The DC Flop That Is Suddenly Becoming Successful
DC may have been disappointed with the box office performance of Blue Beetle, but the film is quickly finding a second life on streaming. The film recently hit the Max streaming service and surged to the top of the streaming charts to take the number one spot in the US. To take the spot, the film topped popular titles like Netflix’s new David Fincher film The Killer and the video game adaptation Five Night at Freddy’s on Peacock (via Game Rant).
Blue Beetle Finally Finds Success On Streaming
Blue Beetle stars Cobra Kai’s Xolo Mariduena as Jamie Reyes, who finds himself with a shiny new alien suit of armor after an ancient relic called The Scarab chooses him as its symbiotic host. Of course, superhero antics proceed from there. Along with Mariduena, the film also starred George Lopez, Susan Sarandon, Adriana Barraza, Damian Alcazar, and Raoul Max Trujillo.
An Abysmal Box Office Opening
Blue Beetle had a very disappointing opening weekend for a superhero blockbuster, only earning $25.4 million and $129 million total against a $104 million production budget. The movie did receive positive reviews, however, it had various factors working against its success. Namely, the fact that superhero film fatigue has started to affect superhero films everyone, especially when it comes to DC films.
Why Did It Bomb?
Part of Blue Beetle’s box office troubles was its unfortunate placement in DC’s transitional period to the new DCU. While James Gunn has confirmed that Blue Beetle is part of the DCU and the first DCU character, the film technically isn’t part of his larger plan. Thus, people who are interested in the future of the DCU might not have seen the film as an integral part of the story.
The DCU will officially kick off with James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy, which is set for a 2025 release. So, while Jamie Reyes and his suit of alien armor may appear in future films in the DCU, this origin story just came at a bad time. However, it is good that the character is getting a lot of interest on the streaming side of things, as it might encourage James Gunn to include the character in more projects further down the line.
Superhero Fatigue Continues At The Box Office
Blue Beetle is far from the only superhero film trying to find its footing lately. Its predecessor, The Flash, also had disappointing box office returns, and Marvel’s most recent film, The Marvels, is also having trouble bringing in the typical big bucks you expect from superhero films. In fact, the MCU is only planning on releasing a superhero film in 2024, Deadpool 3, so maybe the upcoming break from superhero films will give everyone enough time to breathe and look forward to superhero films again.
Are People Simply Over The Cinema Experience?
In the meantime, it seems people are perfectly content to watch superhero films at home if Blue Beetle’s streaming success is any indicator. Box office performance alone may not encourage DC to greenlight a sequel to Blue Beetle, but maybe this streaming performance will be enough to get one on track for the future. In any case, it might encourage them to make a Max TV series based on the character.
