The Batman Surpasses Batman v Superman at the Box Office

 After just four weeks in theaters, Matt Reeves’ The Batman has surpassed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice at the domestic box office. The Robert Pattinson-starring film brought in $20.5 million this weekend at the box office, bumping the film’s current domestic receipts to $332 million, beating out Zack Snyder’s 2016 film Batman v Superman, which had a total domestic box office of $330 million. Batman v Superman is still outpacing The Batman in the worldwide box office, however as The Batman currently sits at $672 million as compared to Batman v Superman‘s $873 million.

The Batman had a strong start at the domestic box office with the second-biggest opening since the pandemic began and has been well-received by both fans and critics alike. ComicBook.com’s Kofi Outlaw gave the film a 4-out-of-5 review, calling it a “very good re-introduction of the Batman movie franchise”. The success of the film could ultimately alter the course of future DC Comics films for Warner Bros. as well.

“The secret of the movie business is quality. It’s the best business strategy for both theatrical motion pictures and superhero movies,” Warner Bros. Pictures chairman Toby Emmerich said following the film’s opening weekend. “The movies don’t have to all have the same tone, or interlock with other DC movies, or have an Easter egg that sets up another film. Quality is the most important factor for a studio, and the biggest thing you can do to influence quality is the filmmaker that you hire.”

And when it comes to the future of The Batman, Warner Bros. is already building a franchise around the film. Spinoff series set in the world of The Batman are in the works for HBO Max, including Gotham PD, which has since evolved to focus on Arkham Asylum, and a series starring Colin Farrell as The Penguin.

“We are thrilled to bring audiences a new version of this iconic DC character that they have never seen before. It is incredible to be working with Matt, Dylan, and Lauren on continuing this story and to see Colin take his already exceptional performance in The Batman to the next level,” Sara Aubrey, Head of Original Content, HBO Max said previously.

The Batman stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, Jayme Lawson as Bella Real, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth. The film is now playing in theaters.