What was expected to be the DCEU’s last nail in the coffin, holds the potential to outdo all DC movies of 2023. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hit theatres last week and is performing comparatively well. Directed by James Wan, there was quite some controversy around the Aquaman sequel which affected its performance. Nevertheless, the last DCEU installment, before James Gunn reboots the franchise into a new universe, has gripped the international audience.
The DC misfires, The Flash, Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Blue Beetle were conspicous box-office failures, with only The Flash grossing $108 million. While Aquaman 2 was off to a similar start, there was light at the end of the tunnel. The Jason Momoa-starrer debuted with a poor domestic collection, but fans worldwide are impressed. Before the year wraps up, Aquaman 2 is estimated to be the best-performing DC film of 2023.
Aquaman 2 to be DCEU’s last hurrah
With the DC franchise’s spiraling state in addition to serious controversies around Amber Heard’s defamation trial, and lack of chemistry with Jason Momoa, Aquaman 2 was anticipated to get bombed. In its opening weekend, the film debuted at $28 million and against an estimated $37 million, per Forbes. The King of Atlantis was unable to establish his dominance even during the long Christmas weekend, with a domestic debut of $40 million.
On the other hand, its predecessor, 2018’s Aquaman remains the DCEU’s glory, with a $1.5 billion collection, the most successful DCEU film ever. It opened at $67 million, $27 million more than the sequel. Speaking exclusively of DC films this year, Aquaman 2 might see a better future if the international enthusiasm continues. A post by Home of DCU on X highlighted the same, stating the film will certainly best Blue Beetle and Shazam 2‘s whole box-office runs.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has already made 120M worldwide. It should out-gross Shazam 2 and Blue Beetle's entire box office runs tonight.
It will likely become the most successful DCEU film this year. pic.twitter.com/avCyQmZCH7
— Home of DCU (@homeofdcu) December 25, 2023
China has effectively expressed its fandom for the King of Seven Seas, even though toned down. Aquaman’s international box office stands at $80 million, with $30.4 million from China itself. The number tallied the film’s global income to $120 million, the best for any DCEU film this year, per Variety. Hence, Aquaman 2 might not be all that disappointing, considering the scrawling state of the superhero franchise at present.
Also read: Aquaman 2: Jason Momoa Movie Post Credits Scene Makes Your Skin Crawl
Aquaman 2 bested one Marvel film
With a slow but steady start, speculations have emerged that Aquaman 2 could emerge as a box office hit if continues to gauge the international markets. Even though the sequel hasn’t managed to collect the budgeted $200 million, it might be possible. In the constant creative battle win between the two giants DC and Marvel, the former has finally surpassed one Marvel film in 2023.
The Marvels marks one of MCU’s biggest flops, breaking records in the negative of course. According to a Deadline estimate, Aquaman 2 is tracking 42% ahead of The Marvels in the like-for-like markets. Regardless of the poor reviews and critical bashing, the movie has won a top rank internationally this weekend.
