There have been a ton of surprising box office successes in 2023. Sadly The Flash hasn’t been one of them. The Andy Muschietti directed DC film starring Ezra Miller vastly underperformed in its opening weekend despite the mostly positive reviews and great word of mouth. Not even the epic return of Michael Keaton’s Batman could save Flash from crashing head first into a wall. It’s not getting any better either as the time traveling adventure has made $26.6 million in its second weekend at the global box office from 25,493 screens. That comes to 4.4 million admissions in 78 international territories of release.

This brings Flash’s estimated international total up to $123.3 million and its worldwide total up to $210.9 million. IMAX grossed $4 million of the box office total this weekend. The premium format has accounted for $22.3 million of Flash’s total box office. The international markets accounted for $2.4 of that sum this weekend with IMAX’s global total now up to $11.8 million. While this is nowhere near the box office bomb of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which only made $130 million worldwide when it released this past March, Flash most likely won’t even reach the heights of other disappointing DC projects like Black Adam. That film couldn’t even break $400 million worldwide last year. It’s almost impossible to put a positive spin on Flash’s continued under performance with this film’s chances of breaking even becoming less and less likely by the hour.

Why Did The Flash Bomb?
There are so many complex factors to why The Flash is DC’s most recent Bat-bomb. The controversial Miller factor, the over marketing, and assuming Flash was a popular character in the mainstream could very much be arguable reasons. However, the most likely reason for the film’s low box office is the dreadful state of the DCEU. A film series that started with 2013’s Man of Steel never was a box office daring to begin with. You can argue that all 13 films in the universe have underperformed besides Aquaman and Wonder Woman. Whether it was the darker nature that Zack Snyder kicked off the universe with, the lack of direction, false premises, or constant behind-the-scenes drama, the DCEU never clicked with moviegoers the way it should. It has been a divisive universe since it started a decade ago. That was made worse when James Gunn announced he was taking over the newly minted DC Studios with producer Peter Safran and rebooting the universe. This put films like Flash, Fury of the Gods, and the upcoming Aquaman 2 in a weird state of limbo that had audiences asking “why should we care”.

Image via Warner Bros.

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This is a shame because The Flash is honestly a great superhero film. Yes, things like questionable effects work have become the internet’s next big joke, but Muschietti directed the heck out of this film. This was an extremely fun, hilarious, well acted, and visually stunning time travel film with a mature heart at its center. Whether it was Keaton’s amazing Dark Knight comeback, Sasha Calle’s debut as Supergirl, or Barry Allen’s emotional quest to save his mother, The Flash was a non-stop thrill ride that’s worth seeing in theaters. It’ll make you feel like a kid again playing with your DC toys as you imagine wild adventures in your head while also acting like an amazing Justice League Unlimited episode come to loving life.

What’s The Future of the DCEU?
Before the DCU gets rebooted with Superman: Legacy in 2025, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will act as the final film in the current DCEU timeline. That sequel is making waves in theaters on December 20, 2023. While DC fans anxiously wait for the end of an era, you can help The Flash’s struggling box office by racing to theaters to see the film now.