After three weeks of being in theaters, The Flash has only earned just about $100 million, making it the worst box office flop of a superhero movie.
The film’s debut box office only brought in $55 million, which was quite an underperformance comparatively to the many other superhero films that have hit more than 4x that number in their opening weekends. Warner Bros. and DC pushed through the creation of the film despite multiple issues surrounding the production and the main character of the movie, Ezra Miller. Miller has been the center of a lot of controversy from simply poor behavior in public, to more serious claims of grooming, and even claims that he is involved in a cult.
Despite all of the issues, the production pushed forward to no avail with the film seeing a 72.5% drop in box office revenue from the first to the second week. This is the worst drop in weekly box office revenue in DC film history. The second to the third week, the film saw another 62.5% drop in revenue.
The Flash had a reported budget of $220 million for filming/production, with an additional $150 million for promotions. With the incredible flop the film has become, Warner Bros. will likely lose over $200 million, creating the largest financial setback to come from a superhero film. Even out-flopping Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which was lost approximately $150 million, The Flash is officially the largest box office flop in superhero film history.
DC has two more movies underway to be released in the near future, including “Blue Beetle” and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.” The future of the DC franchise is unclear based on the little amount of popularity the latest movies have found. DC will also be releasing “Superman: Legacy” in 2025, which seems the most likely to reengage with audiences and fans.
Hopefully the next DC movies will surpass the success of The Flash, which shouldn’t be too difficult. Only time will tell what the future of the DC franchise will look like after two history- making flops in a row.