Diamondlike carbon (DLC) is an amorphous material with a high fraction of sp3 hybridized carbon. DLC exhibits hardness, wear resistance, and chemical inertness properties close to those of diamond. Unfortunately, DLC films delaminate due to internal compressive stress. Internal stresses in diamondlike carbon thin films were reduced via incorporation of elements that form carbides (e.g., silicon and titanium), and incorporation of elements that do not form carbides (e.g., copper and silver). These materials were produced using a novel pulsed laser deposition process that incorporates a multicomponent rotating target. Transmission electron microscopy of the DLC-metal composite films reveals that these films self assemble into particulate or layered nanocomposite structures that possess a high fraction of sp^3-hybridized carbon atoms. Scratch testing demonstrates good adhesion of the DLC-metal nanocomposites to Ti-Al-V substrates. Nanoindentation testing of the DLC-metal nanocomposites demonstrates that these films possess high hardness and Young's modulus values of approximately 35 GPa and 350 GPa, respectively. Wear testing using a CSM Linear Tribometer demonstrates lifetimes in excess of 300,000 cycles. These DLC-metal nanocomposite films can be optimized for specific medical and tribological applications.