The first box office projections for the DCU’s latest entry, The Flash, started the conversation of whether the new movie will succeed or flop.
DC Studios is only a few weeks away from finally debuting the Scarlet Speedster’s first solo movie on the big screen, which will bring Michael Keaton’s Batman back into the spotlight along with a few other key heroes and villains.
Considering this movie’s Multiversal story and the star power involved, Warner Bros. is certainly hoping for The Flash to be a hit, especially considering a few early reviews that call it one of the best superhero movies ever made.
The Flash’s First Box Office Projections
Box Office Pro shared its first box office projections for Warner Bros.’ The Flash before it opens in theaters on June 16.
The site estimated a domestic opening weekend of somewhere between $115 million and $140 million with a domestic total projection of $280 million to $375 million.
Should The Flash reach the high end of that mark, it would be the highest domestic opening weekend for the DCEU since 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which opened with $166 million at the box office.
Most recently, Shazam: Fury of the Gods opened to a horrid $30 million domestically in March, while Black Adam had a lukewarm $67 million debut in North America & Canada.
The franchise’s top opening weekends can be seen below:
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – $166 million
- Suicide Squad – $133.7 million
- Man of Steel – $116.6 million
- Wonder Woman – $103.3 million
- Justice League – $93.8 million
Should The Flash reach the high end of the total domestic run projections, it would rank second in DCEU history, coming in behind 2017’s Wonder Woman.
The top domestic totals for the DCEU can be seen below:
- Wonder Woman – $412.6 million
- Aquaman – $335 million
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – $330.3 million
- Suicide Squad – $325 million
- Man of Steel – $291 million
On top of that, the low end of these box office projections would far outpace this year’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which just ended its theatrical run as the worst-performing movie in DCEU history with only $133.4 million at the box office.
Pros and Cons of The Flash Box Office Outlook
Arguably no comic book movie in recent memory has come with a wider range of positive and negative comments than The Flash, which could realistically push its box office return drastically either way. Box Office Pro broke down the major pros and cons…
Pros of The Flash
On the positive side, early critics already touted this movie as one of the most anticipated superhero outings in some time, some even putting it on the same level as Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.
New DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has also shared his own support for the new outing all over his social media pages, celebrating the movie’s efforts even though he wasn’t directly involved with production.
And, of course, Michael Keaton’s Batman has the entire fandom on the edge of their seats, with his inclusion bringing plenty of nostalgic emotions along with some exciting plot developments in the story itself.
Cons of The Flash
But more than most comic book movies these days, there are a few notable facts that could indicate potential failure for The Flash as well.
At the top of that list is star Ezra Miller’s ongoing legal issues, which have cast a dark cloud over the film for the better part of two years. This alone could deter people from wanting to support the actor as the leading star of this movie, especially considering how many incidents Miller has been involved with.
While Michael Keaton’s comeback as Batman has many excited, there’s also the concern that his inclusion will be seen as something along the lines of “nostalgia-bait,” particularly with Ben Affleck’s DCEU hero involved in the movie too.
This also comes in the midst of James Gunn’s takeover leading the DC Universe, which will come with a brand-new slate of movies that may or may not connect back to the past entries after The Flash premieres.
Going beyond the movie and the franchise itself, it also debuts only two weeks after Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, one week after Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and two weeks ahead of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, pitting it against stiff competition.
It will be difficult to tell which way the tides will turn once the DCU’s latest theatrical entry premieres, but should The Flash reach the upper end of these projections, it would bode well for the franchise as a whole as the DCEU comes to an end this year.
The Flash will debut in theaters on June 16.
