Warner Bros.’ The Flash, starring Ezra Miller, has turned out to be the biggest failure at the box office among superhero movies. Despite being praised as “the kind of movie we need now” and receiving high acclaim as one of the best superhero films ever, the movie has not performed as well financially as Warner Bros. anticipated. It experienced a significant drop in box office returns from the first to the second week, with a 72.5% decline, making it the worst decline in DC history. This disappointing outcome comes after years of production troubles, controversies, and delays surrounding the film.
The Flash Makes the Worst Kind of History
The Flash, directed by Andy Muschietti, has become the biggest box office failure in the history of superhero movies, based on its underwhelming financial performance. With a reported budget of $220 million and an additional $150 million spent on promotion, the movie is expected to result in a loss of over $200 million for Warner Bros., marking the largest financial setback caused by a superhero film.
In its third weekend at the box office, Ezra Miller’s long-awaited solo DC film managed to earn a mere $5.23 million, bringing its total domestic earnings to a modest $99 million. The movie received significant attention for its substantial drop of over 70% in revenue from its first to second weekend. However, things didn’t improve as the film experienced another significant decline of 62.5% in revenue during its third week.
To put it into perspective, even high-budget films released during the peak of the global COVID-19 pandemic, such as Wonder Woman 1984 (which incurred a loss of over $100 million), didn’t fare as poorly as The Flash did in comparison.
The Flash has taken the unfortunate title from Warner’s previous DC film, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, as the biggest box office disappointment. Shazam! Fury of the Gods lost an estimated $150 million after only earning a meager $57.6 million domestically.
Here is a list of the top 10 biggest superhero box office flops (without adjusting for inflation):
- The Flash – Estimated loss of $200 million
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods – Estimated loss of $150 million
- Wonder Woman 1984 – Loss of $137 million
- Dark Phoenix – Loss of $133 million
- The Suicide Squad – Loss of $130 million
- Black Adam – Loss of $100 million
- Fantastic Four – Loss of $100 million
- R.I.P.D – Loss of $92 million
- The New Mutants – Loss of $84 million
- Green Lantern – Loss of $75 million
What The Flash’s Box Office Means for DC
The Flash has not met expectations for Warner Bros. (WB) and DC, and it may have caused lasting damage to the superhero brand, along with its predecessor, Shazam 2. Despite being in development since 2019, WB had to release Ezra Miller’s film at some point, as it had already invested a significant amount of money into it.
However, the substantial financial investment, especially in promotions, feels somewhat irresponsible, considering that there were likely internal indicators suggesting a poor financial return, regardless of support from Hollywood figures. The momentum of the franchise has been slowing down since James Gunn and Peter Safran took over the DCU for a new era, indicating that there were warning signs.
Given the circumstances, it might have been wise to reevaluate the strategy before releasing the movie. While some experts argue that WB could have “lost less money” by releasing The Flash on a streaming platform or not releasing it at all, there could have been a middle ground between the unsuccessful theatrical release and straight-to-streaming.
With two more DC movies on the horizon, namely Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the downward financial trend for the franchise seems likely to continue. Hopefully, at least one of these upcoming films will be well-received, allowing the brand to regain momentum, particularly with the release of Superman: Legacy in 2025.
The Flash is currently playing in theaters worldwide.
Source: The Direct
