‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ Has The Chance To Beat ‘The Flash’

DESPITE The Flash’s high anticipation and positive reviews, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has the chance to be DC’s most successful movie of 2023.

DC movies have had a bumpy ride at the box office for a long time. For every record-breaking hit like The Dark Knight there has been a box office bomb like Green Lantern, and for every successful DCEU entry like Wonder Woman there has been a massive flop like Wonder Woman 1984 or Shazam: Fury of the Gods.

DCEU movies have also experienced a complex reception. For instance, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice remains the second-best box office success in the franchise, but it is perhaps one of the DCEU’s most divisive entries for DC fans, critics, and the general audience.

On the other hand, The Suicide Squad received much better reviews than Suicide Squad and Black Adam, but its box office performance still failed to match its positive reception. Likewise, The Flash has all the necessary elements to rise to the top of the DCEU’s box office rankings, but Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom could still surpass it.

The Dark Knight raised the bar not only for DC movies but also for superhero movies as a whole, both in terms of critical reception and in terms of commercial success. Naturally, The Dark Knight’s massive impact carried over to its sequel, The Dark Knight Rises, which surpassed its predecessor at the box office despite divisive reviews. Since then, Marvel dominated the superhero scene unanimously with the Avengers movies and their MCU interconnectivity.

But to the surprise of many, James Wan’s Aquaman beat The Dark Knight and quickly rose to the top of the most successful DC films and claimed a spot in the highest-grossing superhero movies of all time.

Before the 2018 movie, DC’s Aquaman had struggled with constant jokes at his expense due to his unique powerset and colorful costume. Besides, the DCEU’s Aquaman had only appeared in a cameo in the divisive Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and then appeared in the highly controversial Justice League.

But even with those factors against him, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman suddenly became DC’s best asset, so it would make sense that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom can now replicate the first movie’s success and dominate 2023’s box office despite not having well-defined selling points like Michael Keaton’s older Batman or the concept of the multiverse.

One specific factor Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom does have in its favor is a lack of competition in theaters. Although its performance seemed at risk back when every major blockbuster was constantly changing release dates due to the COVID-19 pandemic (the Aquaman sequel competed with Avatar: The Way of Water at one point), Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom now has free rein to take over the December 2023 box office, as Wonka and Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 are less likely to recapture Aquaman’s phenomenon and Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon will release on Netflix.

The Flash is undoubtedly a much highly anticipated movie due to how long it has been in development, how important it might be for DC’s cinematic future, and how shocking its twists and cameos may be. The Flash has all the makings for a top summer blockbuster, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom may subvert expectations once again in its tried-and-true December slot.

Since Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a more standalone movie, its reception will likely depend solely on its script, performances, and visuals. Amber Heard’s participation in the Aquaman sequel may be its only potential controversy, and even then, Mera’s role will be too small to affect the film significantly.

While The Flash can be either a massive success or a massive disappointment, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom could either strike gold twice in a row or simply fall short of its predecessor. (source: screenrant.com)

(ROHN ROMULO)