James Gunn's First DCU Movie Expected to Lose Millions

The DCU might be off to a rough start under the leadership of James Gunn, as he has constantly had to deal with blowback for films that he was not even responsible for. He took over long after The Flash was in development, but the film flopping at the box office will likely be tied to Gunn, which could cause significant issues with his own releases. His first DCU release is already projected to be a flop.

The Flash Ezra Miller — Credit: DC Studios

DC has been a mess for many years, going back to when Zack Snyder was all but running the show and building out his SnyderVerse. The issue with DC films has always been about continuity. Instead of trying to play catch up to Marvel, DC should have been building out its solo hero movies before creating the Justice League.

Despite what people may think about it, Man of Steel (2013) was a perfect jumping-off point for the SnyderVerse, which was ruined when DC forced the Justice League team up after the success of the first Avengers film that the MCU made. It has been tough to be a DC fan simply because the live-action efforts have paled compared to what Marvel has been accomplishing for the better part of 15 years.

DC has had some successes, but mostly with solo Batman films. Batman has always been the darling of DC, and that could be because every creator comes to the Dark Knight with a brand-new take. The rest of the DC Universe has not been given the proper tools to succeed, and it appears that the first big DCU reset film will sadly join the long list of DC flops.

James Gunn DCU ‘Blue Beetle’ Projected to Flop

blue beetle warner bros — Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Discovery

James Gunn will have to sit around and wait for the passing of films he has not directly worked on, as Blue Beetle and Aquaman 2 are the final films on the DC calendar that were in production before Gunn took over. Aquaman 2 is still part of the DCEU, but Blue Beetle is considered the “first DCU hero,” according to Gunn.

Based on a report by Box Office Pro, Blue Beetle is projected to make somewhere in the $12 to $17 million range in its opening weekend. That number will only rise to around $27 to $55 million for domestic box office projections.

These numbers were likely devised based on how films generally face significant drop-offs in numbers as the weeks progress, which is certainly what happened to The Flash and Shazam 2. The good news is that Blue Beetle has a reported budget of $12o million, making it the third-lowest of the entire DC franchise.

These are also domestic projections; the film could find its wings (pun intended) in international markets. That will likely not be the case, but the hope is certainly there.

DC fans have long longed for tangible continuity, which has not been the case for DC films over the last 15 years. James Gunn is now running the show for the DC Films division of Warner Bros. Discovery, and the hope is that he can pull the company out of mediocrity.

James Gunn walking with the Suicide Squad — Credit: Warner Bros.

Blue Beetle could still shock the world and become an underground hit, though it might be collateral damage next to the box office disasters that The Flash and Shazam 2 were. Everyone must be patient and wait for Gunn’s Superman: Legacy to arrive, hopefully bringing a cohesive plan to the rest of the DC Universe.

Do you think James Gunn can help Blue Beetle not be a failure? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!