Assumptions for the Jason Momoa starrer DC film Aquaman 2 had been diverse due to the original film’s performance and the current state of the DC Studios. However, as the movie finally hit theatres ahead of Christmas, it also seemed to face challenges at the box office. The film is projected to gross from $38 million to $40 million in its domestic opening, trailing behind Brie Larson’s The Marvels, which recorded a domestic opening of $47 million.
Jason Momoa as Aquaman
Its projected box office opening has sparked discussions among DC and Marvel fans, with the MCU enthusiasts questioning the criticism surrounding The Marvels, comparing it to the relatively subtle reaction to Aquaman 2’s poor performance at the box office.
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Aquaman 2 And The Marvels at the Box Office
Both Aquaman and Captain Marvel have been among some of the most successful movies in their respective franchises, grossing over $1 billion at the box office. However, their sequels have struggled to follow up on the same path. The Marvels recorded the lowest opening in the MCU, with an estimated $47 million.
Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson in a still from Aquaman 2
Aquaman 2 also recorded a significant drop from the 2018 film, making from $27 million to $28 million in its three-day opening weekend. However, unlike the Brie Larson starrer, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has found its footing in the international market.
While The Marvels struggled overseas with $63 million in its opening weekend, the Jason Momoa starrer has grossed $80 million at the international box office. Although both sequels have fallen short of expectations, Aquaman 2’s stronger international performance gives it a slight edge over the MCU movie.
Brie Larson in The Marvels
As the Aquaman sequel continues its box office run, fans of Marvel and DC are now engaging in debates about the contrasting treatment of these underperforming films that have struggled to meet expectations at the box office.
Marvel and DC Fans Debate Over Aquaman 2 And The Marvels
Following Aquaman 2’s release, a Twitter user pointed out how the DC film has been underperforming “both critically and financially.” The DC sequel holds a 35% critic score, with the audience giving it a 79% score as compared to the 61% critic score and 83% audience score for The Marvels.
Aquaman 2
The conversation also extended to how a female-led Marvel movie was heavily criticized for its lackluster performance, but that has not been the case for Jason Momoa’s DC film. “Aquaman 2 is performing noticeably worse than The Marvels,” said Twitter user David Opie before adding, “yet I don’t see any hit pieces from the trades when it comes to the movie starring a man…”
As others joined in on the conversation, claiming the same, many argued against it. People stated how the situations have been drastically different for both the movies. While the MCU is set to follow up on the franchise it has established throughout the past decade, Aquaman 2 is the last film in the DCEU.
Both critically and financially, Aquaman 2 is performing noticeably worse than The Marvels. They’re both sequels to billion dollar blockbusters yet I don’t see any hit pieces from the trades when it comes to the movie starring a man…The math ain’t mathing ? pic.twitter.com/ftu65W6mUf
— David Opie (@DavidOpie) December 24, 2023
…I don’t know if you know this…But the DCEU literally just died and this is the last movie from this series of films… there’s nothing to say. Marvel is still a thriving brand, so when it’s has a big bomb it gets noticed and talked about more. It’s not that complex.
— The Wanderer (@VenturaWanderer) December 24, 2023
So Aquaman 2 is pulling similar numbers to The Marvels. When can I expect the “maybe wokeness was never the reason why these things fail” discourse? Or heck, I’ll settle for “wokeness killed the DCEU,” that’d be interesting to see somebody try to spin.
Anybody?
*crickets* pic.twitter.com/rSEXG7NbAh
— Council of Geeks (@councilofgeeks) December 24, 2023
the marvels was the first major financial disaster for the MCU and aquaman 2 is the eighth DCEU film in a row to bomb at the box office. all this discourse over mid superhero movies that no one cares about is as exhausting as the movies themselves. https://t.co/ITrQMpQHNZ
— gavin (@GavinKane15) December 24, 2023
Aquaman 2 “flopped” and yet I don’t see a parade in the streets like when The Marvels underperformed.
Both were sequels to billion dollar movies… what’s the difference? https://t.co/8gEQWBSx3s
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) December 24, 2023
Nobody is saying anything about Aquaman 2 box office because the trend for DCEU movie has been downwards for quite some time now. The movie is behaving as expected.
The Marvels marks a new era for MCU blockbusters. An era where Marvel doesn’t mean an automatic win.
— Sharon (@Sharito742) December 25, 2023
@Nerdrotics intriguing how you banged on endlessly about the marvels bombing but aquaman 2 is doing levels worse and not a peep from you ?
Is it….because its a male led film? ?? pic.twitter.com/tA1EamMbCV
— Jack James (@jackjames139) December 24, 2023
The difference is that WB sent Aquaman 2 out to die and just wants to move on to James Gunn’s DCU.
The Marvels is the MCU’s first financial disaster and showed that the MCU is no longer bulletproof.
I don’t know why this is so hard to figure out; especially for someone like… https://t.co/0lEATn8G3Z
— The Moonlight Warrior ? (@BlackMajikMan90) December 24, 2023
Apart from that, they also stated how The Marvels recorded the lowest opening for the MCU, a franchise that has been known for dominating the box office. However, DCEU has been on a downward spiral for quite some time, which has been evident in movies like Black Adam, The Flash, and Shazam 2.
Aquaman 2 is playing in theatres.
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Tensions rise among Marvel and DC fans as Jason Momoa’s Aquaman 2 continues its underwhelming box office performance. Read More