DCEU Releasing 4 Movies in 2023; So Far, Each One Has Been a Flop
The franchise awaits its next chapter.
There's no denying that the age of the MCU and DCEU is slowly coming to an end. Even Marvel Studios is starting to face a backlash for the first time in more than a decade, as fans are simply tired of watching so much underwhelming content every year. And the DCEU is in even more trouble right now, with none of its recent films able to even break even at the box office.
Thankfully, Warner Bros. did the right thing by hiring James Gunn as the next creative director of the franchise, but the projects he developed are still years away from being released, which means that fans are stuck with movies that were developed before Gunn even joined the DCEU. And yes, they are not good.
The worst year
This year alone, the DCEU has four movies scheduled for release, and with three of them already premiering, we can safely say that his year will be the worst in the history of the DCEU, as all of them failed spectacularly at the box office. Even the long-awaited The Flash failed to generate any interest among fans, let alone movies like Shazam 2 or Blue Beetle.
Here are all 3 DCEU movies and their box office results:
Shazam! Fury of the Gods ($125 million budget) – $133.8 million worldwide
The Flash ($200 million budget) – $270.6 million worldwide
Blue Beetle ($104 million budget) – $128.6 million worldwide
As you can see, Warner Bros. lost a lot of money this year, but they still have one ace up the sleeve – Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
The Last Hope
The massive sequel to 2018's billion-dollar hit is expected to at least break even, thanks to Jason Momoa starring in the film. The blockbuster cost $205 million to produce, and Warner Bros. execs definitely want to see their money back, but given how little hype surrounds the sequel, it looks like they're in for another painful failure, the fourth one this year.
Let's hope Gunn's upcoming films restore fans' faith in the franchise.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens in theaters across the US on December 20, 2023.