10 Most Shocking 2024 DC Movie & Show Moments
Warning! This article contains spoilers for every film and TV show discussed.2024 was a tumultuous year for the DC Universe, with many shocking twists and turns occurring throughout the franchise"s movies and TV shows. In truth, 2024 has been a fairly light year for DC compared to the past frequent release schedule of the DCEU movies, with the DCU still yet to truly find its footing. However, what content did release came with a whole host of impossible-to-see coming developments that shocked dedicated viewers.
Most of the DC Universe"s 2024 release schedule has been animated, with series like My Adventures with Superman, Creature Commandos, and the Tomorrowverse"s final trilogy taking up the majority of the slate. Still, the occasional hotly-anticipated live-action release did make it"s way into the year"s releases, with the Batman villain-centric projects Joker: Folie Á Deux and The Penguin getting the lion"s share of fan attention. Whatever the case, most DC projects this year came with at least one shocking scene that left a huge impact on fans.
10 The Penguin Kills Victor Aguilar Oz is truly an irredeemable guy![]()
Image via Max Perhaps the single most shocking moment in DC"s 2024 lineup was the callous murder of Victor Aguilar, the dedicated henchman who helps Oz Cobb throughout his rise to power as The Penguin in the eponymous series. Victor"s death is threatened from the moment he first appears, as his first interaction with Oz is being shot at after a botched attempt to steal the rims off his car. Oz eventually seems to take Victor under his criminal wing instead, even perhaps growing a fondness for him as he takes him out for slushies and forces him to commit horrible crimes.
But for once, Oz is a man of his word, and follows through with his initial threat to kill Victor in the shocking final episode of The Penguin. Not only does Oz callously murder the man who helped him rise to power so diligently without a second thought, but he does so in an extremely personal and drawn-out manner, strangling the life out of Victor with his bare hands. Though The Penguin might be from his perspective, it certainly doesn"t paint Oz Cobb as a nice guy.
9 The Penguin Kills Alberto Falcone The murder of passion that began the series![]()
Image via Max Not only does The Penguin end with Oz committing a horrific murder, but the series" very inciting incident is the result of his sudden and jarring proclivity for violence. After the death of Carmine Falcone in The Batman, the activities of the Falcone crime family are taken over by Carmine"s arrogant son, Alberto. Confronting Oz shortly after his father"s death, Alberto reveals that the family had known he was skimming off the top of his earnings, humiliating The Penguin by verbally abusing him and promising him a shorter leash in the near future.
As a response, Oz wordlessly guns down his new boss where he sits, sucker punching both Alberto and the audience with the sudden crime of passion. This event not only instantly creates a power vacuum in the Gotham City criminal underworld (One Oz intends to fill right away), but it also begins his bloody conflict with the remainder of the Falcone mafia family. It"s safe to say this shocking murder instantly hooked plenty of viewers in the opening moments of The Penguin.
8 Joker: Folie Á Deux's Ending Reveals The "Real" Joker Arthur Fleck was never the real Clown Prince of Crime![]()
Image via Warner Bros. The other major 2024 DC project to focus on the perspective of a Batman villain and the franchise"s only live-action film release of the year, Joker: Folie Á Deux earned director Todd Phillips plenty of controversy. While the first film quickly became a cult classic (Perhaps for the wrong reasons in Todd Phillips" eyes), the second Joker movie spent much of its runtime undermining the importance and agency of Arthur Fleck as the titular bad guy. In fact, the ending of Joker: Folie Á Deux shockingly elaborates that he isn"t even the real deal.
Much of Joker: Folie Á Deux is spent exploring the idea that the public sentiment Arthur Fleck"s actions as The Joker caused has grown far bigger than him, with his fervent followers disagreeing with and even attacking him by the third act. This thesis statement is finalized when a random Arkham inmate stabs Fleck to death following his admission of guilt in court. Other than being a shock ending to Fleck"s tragic tale, it"s also a clever twist on his own actions. Just like Murray, Arthur is killed by a man who developed a parasocial relationship with him on TV.
