Embarrassing Box Office Quality Drop Proofs DC Needs James Gunn

The DC cinematic Universe over the last ten years could have been better. Some even go as far as to say there has been an embarrassing DC Quality Drop. While they always managed to raise the bar with the Batman Movies, sadly, the rest of the Universe failed to perform. This is not to say that DC did not have its moments. The Man of Steel movie and the first Wonder Woman Movie were widely praised.

Unfortunately for DC, they tried to build up a Universe while Marvel was at its peak. While Marvel has long since been removed from their prime days and is clearly in decline, their success during the first three phases cannot be denied. DC, during this time, did do its best to hang on. They released a critically acclaimed Joker movie and Shazam that critics and the audience loved. Sadly Shazam was never a true box-office success. While $366 million is no small feat, it paled compared to what other movies within the genre were pulling in.

The Race For The Worst In the Universe

The recent production of movies still produced under the old leadership proved why DC might have requested a change. Wonder Woman 1984 is considered one of the worst movies in the Universe. This is saying a lot if you think they also produced Suicide Squad. Both critics and fans agree that the film was mediocre at best. While the 170 million dollar box office number might not accurately depict the movie’s success, most can agree that it left plenty to be desired.

The Birds Of Prey Disaster

Birds of Prey was another box office disappointment that left many wanting more. While Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn was very well received in the first suicide squad, sadly, the same cannot be said about her standalone movie. Straight from the announcement, producers fall into every trap imaginable. The original name for the film did not even feature Harley Quinn’s name. The reception was so bad that they had to go back and re-shoot certain portions of it.

Unfortunately, this was not enough to save the film from box office disappointment. Both Fans and critics agreed that the movie left plenty to be desired. Although Harley Quinn started her journey as nothing more than a sidekick for Joker, over the years, she proved that she could carry a film or series on her own. Unfortunately, this specific live-action did not live up to that.

The Batman V Superman That Never Was

The Batman Versus Superman Movie did not do much for the reputation of the old DC either. Although this film did much better at the box office, most executives within Warner Bros were still disappointed that it could not reach the $1 billion mark. With 3 of the leading Superheroes within the universe front and center, most would have expected it to do at least as well as its counterpart, Captain America Civil War.

Insiders also revealed this to be why executives wanted to move on from Henry Cavill. Although no blame can be placed on the back of Cavill, by 2018, they were ready to recast the role of Superman. Leaks revealed that producers were frustrated that Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck could not break $1 billion at the box office together.

For many, though, this does not reflect the actors at all. If these leaks are accurate, and there is plenty of evidence to prove they are, it shows a lack of leadership and vision within the company—a true reflection of why a change must be made.

Box Office Disappointment For Black Adam

The most recent box office disappointment was Black Adam. Many fans had extremely high hopes that sadly never lived up to reality. The film failed to build up any real traction with fans. While the highly anticipated return of Henry Cavill as Superman did happen in a post-credit scene, even this was taken away from us. At $360 million, the movie made little money. It is clear why the new DC leadership won’t be continuing forward and turning Black Adam into a franchise.

Unfortunately for DC, things will not improve within the following year. While hope can be on the horizon with the brand new reboot under James Gunn, a disaster from previous leadership is still very much present. A slew of films produced under former executives is slated for release later this year. Very few of these projects are trending very well.

Embarrassing DC Quality Drop For Aquaman 2

Reports have been rampant, suggesting that Aquaman 2 is trending to be one of the worst films within the DCU. According to screen tests, audiences despise it. ViewerAnon first reported this and was also backed up by Big Screen leaks. They claim that multiple screenings have been done. The audience received the movie poorly.

This is also why Warner Bros has avoided talking about the film altogether. You also have a secondary problem with the movie in the form of Amber Heard. Most fans called for her removal after her controversial trial with Johnny Depp. While DC decided to stand behind her, many viewers felt this was a poor choice. As of right now, we still need to find out the actual state of the movie. If reports are believed, some trouble might be on the horizon.

Shazam 2 Fury of The Gods: The Worst In The Universe

A second film that could be trending better right now is the upcoming Shazam 2. As of this moment, the movie is tracking to have one of the worst openings in DC history. Box office experts predict the film will earn between $43 million and $52 million. Even the highest estimate of $52 million still needs to catch up to the first Shazam movie, which grossed $53 million on the opening weekend.

Also, remember that all of these numbers are the best-case scenario. While Wonder Woman 1984 still holds the record for the lowest opening weekend at $16 million, Shazam could grab that unwanted crown.

With that, only some things within the DCU are doomed and gloomy. As stated, all of these alarming numbers happened under the previous leadership. The upcoming Flash movie will reboot the whole Universe and officially kick off the James Gunn slate. From this point forward, we can look forward to 2025 and Superman’s legacy.

The Best To Come For DC

While some presence of the old DC will remain, luckily, it is the best part. Although previous leadership did get plenty wrong, they also got a few things right. Both Joker and The Batman with Robert Pattinson will remain standalone films.

Another thing you must hand to the previous leadership is their casting choices. Credit for this can be given to Zack Snyder, who did his best. He did all he could with Justice League, but sadly a death in the family saw him unable to follow through with the original film. While the Snyder cut was eventually released, unfortunately, it came too late. It is also clear that he was not the driving force behind the poor decision to underutilize Henry Cavill.

While there can be no denying that we have seen an Embarrassing DC Quality Drop over the last few years, all we can do now is look ahead to 2025. The hope of the DC Universe is with James Gunn.