Aquaman 2 Opens Worse Than Marvel’s Biggest Flop
The holiday opening weekend numbers are in, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom isn’t doing so hot. As of December 25, the last DCEU title only earned $40 million on the domestic front, making it a weaker earner than the MCU’s The Marvels, which earned $46 million during its opening weekend. But surprisingly Lost Kingdom is performing better in international markets and has earned $80 million overseas, bringing the total earnings to just over $120 million at the time of this writing.
Aquaman 2 Might Not Turn A Profit
Given the weak opening weekend, as well as the reported budget of $215 million that went into the latest Aquaman film, it’s apparent that the DCEU is going out with a whimper rather than a bang. Compared to the first Aquaman film, which earned over a billion dollars during its theatrical run, Lost Kingdom may have trouble breaking even after all is said and done. In other words, 2018’s Aquaman was the highest-grossing DCEU film, and Lost Kingdom will probably be one of the lowest-grossing films across the entire franchise, given the current projections.
How Critics And Audiences Rate The Film
Critically speaking, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom currently has a 36 percent critical score against an audience score of 80 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Similar to The Marvels with its reception, we’re witnessing a disproportionately high audience score when compared to the critical consensus. The Marvels currently holds a 61 percent critical score against an audience score of 83 percent.
Aquaman’s Future
When it comes to Marvel and DC properties, it’s becoming clear that critics are experiencing franchise fatigue. And given the box office numbers, it’s safe to say that there won’t be another Aquaman movie with the upcoming DCU reboot under the guidance of James Gunn and Peter Safran anytime soon.
Though critical reviews for Lost Kingdom are mostly negative, there are a healthy amount of positive reviews making their rounds asserting that it’s still a fun movie that is worthy of the attention of comic book and fantasy fans who just want to strap in and enjoy the ride.
Jason Momoa Taking On A New DC Role?
If you’re worried about Jason Momoa‘s future with DC Studios, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s been rumored that although he’s going to be hanging up his fins, he’ll still be a DCU mainstay. The latest rumors suggest that Momoa will be portraying beloved DC anti-hero Lobo. What’s more, Lobo may very well appear in the upcoming Superman: Legacy film that will kick off the DCU reboot on the cinematic front in 2025.
Does Aquaman 2 Still Have A Chance?
But it’s worth noting that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom still has some time to redeem itself, and has the potential to become the sleeper hit that DC studios so desperately needs. It goes without saying that opening weekend numbers leave a lot to be desired, but given the current audience score, it’s apparent that Aquaman still has a strong fan base.
Whether that fan base puts their money with their mouth is remains to be seen, but its not outside the realm of possibility that we’ll see a revenue boost in the coming weeks.