7 The Joker Is Sexually Assaulted In Joker: Folie Á Deux The second Joker film got even darker than murder![]()
Image via Warner Bros. Somehow, the main character being unexpectedly killed was far from the darkest thing to happen in Joker: Folie Á Deux. One particularly grisly scene occurs after Joker attempts to represent himself in court in-character, badmouthing the Arkham staff in the process. When he returns to confinement, he"s brutally beaten by the guards, who then go on to strip him and drag him into a dark corner in the showers. It"s heavily implied that he is sexually assaulted here, as being beaten by the guards is par for the course at this point, not justifying the ominous fade to black.
To say this is one of the most shocking things to happen in any live-action DC movie, let alone within the scope of 2024, wouldn"t be an understatement. Joker was always quite dour in tone and realistic compared to other comic book movies, but some would argue that this particular scene takes things a step too far in the sequel. Questions of taste aside, the moment is a hard one to believe when seeing the film for the first time.
6 Superman Dies Permanently In Superman & Lois' Ending A tragic end to the CW superhero shows![]()
One notable milestone reached by DC in 2024 was the end of an era regarding the franchise"s place in the drama series of the CW. While Superman & Lois isn"t technically part of the Arrowverse, it still represented the last gasp of DC"s dominance over the channel"s serialized TV offerings. In its conclusion, the show offered a stunning final development that shocked many, the first permanent deaths of Lois and Clark in live-action.
In the final episode of Superman & Lois, both the titular characters are killed off in a tragic display of narrative closure. First, Lois passes away after losing her long-standing battle with cancer in the show, a death that wasn"t exactly unexpected, but still incredibly poignant in the context of the finale. What fewer fans suspected was the (second) death of Superman himself. Though he technically is killed by Doomsday in the season premiere, Superman returns only to die for real after living a long and prosperous life as a regular man, his heart giving out.
5 G.I. Robot Is Killed By Calypso Creature Commandos are more human than they think![]()
It wasn"t just live action arenas that shocked DC fans in 2024, with plenty of interesting developments occurring in the year"s more numerous animated projects. Still being released at the time of writing, James Gunn"s last-minute 2024 DC animated series sneak with Creature Commandos has already landed some devastating blows on its unsuspecting audience. In true James Gunn fashion, the arguably least human of the monstrous special ops squad has suffered from one of the most sympathetic endings. The third episode is centered on the long-lived G.I. Robot, a World War II automaton who loves his job - Killing Nazis.
The episode follows the course of his life over the ages in flashbacks, aching at a deeply-buried desire to have comrades again like he did during his original deployment with Easy Company. Just as it seems G.I. is finally able to step back into his element, his Nazi-killing montage is suddenly and coldly interrupted by the sorceress Calypso, who seemingly kills him. This unexpected death is made all the more tragic by G.I."s last words to his new friend Nina, "Cheers for the tin man".
4 Kevin Conroy's Last Lines As Batman Were Uttered An unexpected send-off to the greatest Batman ever![]()
Few names are as venerated in DC animation as Kevin Conroy, who provided the iconic voice for Batman in a wide slew of media ever since his initial casting in the 90s cartoon Batman: The Animated Series. Following his tragic passing in 2022, many fans had assumed that the video game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League would mark Conroy"s final vocal performance as the Caped Crusader. This would"ve been a true shame considering the game"s overall disastrous reputation and critical reception, due to reasons including Batman"s treatment in the story.
Luckily, the Tomorrowverse"s Justice League Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Three was able to close out the latest animated DC movie continuity with a final posthumous performance from Kevin Conroy. Thanks to the multiverse story, Kevin Conroy"s Batman was able to appear in the film, getting some final licks in on the Joker much to the surprise of everyone watching. Fittingly enough, one of his final lines is "And if it has to end at least I go out like this... being Batman”. More than any live-action actor, Conroy truly is the definitive voice of Batman.
3 Deadshot Bullies Ratchatcher In Suicide Squad Isekai The target remembers, but the shooter forgets![]()
Not every shocking moment from DC media in 2024 necessarily has to be something so tragic or brutal. Suicide Squad Isekai was a criminally underrated release in 2024, blending the character-focused antics of the Suicide Squad with the popular concept of "Isekai" anime, which feature stories of everyday protagonists from the modern day being sucked into fantastical worlds. The show has some interesting takes on classic DC villains and their relationships, including one absurdly funny punchline revolving around two specific evildoers.
