Surprise Upset: Blue Beetle Overtakes Barbie as Top Seller, But Fails to Meet Expectations for DCU Franchise

Summary

Blue Beetle's box office performance falls below expectations, earning an estimated $25-27 million in its opening weekend, lower than the anticipated $30 million.

Blue Beetle's earnings are far from impressive in comparison to the astounding success of the Barbie movie, which has already amassed over $1 billion at the box office. In fact, it is anticipated that Blue Beetle will perform even worse than Shazam: Fury of the Gods, which garnered around $30.1 million in earnings.

Blue Beetle, the latest DC Universe installment, has surpassed Barbie at the box office, although it still underperforms for the franchise. Despite Barbie dominating the box office with a staggering $1 billion in earnings, Blue Beetle, featuring the first Latino superhero, has managed to topple it. This action-packed origin story showcases a protagonist who gains superpowers from an intergalactic bug.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the DCU's Blue Beetle is projected to generate $25-27 million over the weekend, which falls short of the initial estimate of $30 million. It is expected to earn less than Shazam: Fury of the Gods, which amassed $30.1 million. Barbie, on the other hand, is expected to earn $20-21 million, solidifying its position in second place.

Blue Beetle Is Seriously Underperforming

Blue Beetle's arrival comes as a disappointment following a series of flop films within the DCU. The Flash was a major letdown, only bringing in $269 million despite its hefty budget of at least $265 million. Similarly, Shazam: Fury of the Gods failed to make an impact, earning just $134 million on a $125 million budget. These consecutive failures spell trouble for the DCU, which fervently awaits its opportunity to shine. Unfortunately, Blue Beetle was doomed from the start. With James Gunn and Peter Safran on the verge of revamping the entire DC universe, the film found itself in a precarious situation. Moviegoers were already aware that the DCU was about to undergo a complete transformation with Superman: Legacy, which left little incentive to watch a film set in a soon-to-be irrelevant universe. Although Blue Beetle will be the first character from the DCU to make an appearance in this new realm, he lacks the appeal that more well-known superheroes possess, and a significant portion of the audience may be unaware of his significance.

Blue Beetle still has a chance to make a comeback. The film faced challenges due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, which limited promotional opportunities. However, there is optimism based on Blue Beetle's Rotten Tomatoes score. Although it currently stands at 75 percent on the Tomatometer, audiences have given it a promising 92 percent score, indicating widespread approval. With the potential for positive word-of-mouth support, there is still hope for Blue Beetle to bring much-needed success to the DCU.