3 Years Ago, This $393M Bomb Was the Final Nail in the DCEU’s Coffin

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Before its release, Black Adam was expected to revitalize the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) after films like Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, and The Suicide Squad didn’t perform as well as hoped. However, it ultimately signaled the end of the DCEU. While four more movies were released afterward, Black Adam is seen as the point of no return. It’s important to note that Black Adam wasn’t solely responsible for the DCEU’s end; earlier films like Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad were actually very well-received and showed the universe had trouble keeping audiences engaged.

While Black Adam isn’t the absolute worst movie the DC Extended Universe has produced, it’s definitely one of the most unremarkable. What caused it to underperform, and how quickly did that performance indicate a need for change? Let’s take a closer look.

Why Did Black Adam Fail?

Despite costing at least $190 million to make and earning close to $400 million worldwide, Black Adam ultimately failed to turn a profit in theaters. While its earnings were similar to those of Shazam! three years earlier, Shazam! had a much lower production cost because it didn’t feature a major star like Dwayne Johnson.

It’s likely that Warner Bros. anticipated Black Adam wouldn’t perform well. Just four days after the film’s release on October 21, 2022, James Gunn was appointed co-chair and CEO of DC Studios with Peter Safran. Although the new DCU wasn’t officially revealed until late January 2023, it’s clear Warner Bros. already knew they were moving away from the existing DCEU.

Look, I don’t think Black Adam completely killed the DCEU, it was more like the final problem in a series of them. Man of Steel did okay, but everyone expected Batman v Superman to be huge, so things weren’t exactly off to a perfect start. We had some wins with Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman, but Justice League was a mess behind the scenes. Aquaman gave us a bit of hope, but honestly, it feels like that was the last real success the universe had.

The marketing for Black Adam didn’t create the blockbuster excitement Dwayne Johnson hoped for. He envisioned himself becoming the new central figure of the DC cinematic universe, similar to how Robert Downey Jr. successfully launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe and continues to draw audiences. However, even with Johnson’s star power, it’s a huge challenge for one actor to revitalize a struggling franchise. And a lackluster movie isn’t the way to begin that difficult task.

What DCEU Movies Followed Black Adam?

When James Gunn and Peter Safran were appointed to lead DC Films, it became clear that the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) wouldn’t last much longer. The official announcement in January 2023 simply made that expectation a reality.

If a movie series is known to be ending, it’s tough to get audiences excited about new installments. Even though James Gunn described the new DC Universe as a fresh start, it’s still a reboot, and the last four DCEU movies faced an almost impossible challenge. They never had a real chance to succeed.

Recent DC superhero movies have had mixed financial results. Shazam! Fury of the Gods earned $134.1 million, slightly more than its $125 million budget. However, The Flash performed poorly, making $271.4 million on a much higher budget of over $220 million. Blue Beetle brought in $130.8 million against a $125 million budget. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom did a bit better with $440.2 million, but whether it made a profit is questionable given its $215 million cost. Notably, it earned only 38% of what the first Aquaman movie made worldwide, suggesting audiences weren’t interested in revisiting that storyline, even with a new release.

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2025-10-24 01:40