Upon realizing that a recent rash of monster attacks in the fantasy countryside were the work of the villain Ratcatcher, Deadshot hopes to work things out easily, remembering Ratchatcher as one of his "few good homies". It"s soon revealed that Ratchatcher doesn"t remember things the same way, with a hilarious montage of Deadshot bullying the rodent-themed villain while in prison. It"s hilarious to see that as accurate as he is with a firearm, Deadshot is way off the mark when it comes to his standing with fellow supervillains.
2 Superman Gains A New Superpower In My Adventures With Superman The latest animated Superman show takes some big liberties with powers![]()
Speaking of DC media crossed with anime, the second season of My Adventures with Superman also released in 2024, continuing to take heavy inspiration from the medium. The series has been lauded for its ability to riff on the otherwise tired and worn Superman mythos, coming up with creative fresh interpretations of characters like Supergirl and Mr. Mxyzptlk. Even Superman"s core power set is immune to some hefty re-imagining, including with a brand-new power shown off in the most recent season.
It"s revealed that in addition to the standard suite of flight, super strength, speed, durability, senses, and laser vision, Clark also has a unique bio-electrical aura. This ability makes him unique even among Kryptonians, able to generate an electric forcefield around his body whenever he uses his other powers. In a stunning display of proficiency, Superman is able to extend this force field and use it to contain a dangerous fusion core, demonstrating a shocking new power never-before-seen by an animated Superman.
1 Sofia Falcone Murders Her Family In The Penguin Sofia is just as dangerous as the title villain![]()
Though she almost seems reasonable compared to the greedy and self-serving Oz, Sofia Falcone, the antagonist of The Penguin, is no less of a monster. Framed for a series of murders by her family, Sofia is kept for years in Arkham Asylum, only managing to get released around the time of her brother"s murder at the hands of Oz. After realizing Oz was behind her brother"s death and deciding that no one has suspected her since her return, Sofia resolves to kill everyone she can"t trust, including most of her family.
Using a series of pipes, she"s able to kill nearly everyone in the Falcone family mansion in their sleep with deadly carbon monoxide gas. After years of being treated like a monster, Sofia becomes the very thing she was told she is, and forcefully takes over the family business. This boiling-over point was a long time coming, but was nevertheless a shocking move for DC to make in The Penguin.
Upcoming DC Movie Releases
Most of the DC Universe"s 2024 release schedule has been animated, with series like My Adventures with Superman, Creature Commandos, and the Tomorrowverse"s final trilogy taking up the majority of the slate. Still, the occasional hotly-anticipated live-action release did make it"s way into the year"s releases, with the Batman villain-centric projects Joker: Folie Á Deux and The Penguin getting the lion"s share of fan attention. Whatever the case, most DC projects this year came with at least one shocking scene that left a huge impact on fans.
10 The Penguin Kills Victor Aguilar Oz is truly an irredeemable guy
Image via Max Perhaps the single most shocking moment in DC"s 2024 lineup was the callous murder of Victor Aguilar, the dedicated henchman who helps Oz Cobb throughout his rise to power as The Penguin in the eponymous series. Victor"s death is threatened from the moment he first appears, as his first interaction with Oz is being shot at after a botched attempt to steal the rims off his car. Oz eventually seems to take Victor under his criminal wing instead, even perhaps growing a fondness for him as he takes him out for slushies and forces him to commit horrible crimes.But for once, Oz is a man of his word, and follows through with his initial threat to kill Victor in the shocking final episode of The Penguin. Not only does Oz callously murder the man who helped him rise to power so diligently without a second thought, but he does so in an extremely personal and drawn-out manner, strangling the life out of Victor with his bare hands. Though The Penguin might be from his perspective, it certainly doesn"t paint Oz Cobb as a nice guy.
