DCEU: The Flash’s Unfortunate Box Office Performance like Shazam 2 Hints at Troubles Ahead for Blue Beetle & Aquaman 2

It’s no secret that the soon-to-be disbanded DCEU has been met with trials ever since its inception. Trials that largely resulted from its own undoing.

Furthermore, the derailment that was 2017’s Justice League made sure the franchise would never recover. Hence, the need for reset needed to usher in a new cinematic era. One that will [hopefully] be driven not by corporate greed, but by purposeful decisions.

With the franchise set to wrap up in totality by year’s end in order to make way for a new one, the end seems more bleak than the beginning thereof. As a lack of faith conjoined with current superhero fatigue [in cinema] plaguing fans and audiences alike; is making sure that the DCEU’s end will be anything but memorable.

DCEU’s Plummeting Returns

To begin, Shazam!: Fury of the Gods is first in line. The sequel to the well-received and financially successful 2019 movie was a polar opposite in [almost] everyway following its theatrical release earlier this year.

It also didn’t help that the month it would to choose to release was plagued with other renowned IPs that many felt were better use of their time and money. Hence, the reason why the movie would gross a little over 100 million dollars globally against a budget of over 200 million dollars. For comparison, the Ant-Man threequel which was equally met with critical backlash still managed to haul in a little over 400 million dollars globally against its 200 million budget. Despite having released a month prior.

The weight of shame following such dismal box office returns would cause the Studio to pull the movie from cinemas giving it an early digital release, less than a month later.

The Flash is next on the theatrical docket. And even though it boasts a better critical standing, such [in large part] hasn’t rubbed off on its financial earnings.

For a movie that was lauded by Studio Co-head, James Gunn and mega-action film star, Tom Cruise to haul in a little over 100 million globally at opening weekend; more or less doomed the future of its theatrical run. In comparison, GOTG Vol. 3 & Spider-verse 2 both hauled in over 200 million globally during the course of their weekend debuts.

The presence of this trend puts upcoming DC theatrical features (set for the reminder of this year) at risk and it wouldn’t be hard to see why.

Assessing The Risk of DCEU

With two more features still set for theatrical releases. The Studio (WarnerBros Discovery) could be set to lose more money when it comes to their investments concerning their DC IP. As the Aquaman sequel could be the worst hit, due to stronger ties to the DCEU. Then there’s also the issue of less than positive ‘word of mouth’ surrounding the movie’s test screenings which was carried out earlier this year. And you have a movie that’s already teetering on the edge of failure, long before it can even argue its case. Despite the fact that the first film was well received and even made over a billion dollars at the global box office.

But at this point, with all the palpable negativity surrounding the Studio and the current franchise, it’s really not looking too good for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom or even Blue Beetle (at least, financially). And this could very well be a testament to what happens when a Studio has let down audiences so much that they no longer care enough to acknowledge what is being put out.

For clarification purposes, in order to break even at the global box office, both Blue Beetle & Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will have to earn at least 200 million and 400 million dollars respectively. But between the universe reset and behind the scene controversies, that currently plague not just these movies but the Studio as well. It is most certainly an uphill battle both projects are set to embark on. Should they be vying for box office glory.

Perhaps all these baggage, may also be the reason Blue Beetle’s marketing isn’t been hyped up properly. Despite its promising future.

So can Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom rise beyond the dark clouds hovering over the DC cinematic landscape?. Only time will avail an answer.

Blue Beetle arrives in Cinemas August 18, 2023.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom arrives in Cinemas December 20, 2023.