Long before the Hollywood strikes, the screams of superhero fatigue started echoing the valleys of Hollywood. Marvel Studios contributed to this scenario by bestowing too many superhero projects to the fans, ultimately forcing the viewers to watch movies or shows with mediocre quality and weak storylines. On the other hand, fans lost all interest in the DCEU after learning about Warner Bros Discovery’s attempts to reboot the superhero franchise, which led to the creation of the DCU, which is currently under the control of James Gunn and Peter Safran. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be the final DCEU chapter. Helmed by James Wan, the sequel will mark the return of Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson as Arthur Curry and Ocean Master, respectively. However, things are not looking good for Aquaman 2 before the Christmas box office season.
As per Deadline, Aquaman 2 is expected to collect $40-42 million in its first opening weekend (four days), which is lower than The Marvels’ first three-day start of $46.1 million. The forthcoming Jason Momoa starrer will end its domestic theatrical run somewhere between $105-168 million. This value is significantly lower than its 2018 predecessor’s domestic collection, which ended with $335.1 million.
However, the overseas market looks much better for Aquaman 2. The sequel can collect $75-80 million in its opening weekend from a total of 73 regions, including China. So, it may collect $110-125 million globally in its first four days.
During Aquaman 2’s opening weekend, Timothee Chalamet’s Wonka may mint nearly $2o million domestically. In addition, Illumination’s Migration (scheduled to come out in theatres on December 22 as well) will complicate things for the last DCEU entry. The animated film is expected to earn $15 million domestically in its first four days.
Many believed Aquaman 2 would defy all the odds and conclude the ambitious yet messed up DCEU franchise on a successful and satisfying note. However, early box office predictions have revealed that things will not work out in Warner Bros’ favour. Additionally, we cannot ignore that the ongoing wave of ‘superhero fatigue’ has adversely impacted people’s craze about superhero films. Stay tuned for more updates.