9 The Penguin Kills Alberto Falcone The murder of passion that began the series
Image via Max Not only does The Penguin end with Oz committing a horrific murder, but the series" very inciting incident is the result of his sudden and jarring proclivity for violence. After the death of Carmine Falcone in The Batman, the activities of the Falcone crime family are taken over by Carmine"s arrogant son, Alberto. Confronting Oz shortly after his father"s death, Alberto reveals that the family had known he was skimming off the top of his earnings, humiliating The Penguin by verbally abusing him and promising him a shorter leash in the near future.As a response, Oz wordlessly guns down his new boss where he sits, sucker punching both Alberto and the audience with the sudden crime of passion. This event not only instantly creates a power vacuum in the Gotham City criminal underworld (One Oz intends to fill right away), but it also begins his bloody conflict with the remainder of the Falcone mafia family. It"s safe to say this shocking murder instantly hooked plenty of viewers in the opening moments of The Penguin.
8 Joker: Folie Á Deux's Ending Reveals The "Real" Joker Arthur Fleck was never the real Clown Prince of Crime
Image via Warner Bros. The other major 2024 DC project to focus on the perspective of a Batman villain and the franchise"s only live-action film release of the year, Joker: Folie Á Deux earned director Todd Phillips plenty of controversy. While the first film quickly became a cult classic (Perhaps for the wrong reasons in Todd Phillips" eyes), the second Joker movie spent much of its runtime undermining the importance and agency of Arthur Fleck as the titular bad guy. In fact, the ending of Joker: Folie Á Deux shockingly elaborates that he isn"t even the real deal.Much of Joker: Folie Á Deux is spent exploring the idea that the public sentiment Arthur Fleck"s actions as The Joker caused has grown far bigger than him, with his fervent followers disagreeing with and even attacking him by the third act. This thesis statement is finalized when a random Arkham inmate stabs Fleck to death following his admission of guilt in court. Other than being a shock ending to Fleck"s tragic tale, it"s also a clever twist on his own actions. Just like Murray, Arthur is killed by a man who developed a parasocial relationship with him on TV.
7 The Joker Is Sexually Assaulted In Joker: Folie Á Deux The second Joker film got even darker than murder
Image via Warner Bros. Somehow, the main character being unexpectedly killed was far from the darkest thing to happen in Joker: Folie Á Deux. One particularly grisly scene occurs after Joker attempts to represent himself in court in-character, badmouthing the Arkham staff in the process. When he returns to confinement, he"s brutally beaten by the guards, who then go on to strip him and drag him into a dark corner in the showers. It"s heavily implied that he is sexually assaulted here, as being beaten by the guards is par for the course at this point, not justifying the ominous fade to black.To say this is one of the most shocking things to happen in any live-action DC movie, let alone within the scope of 2024, wouldn"t be an understatement. Joker was always quite dour in tone and realistic compared to other comic book movies, but some would argue that this particular scene takes things a step too far in the sequel. Questions of taste aside, the moment is a hard one to believe when seeing the film for the first time.
6 Superman Dies Permanently In Superman & Lois' Ending A tragic end to the CW superhero shows
One notable milestone reached by DC in 2024 was the end of an era regarding the franchise"s place in the drama series of the CW. While Superman & Lois isn"t technically part of the Arrowverse, it still represented the last gasp of DC"s dominance over the channel"s serialized TV offerings. In its conclusion, the show offered a stunning final development that shocked many, the first permanent deaths of Lois and Clark in live-action.In the final episode of Superman & Lois, both the titular characters are killed off in a tragic display of narrative closure. First, Lois passes away after losing her long-standing battle with cancer in the show, a death that wasn"t exactly unexpected, but still incredibly poignant in the context of the finale. What fewer fans suspected was the (second) death of Superman himself. Though he technically is killed by Doomsday in the season premiere, Superman returns only to die for real after living a long and prosperous life as a regular man, his heart giving out.
5 G.I. Robot Is Killed By Calypso Creature Commandos are more human than they think
It wasn"t just live action arenas that shocked DC fans in 2024, with plenty of interesting developments occurring in the year"s more numerous animated projects. Still being released at the time of writing, James Gunn"s last-minute 2024 DC animated series sneak with Creature Commandos has already landed some devastating blows on its unsuspecting audience. In true James Gunn fashion, the arguably least human of the monstrous special ops squad has suffered from one of the most sympathetic endings. The third episode is centered on the long-lived G.I. Robot, a World War II automaton who loves his job - Killing Nazis.The episode follows the course of his life over the ages in flashbacks, aching at a deeply-buried desire to have comrades again like he did during his original deployment with Easy Company. Just as it seems G.I. is finally able to step back into his element, his Nazi-killing montage is suddenly and coldly interrupted by the sorceress Calypso, who seemingly kills him. This unexpected death is made all the more tragic by G.I."s last words to his new friend Nina, "Cheers for the tin man".
