The last film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, was finally released in the theatres on 22nd December 2023 and so far, things are not looking good. As per the projections, the movie is expected to be a massive financial loss for DC Studios. The film faced multiple setbacks during the production stage as the test screenings were a disaster. DC decided to reshoot several scenes but it fixed nothing as people were still walking out of the theatres. With its gigantic production cost of $205 million, the film will have a hard time making profits.
The first Aquaman movie grossed roughly $1.15 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing DCEU film while the sequel is on its way to becoming the lowest-grossing DCEU film. It is not just DC who suffered a massive loss this year as last month, Marvel Studios’ latest movie, The Marvels, broke an embarrassing record as it is now officially the lowest-grossing movie in the MCU.
Aquaman 2 is expected to earn $100+ million on its worldwide box office opening weekend
As per The Hollywood Handle, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, is projected to earn $100+ million on its worldwide box office opening weekend. To put things into perspective, the prequel, Aquaman (2018), earned $260 million internationally before it was even released in the US. Many fans agree that the film would be a box office bomb.
It looks like Aquaman 2 has dethroned The Marvels for lowest box office opening for any superhero movie of all time
— HBshizzle (@LivReignz22) December 24, 2023
Another flop incoming. It’s probably going to drop hard on its following weekend due to a negative WOM just like The Marvels and The Flash.
— Edward Arroyo (@EdwardA89005293) December 24, 2023
Movie was fucking terrible
— Ravens/Jenna Ortega stan 🇵🇸🍉 (@RavensFlock2004) December 24, 2023
Worst opening. Poor movie
— INVICTO AI (@INVICTOAI) December 23, 2023
Didnt like this one DCEU comes to an end is a good thing
— Abhishek Sharma (@Abhishe94382279) December 23, 2023
Too much CGI…poor scripts…predictable storylines. Stopped watching these movies.
— Avtar SIngh (@borneoaman) December 24, 2023
The film reportedly earned roughly $13.7 million on its domestic opening day. The film faced many delays and several reshoots but it still couldn’t save it from being a disappointment. Multiple sources confirmed that people were walking out of the theatres during the film’s test screenings. For a movie that had a production budget of $205 million, it was indeed a letdown. The expectations were quite high as Aquaman (2018) earned more than $1 billion at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing DCEU film.
Even Marvel Studios suffered this year
Even Marvel Studios faced a massive financial loss this year as the latest MCU movie, The Marvels, grossed $205 million at the global box office on a gross production budget of $274 million, becoming the lowest-grossing film in the MCU. Just like Aquaman, this film’s prequel, Captain Marvel (2019) grossed over $1 billion worldwide, but The Marvels was a big disappointment for the fans.
Also read: Are Superhero Movies Dead? Jason Momoa, Brie Larson Prove the End is Nigh
As for DC, this was the last film in the DCEU as James Gunn, the co-CEO of DC Studios, is currently working on a reboot of the franchise. The new DC Universe will officially begin with 2025’s Superman: Legacy.
