What you need to know:
We can say that 2023 was one of the worst years for superhero films. And the premiere of “Aquaman 2” is proof of that.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the second part of the saga starring Jason Momoa, was one of the most anticipated films of 2023, scheduled to premiere during the strong Christmas dates. However, rrepresents one of the biggest failures of the year for DC and the world of superheroes.
Aquaman 2, directed by James Wan, sees the return of Arthur Currybut one of the things that had caused the greatest anticipation, or rather morbidity, was see Amber Heard as Mera, who returned to a blockbuster after losing the 2022 trial against her ex-husband Johnny Depp (over the actress's libel lawsuit over the editorial published in the Washington Post).
The thing is: after many years of waiting for the second part of Aquaman, perhaps one of the films best received by DC audiences, He failed to attract viewers to the cinema at Christmas as box office receipts were far below than expected with just under $40 million in the United States.
Image from “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom”/Photo: Warner Bros.
Aquaman 2 and its low box office results
As we told you, Aquaman 2 grossed just $40 million at the US box office. Part of the surprise is that the film cost about $205 million, which was spread across several controversies that included its production during the pandemic and, of course, the Amber Heard issue.
Aquaman was one of the four mega-productions that Warner Bros. and DC launched in 2023. They started the year with The Flash with Ezra Miller in his first solo title. Then they followed along Shazam! Rage of the gods, the second part with Zachary Levi; and then with Blue beetlethe debut of this superhero, who so far will be the only one of the four that will be part of James Gunn's universe.
Aquaman debuted with 40 million, The Flash did it with 55, Shazam 2 brought in 30 million and Blue Beetle brought in around $25 million. Considering the budgets, they all performed pretty poorly. All that's important to say is that DC wasn't the only one to suffer losses with superhero films.
DC vs. MCU vs. Does no one care about superhero movies anymore?
The problem also took its toll The Marvels that marked the return of Brie Larson as Captain Marvel. This film, the cost of which was also very high, rRaised $47 million in his debut film for the lowest-grossing film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
However. The other films released within the MCU in 2023 were also not a success. So you will have an idea, The third installment of Guardians of the Galaxy, which marks James Gunn's graduation from Marvel, grossed nearly $850 million; That means it didn't exceed the billion Disney was used to.
Another MCU film that premiered in 2023 was Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which grossed $475 million when it should have topped $600 million. And finally it happened Spider-Man: Opposite Spider-Versewhich was pretty close to 700 million.
Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani in “The Marvels”/Photo: Marvel Studios
What's next for 2024?
Superhero films won't have many premieres next year. The biggest of all is the third part of Deadpool with Ryan Reynolds, and there's a lot of anticipation for the return of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. Sony will also publish Madam Web And Kraven the Hunterbut neither film created much conversation.
We also have to be counted among the firsts the second part of Joker by Todd Phillips with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. Although it doesn't quite fit into the concept of superhero cinema we're used to, we're mentioning it because the character comes from a comic and Batman lore.
Will Venom 3 release in 2024? Everything seems to indicate that this is the case, but not much news has been announced regarding the production and release. we believe that Venom 3 and Deadpool 3 are next year's two strongest superhero premieres. But the way things are going, we'll have to take it slow to see what happens next with these franchises.