4 Kevin Conroy's Last Lines As Batman Were Uttered An unexpected send-off to the greatest Batman ever
Few names are as venerated in DC animation as Kevin Conroy, who provided the iconic voice for Batman in a wide slew of media ever since his initial casting in the 90s cartoon Batman: The Animated Series. Following his tragic passing in 2022, many fans had assumed that the video game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League would mark Conroy"s final vocal performance as the Caped Crusader. This would"ve been a true shame considering the game"s overall disastrous reputation and critical reception, due to reasons including Batman"s treatment in the story.Luckily, the Tomorrowverse"s Justice League Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Three was able to close out the latest animated DC movie continuity with a final posthumous performance from Kevin Conroy. Thanks to the multiverse story, Kevin Conroy"s Batman was able to appear in the film, getting some final licks in on the Joker much to the surprise of everyone watching. Fittingly enough, one of his final lines is "And if it has to end at least I go out like this... being Batman”. More than any live-action actor, Conroy truly is the definitive voice of Batman.
3 Deadshot Bullies Ratchatcher In Suicide Squad Isekai The target remembers, but the shooter forgets
Not every shocking moment from DC media in 2024 necessarily has to be something so tragic or brutal. Suicide Squad Isekai was a criminally underrated release in 2024, blending the character-focused antics of the Suicide Squad with the popular concept of "Isekai" anime, which feature stories of everyday protagonists from the modern day being sucked into fantastical worlds. The show has some interesting takes on classic DC villains and their relationships, including one absurdly funny punchline revolving around two specific evildoers.Upon realizing that a recent rash of monster attacks in the fantasy countryside were the work of the villain Ratcatcher, Deadshot hopes to work things out easily, remembering Ratchatcher as one of his "few good homies". It"s soon revealed that Ratchatcher doesn"t remember things the same way, with a hilarious montage of Deadshot bullying the rodent-themed villain while in prison. It"s hilarious to see that as accurate as he is with a firearm, Deadshot is way off the mark when it comes to his standing with fellow supervillains.
2 Superman Gains A New Superpower In My Adventures With Superman The latest animated Superman show takes some big liberties with powers
Speaking of DC media crossed with anime, the second season of My Adventures with Superman also released in 2024, continuing to take heavy inspiration from the medium. The series has been lauded for its ability to riff on the otherwise tired and worn Superman mythos, coming up with creative fresh interpretations of characters like Supergirl and Mr. Mxyzptlk. Even Superman"s core power set is immune to some hefty re-imagining, including with a brand-new power shown off in the most recent season.It"s revealed that in addition to the standard suite of flight, super strength, speed, durability, senses, and laser vision, Clark also has a unique bio-electrical aura. This ability makes him unique even among Kryptonians, able to generate an electric forcefield around his body whenever he uses his other powers. In a stunning display of proficiency, Superman is able to extend this force field and use it to contain a dangerous fusion core, demonstrating a shocking new power never-before-seen by an animated Superman.
1 Sofia Falcone Murders Her Family In The Penguin Sofia is just as dangerous as the title villain
Though she almost seems reasonable compared to the greedy and self-serving Oz, Sofia Falcone, the antagonist of The Penguin, is no less of a monster. Framed for a series of murders by her family, Sofia is kept for years in Arkham Asylum, only managing to get released around the time of her brother"s murder at the hands of Oz. After realizing Oz was behind her brother"s death and deciding that no one has suspected her since her return, Sofia resolves to kill everyone she can"t trust, including most of her family.Using a series of pipes, she"s able to kill nearly everyone in the Falcone family mansion in their sleep with deadly carbon monoxide gas. After years of being treated like a monster, Sofia becomes the very thing she was told she is, and forcefully takes over the family business. This boiling-over point was a long time coming, but was nevertheless a shocking move for DC to make in The Penguin.
Upcoming DC Movie Releases
