of Joker is quite easily the most memorable scene in the entire film. People remembered this moment in particular for quite some time after leaving theaters, to the point in which it even became a meme on the internet for a while. The performance that star Joaquin Phoenix gives when he finally snaps on Murray Franklin’s (Robert De Niro) show.
When Joker goes on the Murray Franklin Show, he finally meets his breaking point, and, after having a bit of fun poking the bear, he screams his iconic quote and murders the show host on live television. It’s this that incites the riots in the city, which act as the falling action of the story. This is such a shocking and jaw-dropping moment that it’s hard to forget and has the exact kind of impact that director Todd Phillips wanted it to have.
7
‘Superman’ (2025)
David Corenswet as Superman confronting Lex Luthor about what it means to be human in ‘Superman’ (2025)
One of the most recent superhero movie hits is none other than James Gunn‘s Superman, and for very good reasons—one of which being the film’s climax. When Superman (David Corenswet) finally gets the chance to face off with Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) after saving the city—the world—from a trans-dimensional rift the villain himself opened, he doesn’t do so through physical violence, but words.
This climactic moment doesn’t just hit hard because of the great delivery from Corenswet, but because it emphasizes why the superhero is so special and important. The Big Blue Boy Scout chooses to tell Lex why he is who he is and what the beauty of being human is, rather than punching him—Krypto (Ozu the Dog) takes care of that part—and that wraps up his character arc perfectly, as well as the villain’s.
6
‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
For being the final film in what people consider one of the greatest superhero trilogies ever made, The Dark Knight Rises had so much weight on its shoulders to finish off the saga with grace and satisfaction for the audience. When it seems that Gotham City is going to be destroyed, the Caped Crusader makes the selfless decision to sacrifice himself to save the home he loves so much.
It’s in this action that he wraps up his character arc by becoming what the city needs, as he always said he would, and tells Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman)—indirectly—who he really is, and the impact he had on him as a kid. Batman (Christian Bale) was always going to have a heroic ending, so this climactic scene felt incredibly fitting for this iteration of the character.
5
‘Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox’ (2013)
Flash holding Batman watching the end of the universe in Justice League: The Flashpoint ParadoxImage via Warner Bros. Animation
It’s made pretty clear from the start of Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox that Flash (Justin Chambers) saving his mother from dying was a terrible idea— yes, a terrible one, if one can believe it. The butterfly effect that results from this decision pretty much ruins the DC Comics universe and, by the end of the film, it all comes to a head in the event of the universe pretty much being destroyed after he faces off with the Reverse Flash (C. Thomas Howell), his nemesis.
This all results in Barry Allen having to make the heartbreaking decision to change his choice of saving his mother to restore the universe back to what it was— or, similar to it. A decision like this invests the audience tenfold, because pretty much anyone can relate to the fact that if they made a choice like our hero did, they would also be torn up about it, making the decision he makes all the more impactful for the audience.
4
‘Shazam!’ (2019)
The Shazam hero family, together at the fair in Shazam! (2019).Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
After the Zack Snyder movies became the standard for DC Comics movies, Shazam!came as quite a surprise to audiences when it released in 2019. It is such a lighthearted movie that has a plethora of heart, soul, and strong coming-of-age and found family storylines. It felt unlike anything else in the DC Extended Universe, in the best ways.
The climax of the film features the family coming together and all becoming “Shazamed” versions of themselves, bringing the family together both metaphorically and literally. It is incredibly satisfying because not only does it offer up an epic superhero scene, but it provides a full circle moment in the story, as well.
3
‘The Batman’ (2022)
Batman leading citizens out of a flood in The BatmanImage via Warner Bros. Entertainment
One of the most popular superhero movies of the last decade is, without a doubt, the one and only The Batman by Matt Reeves. This is not only because Batman movies have always been extremely popular, but because of the drastic jump in direction to focus more on the detective side of the character. Not only that, though, it takes the time to emphasize the hope that a darker character like Batman can still bring to the people around him.
The climax of the movie features Batman (Robert Pattinson) overcoming the squad of Riddler’s (Paul Dano) followers. But the triumphant feeling doesn’t come from defeating the last goon, but rather Batman leading the citizens of Gotham City to safety and being the light that guides them forward.
2
‘Batman: Under the Red Hood’ (2010)
Batman pinning Jason Todd to a wall in Batman: Under the Red HoodImage via Warner Bros. Animation
The conflict of Batman: Under the Red Hood is one of the best in a DC Comics movie, period. The relationship between Bruce Wayne (Bruce Greenwood) and Jason Todd (Jensen Ackles) is one filled to the brim with emotion, tension, heartbreak, and hurt, making it incredibly compelling. So, when Jason finally gets his former father figure into his warehouse, he pulls out a plan that he hopes with get vengeance for his death and prove a point to the Caped Crusader.
