2 Years On, A Criminally Underrated DC Flop Is Taking Netflix By Storm

While people still claim superhero fatigue is a thing, it seems that streaming is keeping many former theatrical flops alive, and one DC movie is reaping the rewards. DC was struggling at the end of Zack Snyder’s run. As he was losing control and eventually losing the franchise, several of the last movies released by the DCEU ended up flopping at the box office. For some, fans didn’t see a reason to get invested in films when a reboot was coming. For others, these later movies weren’t as gritty and dark as Snyder’s directorial efforts. Whatever the reason, the DCEU struggled to find viewers at the end.

However, the good news is that streaming services like Netflix are bringing some of these movies back to relevance, including Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. According to Flix Patrol, the second Aquaman movie with Jason Momoa is the second most-watched movie on Netflix right now, behind only Jingle Bell Heist. The film has been charting on Netflix since November 28, hitting number one on that day and holding on to the second spot since then.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a Huge Netflix Success

Typically, the DC movies are on HBO Max, but recently, they moved on to other streamers, at least for now, and for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, that was a big deal after landing on Netflix. It joins Blue Beetle, which was another underrated DCEU release that was trending high on Netflix last month. Those were the final two movies of the DCEU before Warner Bros. rebooted the franchise with James Gunn taking the lead.

Aquaman and the Last Kingdom was the final DCEU movie overall, with James Wan returning to direct it and Jason Momoa returning as Aquaman. The film saw Mantis returning to seek revenge and threatening a global catastrophe that would not only destroy Atlantis but also cause planetary extinction as well. Aquaman has to ask his brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson), for help as they fight to save the world one last time.

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The first Aquaman movie was a shocking success, making over $1.1 billion at the box office. However, thanks to the fact that this was the final DCEU movie, and fans being unsure of the future of DC in movies after Zack Snyder’s departure, this sequel made less than half that. The film brought in $440 million worldwide on a budget of around $215 million. Only $124 million was from North America, so it was considered a box office flop. It also received a low 33% Rotten Tomatoes score, hurting its success as well. However, fans ranked it at 79%, which likely explains why it’s getting lots of views now that it is on Netflix.

What is Next for Aquaman?

Jason Momoa is finished as Aquaman in the DC universe, as James Gunn offered him the role of Lobo, something he seems a perfect fit for. As for Aquaman himself, there is no news on whether he will be part of the DCU, and he hasn’t been mentioned at all yet. Superman has already debuted in a fantastic solo movie, and there is both a Green Lantern series coming in 2026 and a Wonder Woman-centric property in the works as well. There is also a Batman movie in the works for the DCU, but it is likely waiting for the next Robert Pattinson movie to hit theaters first. Rounding out the prominent Justice League members, there has been no word on either Aquaman or Flash.

At the moment, the only confirmed upcoming DCU movies are Supergirl on July 26, 2026, Clayface on September 11, 2026, and Man of Tomorrow on July 9, 2027. On TV, Lanterns will arrive late in 2026.

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