It’s no secret that Superman is the breakout star of this summer’s box office. The film, which officially launched the rebooted DCU under James Gunn and Peter Safran, is headed towards $600 million at the global box office. That number only becomes more impressive when one breaks it down to domestic and international grosses. Even with comparisons to Zack Snyder’s DC films and larger political discourse, over half of Superman‘s box office cume has come solely from the U.S. market, where the film has grossed a staggering $322 million to date. While it remains uncertain if Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps will remain a worthy box office opponent to Superman after a steep second weekend drop in revenue, James Gunn’s opus about the Kryptonian hero has already left several other recent superhero films in the dust when it comes to gross.
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Still, Gunn’s Superman has already managed to overcome the below superhero grosses.
1) Thunderbolts*
After two Suicide Squad films from DC and franchise fatigue, moviegoers didn’t rush out to see Thunderbolts*, Marvel’s take on an anti-hero team. Though the film featured fan-favorite characters like Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier and Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, the Thunderbolts* theatrical run didn’t yield anywhere near Marvel’s Avengers films’ billion-dollar box office hauls.
Though the consensus was that the film was an entertaining romp, Thunderbolts* only grossed $382 million worldwide.
2) Captain America: Brave New World
While Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson is a familiar and beloved face in the MCU, his turn as Captain America failed to reach the financial heights of his predecessor.
Brave New World grossed $415 million at the box office, a respectable figure outperforming Captain America: The First Avenger. But given that Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War both pulled in north of $700 million, Brave New World falls flat.
3) Joker: Folie à Deux
Joker: Folie á Deux proved that lightning doesn’t always strike twice with a franchise. While the first Joker film was both a critical and commercial success — winning Oscars and grossing over a billion dollars at the box office, its follow-up fell flat.
Critics and fans alike decried the sequel’s status as a musical when it was released last fall. Given the backlash, Joker: Folie á Deux grossed a meager $207 million at the global box office, barely covering its massive production budget of $190 million.
4) Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
The follow-up to 2018’s Aquaman failed to gross half of what the first film did when Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hit theaters at the end of 2023. Though the relatively long gap in between installments could be to blame for the sequel’s lackluster performance, Aquaman and the Last Kingdom was one of the several titles that pointed to the need for a new take on DCEU when it pulled in $440 million worldwide in theaters, a paltry figure compared to the $1.1 billion the original grossed.
5) Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle didn’t get a fair shake at the box office thanks to the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes. The cast were prohibited from promoting the film in the months leading up to its release, which it really could have used since the hero lacked a presence in other DCEU films.
Although Blue Beetle garnered a “certified fresh” rating from critics and a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film finished its theatrical run with a $130-million worldwide gross.
6) The Flash
From its inception, The Flash faced a myriad of issues. There were lengthy delays behind the scenes with a revolving door of filmmakers boarding and exiting the project. However, star Ezra Miller’s involvement in a slew of controversies that ranged from assault to burglary seemed to have ultimately condemned the film when it finally hit theaters in 2023.
The Flash barely broke $100 million domestically during its theatrical run, only managing to drum up a mediocre $271 million at the global box office.
7) Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Sequelitis struck Shazam hard in 2023. While the first film’s success was a surprise and delight, more than tripling its $100 million budget in theaters, Shazam! Fury of the Gods couldn’t crack more than $200 million at the box office. An overstuffed cast and DCEU release calendar were to blame here, along with leading man Zachary Levi’s star waning in the interim between the two films.
8) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Sure, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania yielding $476 million at the box office pales in comparison to Superman, however, it’s impressive that a B-tier hero like Scott Lang can merit three solo movie outings in the first place. While Ant-Man never joined Marvel’s billion-dollar club on his own, the character’s success is a testament to Paul Rudd’s star power and ability to carry any film — not just a comedy.
9)The Marvels
2023 was a tough year for superhero movies, and no one felt it quite as acutely as The Marvels. Though the first Captain Marvel film grossed over a billion dollars at the box office, the follow up to Carol Danvers’s cosmic adventure was the MCU’s lowest opening weekend gross with $47 million. In addition to its many production delays, The Marvels also fell victim to the SAG strike, crippling the film’s ability to build hype, since its stars were prohibited from promoting it, resulting in a cringeworthy $206-million worldwide gross.
10) Black Adam
Usually casting Dwayne Johnson in a movie ensures box office gold, but not even The Rock could salvage Black Adam. The film was panned by critics and was one of the most salient examples of the DCEU’s lack of strategy for its franchise. Even with a massive star like Johnson, the lesser known hero only grossed $393 million at the global box office.
Superman is in theaters now.
How do you think Superman will fare at the box office? Let us know in the comments below!
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