Turns out, Jason had the Joker (John DiMaggio) taken captive, and tells Batman that he’s not even angry that he couldn’t save him, but he’s angry that Joker was allowed to live for what he did to the young man. He then tells Batman to make a choice: kill Joker himself, let Jason kill the clown, or kill Jason to stop him. The reaction Batman has is the exact reason that the character is so special and should be viewed by any fan of the character, refusing to take a life, trusting that Jason won’t.
1
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
Batman in a warehouse with glowing white eyes in The Dark KnightImage via Warner Bros. Pictures
The Dark Knight, to this day, is still considered one of the greatest superhero movies ever made, and the conflict is a great example as to why that is. One of the highest-praised things about The Dark Knight is the screenplay, written by Christopher Nolan and his brother, Jonathan Nolan. It’s incredibly smart and thought-provoking, which makes people feel like the project is deep and engaging.
When Joker (Heath Ledger) sets up a social experiment of sorts, to prove to Batman the true nature of people, he’s proven wrong, and it results in a super satisfying moment. Batman then goes to face off against Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), in which he takes the fall for the villain’s crimes, to preserve his legacy with the city and retain the hope he gave them.
Collider Exclusive · Oscar Best Picture Quiz Which Oscar Best Picture Is Your Perfect Movie? Parasite · Everything Everywhere · Oppenheimer · Birdman · No Country
Five Oscar Best Picture winners. Five completely different visions of what cinema can be — and what it can do to you. One of them is the film that was made for the way your mind works. Ten questions will figure out which one.
🪜Parasite
🌀Everything Everywhere
☢️Oppenheimer
🐦Birdman
🪙No Country for Old Men
01
What kind of film experience do you actually want? The best movies don’t just entertain — they leave something behind.
02
Which idea grabs you most in a film? Great films are driven by a central obsession. What’s yours?
03
How do you like your story told? Form is content. The way a story is shaped changes what it means.
04
What makes a truly great antagonist? The opposition defines the protagonist. What kind of opposition fascinates you?
05
What do you want from a film’s ending? The final note is the one that lingers. What do you want it to sound like?
06
Which setting pulls you in most? Where a film takes place shapes everything — mood, stakes, what’s even possible.
07
What cinematic craft impresses you most? Every great film has a signature — a technical or artistic element that makes it unmistakable.
08
What kind of main character do you root for? The protagonist is the lens. Who you choose to follow says something about you.
09
How do you feel about a film that takes its time? Pace is a choice. Some films sprint; others let tension accumulate slowly, deliberately.
10
What do you want to feel walking out of the cinema? The best films leave a mark. What kind of mark do you want?
The Academy Has Decided Your Perfect Film Is…
Your answers have pointed to one Oscar Best Picture winner above all others. This is the film that was made for the way your mind works.
Parasite
You are drawn to films that operate on multiple levels simultaneously — that begin in one genre and quietly, brilliantly migrate into another. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is a film about class, desire, and the architecture of inequality that manages to be darkly funny, deeply suspenseful, and genuinely shocking across a single extraordinary running time. Your instinct is for cinema that hides its true intentions until the moment it’s ready to reveal them. Parasite is exactly that — a film that rewards close attention and punishes assumptions, right up to its devastating final image.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
You want it all — and this film gives you all of it. The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most maximalist films ever made: action comedy, multiverse sci-fi, family drama, existential crisis, and a genuinely earned emotional core that sneaks up on you amid the chaos. You are someone who responds to ambition, who doesn’t want cinema to choose between being entertaining and being meaningful. This film refuses that choice entirely. It is overwhelming by design, and its overwhelming nature is precisely the point — because the feeling of being crushed by infinite possibility is exactly what it’s about.
Oppenheimer
You are drawn to cinema on a grand scale — films that understand history not as a backdrop but as a force, and that place their characters inside that force and watch what happens. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a film about the terrifying gap between what we can do and what we should do, told with the full weight of one of the most consequential moments in human history behind it. You want your films to feel important without feeling self-important — to earn their ambition through sheer craft and the gravity of their subject. Oppenheimer does exactly that. It is enormous, complicated, and refuses easy comfort.
Birdman
You are drawn to films that foreground their own construction — that make the how of the filmmaking part of the what it’s about. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, shot to appear as a single continuous take, is cinema examining itself through the cracked mirror of a fading actor’s ego. You respond to formal daring, to the feeling that a film is doing something that probably shouldn’t be possible. Michael Keaton’s performance and Emmanuel Lubezki’s restless camera create something genuinely unlike anything else — a film that is simultaneously about creativity, relevance, self-destruction, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing if your work means anything at all.
No Country for Old Men
You are drawn to cinema that trusts silence, that refuses to explain itself, and that treats dread as a form of meaning. The Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men is a film about the arrival of a new kind of evil — implacable, arbitrary, and utterly indifferent to the moral frameworks we use to make sense of the world. It is one of the most formally controlled films ever made, and its controlled restraint is what makes it so terrifying. You want your films to haunt you, not comfort you. You are not interested in resolution if resolution would be dishonest. No Country for Old Men is honest in a way that most cinema never dares to be.
