Half a decade ago, DC was on top of the world, basking in the glory of Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning Dark Knight trilogy. The superhero genre had been transformed into an undeniably adult, auteur-driven, and realistically shot thriller, more akin to police procedurals like The French Connection than campy romps like Batman & Robin.
Fast Forward to Today’s Justice League Woes
Now, DC’s latest blockbuster, the highly anticipated Justice League, struggles to make a dent at the US box office. Opening to a disappointing $94 million and overwhelmingly negative reviews, the movie threatens to derail everything Warner Bros has attempted with its comic book properties since The Avengers redefined the blockbuster landscape.
Despite assurances that Justice League would be the DCEU entry to set things right, its troubled production, dismal predecessors, and horrendous word-of-mouth have kept audiences at bay. In contrast, moviegoers flocked to see Thor: Ragnarok just two weeks prior. As a result, Justice League is poised to lose as much as $100 million at the box office, making the shelving of Aquaman a potentially more financially sound move for Warner Bros. Meanwhile, everyone is waiting for Flashpoint to reboot the entire enterprise in a couple of years.
Can a Strong Second Week Save Justice League?
Some DCEU loyalists argue that a robust second-week showing could salvage the movie’s financial prospects. After all, Thanksgiving is traditionally second only to Christmas in terms of theater turnout. If it could just survive the weekend, the franchise might finally turn a corner.
Unfortunately for Justice League, that doesn’t seem to be the case. In fact, it appears unlikely to even top the box office over the holiday weekend. Coco, Pixar’s enchanting new film about Día de los Muertos, is set to outperform its beleaguered rival in its debut weekend.
Coco narrowly edged out Justice League on Thanksgiving Day, taking in just over $8.9 million compared to its rival’s $8.4 million. By Monday morning, the weekend hauls for the two films will be similarly close, but with the same one on top. Coco is expected to lead with $70 million, with Justice League trailing at $61 million.
The Writing’s on the Wall for Justice League
Although the margins between the two films are narrow, the writing’s on the wall: Justice League‘s returns aren’t improving. Like Batman v Superman, its intense action raised concerns about its age-appropriateness for younger superhero fans despite its PG-13 rating, causing many parents to avoid taking their youngest to see the movie. While Justice League has hovered around 40% on Rotten Tomatoes since its release, Coco sits at a commanding 96% (meaning that it is nearly universally liked by those who saw it).
Justice League is as much a victim of poor timing as it is of poor reviews. Released two weeks after the latest Marvel movie and a week before the latest Pixar movie, amidst a family holiday that doesn’t lend itself to DC’s ultra-violent “tough guy” branding, it had a shockingly narrow window in which to turn a profit, assuming audiences were even interested in showing up in the first place (which, as it turns out, they weren’t).
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