Apparently, the #1 fashionable DCEU film of all time, Aquaman, just isn’t solely the king of the seven seas, but additionally the field workplace. In response to IMDb, the 2018 function starring Jason Momoa and directed by James Wan tops the likes of The Darkish Knight, Joker, Man of Metal, and this 12 months’s Superman, incomes $1.14 billion worldwide.
How did Aquaman, a personality admittedly not as well-known as different members of the Justice League, rise to the very prime of the DCU moneymakers? And a fair greater query: why is not he extra of a precedence for Warner Bros. right now?
‘Aquaman’ Was Extraordinarily Profitable on the Chinese language Field Workplace
It Was Profitable Domestically as Effectively
The number-one purpose Aquaman is on the pinnacle of the DCU field workplace listing is its stellar exhibiting in China, the place it was launched two weeks earlier than the U.S. Making $24.6 million on opening day within the nation, inside every week, the movie earned greater than all of the MCU solo motion pictures. When it was all mentioned and carried out, Aquaman cleared round $291 million and is presently the fortieth most profitable film in China of all time.
One doable purpose cited for its phenomenal recognition was its deal with water particular results, with many followers evaluating it to the extremely well-liked Chinese language romantic comedy The Mermaid. Whereas Superman, Batman, and even Surprise Lady are undoubtedly extra high-profile in america than Aquaman, he might resonate deeper with international audiences. An awesome instance of this phenomenon is the American pulp hero The Phantom, who is basically forgotten in america however a beloved cultural icon in Australia to at the present time.
Past its spectacular success in China, Aquaman was liked by followers worldwide for being a giant, enjoyable superhero flick, harking back to a sunnier period in superhero motion pictures. Whereas some distinguished critics of the time derided it as hokey and, within the phrases of Rolling Stone‘s Peter Travers, stuffed with “shameless silliness,” the film retains a 72% score on RT’s audience-measuring Popcornmeter, with over 25,000 scores.
Domestically, the movie remained in first place for 3 consecutive weekends by means of the 2018-2019 winter vacation, crossing $1 billion in its fourth week. And notably fascinating was the weird variety of females in attendance for a comic book guide film, with Deadline asserting that “mothers are outnumbering dads in attendance” — although maybe having Jason Momoa shirtless helped on this division.
The Failure of ‘Justice League’ and the ‘Aquaman’ Sequel
Regardless of its recognition, Aquaman may need had its destiny sealed with Warner Bros. earlier than it was even launched. The earlier 12 months noticed the Justice League, of which the character Aquaman was a component, infamously bomb each critically and on the field workplace. Whereas Zack Snyder didn’t direct the movie, it was primarily his imaginative and prescient for what would turn into referred to as the DC Prolonged Universe (DCEU), incorporating his earlier cinematic interpretations of Superman and Batman.
The studio invested closely on this manufacturing, hoping it might turn into their Avengers and help a long-running DCEU franchise. It is rather doable that, no matter how nicely Aquaman carried out, it could not overcome the crushing disappointment of Justice League or halt the excitement round Warner Bros. that maybe investing within the Snyderverse was a foul determination.
If the aquatic superhero was now tainted by its connection to the Zack Snyder DCEU, maybe the failure of its 2023 film sequel, Aquaman and the Misplaced Kingdom, was the ultimate nail within the coffin. Being the final Snyderverse DC superhero film, and launched solely six months after the colossal failure The Flash, maybe it was all a misplaced trigger by that time anyway. The net rumor mill was already flooded with whispers of an finish to the DCEU and a need on the a part of Warner Bros. to reboot the whole factor (with the unlikely exception, it seems, of an odd little TV hit known as Peacemaker made by Suicide Squad director James Gunn).
Maybe dooming Misplaced Kingdom even additional was the controversy surrounding considered one of its stars, Amber Heard, who was embroiled in an ongoing authorized battle together with her ex-husband, Johnny Depp. Ultimately, whereas the movie’s field workplace receipts made it the highest-grossing DCEU film for the reason that unique Aquaman, that actually wasn’t saying a lot. It earned lower than half of the primary movie’s field workplace in each the U.S. and China, obtained largely adverse evaluations, and confronted largely apathy from all however probably the most loyal Jason Momoa and Snyderverse followers.
As of 2025, there may be primarily no probability that the DCEU model of Aquaman will return. As symbolized by the discharge of the brand new Superman, James Gunn’s imaginative and prescient has changed Zack Snyder’s because the guiding star for the superhero franchise. An altered flashback scene within the second-season premiere of Gunn’s Peacemaker has seemingly erased the earlier Justice League, together with Aquaman.
In a current interview, Gunn indicated that there’s “no rush” to reintroduce the water-based character into the franchise. Nevertheless, maybe probably the most vital indication that, regardless of starring within the #1 fashionable DC superhero film thus far, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman has been relegated to historical past issues the actor himself. He’s scheduled to seem in 2026 because the fan-favorite character Lobo within the upcoming Supergirl. On condition that it appears extremely unlikely — outdoors a George Clooney-style ‘Multiverse’ crossover — that Ezra Miller or Gal Gadot will reprise their roles, Momoa returning as a totally completely different character is especially spectacular.
Aquaman
- Launch Date
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December 21, 2018
- Runtime
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143 Minutes
- Director
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James Wan