If any of us agree on anything, it's that Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is a divisive film. The grim-dark blockbuster superhero team-up had its highlights but ultimately was not well-received by fans and critics. Despite setting box office records during its opening weekend ($166 million domestic), the film sank quickly in weeks two and beyond. As of now, "Batman v Superman" has earned $862.8 million, well below the $1 billion-plus Warner Bros. expected.
"Batman v Superman" was already shouldering a monumental load as the launching pad for WB's DC Extended Universe, but the pressure was amplified tenfold when 20th Century Fox's "Deadpool" dominated the box office one month prior. The R-rated, non-3-D superhero movie featured a significantly less-established comic book character (compared to the trinity of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman) and a star whose box office track record was less than stellar. But fantastic early buzz and universally positive reviews pushed "Deadpool" to a February record $132.4 million in its first weekend and a total of $361.8 million in North America.
Conversely, "Batman v Superman" is limping to the finish line and is expected to end its run with $333.2 million in North America ($875 million worldwide), significantly less than "Deadpool" in the states. That's also lower than the domestic totals of Christopher Nolan's final two entries in the "Dark Knight" trilogy.
"Batman v Superman" opened over Easter weekend when there was little competition. But bad buzz torpedoed the film's legs, and it only remained at the top spot at the box office for two weeks before being dethroned by Melissa McCarthy's "The Boss." For some perspective, "Deadpool" managed to hold onto the top spot for three weeks, and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was top dog for a solid month. This was an instance of mixed word-of-mouth toppling an "event" blockbuster. It would be impressive if it wasn't so...sad.
This is WB's second consecutive underperformer in the DCEU. Snyder's "Man of Steel" managed to top out at $668 million in 2013 amid similarly mixed reviews. Though that would normally be considered a hit, the studio was expecting the film to also settle around the $1 billion mark.
It's now up to August's "Suicide Squad" to stop this downward trend for Warner Bros. Fortunately, that movie is being met with excitement by fans as the trailers and marketing campaign have been virtually flawless thus far.
Follow Brandon Katz at @Great_Katzby
