Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam performed badly at the box office. Carrying a budget of $200 million, the film grossed only $391 million. As a result, any hopes of getting Black Adam 2 or even spinoffs with the Justice Society were flushed down the drain. Of course, James Gunn taking over the leadership of DC Studios with Peter Safran played a role in that decision too.
Back then, many assumed that the DC films that would come after it would make more than The Rock’s flick did. After all, Shazam 2 was the sequel to a well-received first film, and The Flash was a multiversal adventure with multiple Batmen, a Supergirl, and many other cameos. But not only did Black Adam perform better than Shazam 2, but it also looks like The Flash will fail to outgross it.
Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam Stands Out Among A Series Of DC Flops
The Flash is the latest DC film playing in theaters, and it’s not having a great time. The film was touted to be one of the best superhero films by none other than new DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn. But the audience and critical reception is saying something else. The film has received a B CinemaScore, which is pretty much said to be the kiss of death for a tentpole commercial film like this.
On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 66% critic score. It has also fared exceedingly poorly at the box office, having grossed only $134 million in its opening weekend worldwide. As for now, several trades are predicting that it will struggle to cross Black Adam’s total collections.
If this indeed happens, as film scooper @MyTimeToShineHello predicts, then The Rock’s film would have outgrossed the last 6 DC films. Here’s what the film insider said:
“Black Adam has made more money worldwide than any of the last 6 DCEU films. Can’t see Blue Beetle doing better so likely 7. @TheRock must be laughing his ass off right now.”
Here’s the tweet:
Black Adam has made more money worldwide than any of the last 6 DCEU films. Can’t see Blue Beetle doing better so likely 7. @TheRock must be laughing his ass off right now 🤣
— MyTimeToShineHello (@MyTimeToShineH) June 20, 2023
The poster is right because Shazam (2019) grossed $363 million, Birds of Prey (2020) took home a meager $201 million, Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), and The Suicide Squad (2020) raked in $166 million and $167 million in the pandemic, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) grossed $132 million only.
As such, in an insane turn of events, this makes Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam the highest grosser till now. The prediction about Blue Beetle joining DC’s growing list of flops could be true since the film has zero hype. As such, fans and the general audience alike has a lot of feelings about this revelation.
Fans Laugh At DC’s Poor Performance After They Kicked Dwayne Johnson Out Of The Franchise
Fans of Dwayne Johnson are cracking up at the failure of the DC and WBD. Black Adam was a flop by all measures since it couldn’t even double its budget. But if that’s their highest-grossing film within its last 6 releases, alarm bells should be ringing at WBD.
Here’s what the fans are saying:
He got the last laugh
— Smiso (@directorsmiso) June 20, 2023
Didn’t Black Adam do that without China box office too?
— Spider Rico (@7points) June 20, 2023
Black Adam actually beat Shazam, suicide squad, flash and birds of prey. This is the perfect opportunity for DC to bring back the trinity and fight him in a movie.
— Yibambe 🦁 (@bey_of_gabes) June 20, 2023
Black Adam is a good movie it’s entertaining
— PizzaManXavierCharles (@pizza_xavier) June 21, 2023
Hey bro @TheRock your move. Time to make that Black Adam vs Superman you ever wanted.
— General Titus (@JustNob01) June 20, 2023
There’s plenty of discussion around The Flash and why it flopped. Some have pointed out Ezra Miller’s past, while others have criticized the lackluster CGI. Several are also of the opinion that the DC brand is damaged, and unlike the MCU, no one has faith in the company to actually churn out good films. Now, all eyes are on Blue Beetle. Will it defy expectations and break the Black Adam curse? That remains to be seen.
The Flash is currently in theaters, Black Adam is available on HBO Max.
Source: Twitter and The Numbers
