DC has encountered challenges at the box office this year as the final four movies under the old studio regime are released prior to James Gunn’s reboot of the DC Extended Universe (DCU). “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” has already become the lowest-grossing film in DCEU history, with lackluster worldwide earnings partly attributed to the anticipation surrounding the upcoming superhero reboot. Similarly, “The Flash” is now facing a similar fate, despite generating significant anticipation and positive reviews, as it struggles to meet box office expectations.
The Flash Movie Dramatic Box Office Failure
During its second weekend in theaters, The Flash movie experienced a substantial decline in box office earnings. The film only managed to collect an estimated $15.3 million, following its disappointing $55 million opening weekend. This drastic drop of 72.5% marks the largest second-weekend decline in the history of DC films. The Flash surpassed the previous record held by The Suicide Squad, which experienced a 71.5% decrease in box office revenue during the peak of the pandemic.
The Flash’s second-weekend decline not only established a record for DC films but also placed it among the worst second-weekend drops in the history of superhero movies. It ranks behind films like Morbius, which experienced a 73% drop, and Steel, which suffered a 78% drop. The list of movies with the most significant second-weekend declines domestically includes other superhero titles such as X-Men: Dark Phoenix, The Suicide Squad, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Jonah Hex, Hulk, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Elektra.
Box Office Rankings and Numbers
As of now, The Flash has accumulated $87.6 million domestically, and it is projected to reach a total U.S. box office collection of approximately $110-120 million. However, this falls significantly short when considering the film’s budget of $220 million, not including marketing expenses.
On a global scale, The Flash has surpassed the $200 million milestone, currently standing at $210.1 million worldwide. By the end of its theatrical run, it is expected to rank as the ninth highest-grossing film among the 13 movies in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) at the domestic box office.
During the weekend of June 23-25, The Flash secured the third position at the domestic box office, managing to surpass “No Hard Feelings” but falling behind “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and “Elemental.” The movie’s underwhelming performance has raised concerns regarding the future prospects of the remaining DC films, particularly “Blue Beetle” and “Aquaman 2.” The disappointing box office results of The Flash have heightened apprehensions about the potential success of upcoming DC projects, leaving fans and industry observers curious about how these films will fare.
The Road Ahead for DC
Warner Bros. has experienced box office setbacks with both Shazam 2 and The Flash, raising concerns about the performance of their remaining DC films prior to the reboot. However, there is still hope for the upcoming Blue Beetle movie, as it has been announced as “the first DCU character,” providing an opportunity to revitalize the financial prospects of the character’s standalone debut.
On the other hand, the negative feedback from test screenings of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom may indicate a potential struggle at the box office for that film. In this context, it is plausible that Blue Beetle could surpass the more familiar DC characters and emerge as the highest-grossing DC film of 2023.
Although the underperformance of “The Flash” movie may not have a significant impact on DC’s future plans due to James Gunn’s reboot, it could influence Warner Bros. to be more cautious when allocating large budgets for upcoming projects.
The disappointing box office performance of The Flash raises concerns about its profitability and the potential financial losses for the studio. This serves as a reminder that even highly anticipated superhero movies can face challenges at the box office.
