Summary
Blue Beetleis poised to surpassShazam 2at the box office and avoid the last-place spot.
Based on the popularDCComics character of the same name,Blue Beetleserves as a cinematic origin story for the Jaime Reyes version of the character, who is entrusted with and then subsequently chosen by a powerful alien scarab that gives him access to a powerful suit of armor and a massive arsenal of weapons. Struggling to master his newfound abilities, Jaime must then battle against the forces of Victoria Kord, the head of a massive company that seeks to (further) weaponize and mass produce the destructive power of the scarab. Despite promising preview reviews,Blue Beetlewas projected to become another DC flopbefore its release.
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Blue Beetle’s eventual release was a mixed bag, as audiences and critics praised it while its box office earnings stayed low, even through National Cinema Day. WhileBlue Beetle’s performance is less than ideal, recent estimates indicate one recent DC flop is still well within its reach to surpass. According toComicBook, the film’s final box office projections predict that it will exceedShazam 2’s worse-than-expected box officetally, which started the downward trend for the last leg of the DCEU.
WithBlue Beetletracking to earn anywhere from $140-170 million, even a middling end to its theatrical run will place it firmly above theShazam!sequel’s $133.8 million box office pot. With many people insisting early on thatShazam 2’s poor performance was a bad omen forAquaman 2andBlue Beetle,any victory forBlue Beetlewould be welcomed to help shake off the negative press that preceded its otherwise well-received release. WhileBlue Beetleis in no position to similarly exceedThe Flash’s $268.5 million worldwide box office, its positive reception and much lower production budget make it a less egregious flop regardless.
Unlike withShazam! Fury of the Gods,Warner Bros. has been able to field areason forBlue Beetle’s bland box office weekendbeyond the content of the actual film not being enjoyed by fans. Strengthening that position is the sheer amount of positive reviews from fans and critics alike praisingBlue Beetle,with the film’s harshest critics only emphasizing the formulaic plot that one would expect from an origin story. Assuming the film can also beat theShazam!sequel’s box office earnings, the Zachary Levy-led project will almost assuredly remain the poster child for the DCEU’s recent flops, allowingBlue Beetleto escape some of the negative repercussions of being at the bottom of the pile.
InBlue Beetle’s case, the higher-ups at DC studios may be able to look past the character’s box office performance and integrate Jaime into the new DCU on the strength of the critical reception and Gunn’s desire forBlue Beetleto bridge the gap to his new DCU, a task initially designated toThe Flash.Fans must now wait forBlue Beetle’s final numbers and what they’ll mean for the character’s future.
