In a twist that rivals even the most far-fetched superhero plotlines, DC and Warner Bros. find themselves in the eye of a storm of their own making. As fans predicted, Blue Beetle bombed at the box office. Dramatically, to say the least. What’s worse, DC has an interesting excuse regarding Storm Hilary being to blame for Blue Beetle‘s box office failure.
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With a measly $43.4 million opening, Blue Beetle became the DCEU’s biggest flop. Fans noticed Warner Bros. And DC’s apparent lack of marketing for the film early on. This not only disappointed fans looking for a solid DC movie outside of the scope of the franchise’s classic Justice League – but also those looking for more representation in superhero media.
Now, Warner Bros. has entered complete damage control mode. It seems everything – but the studio – is to blame for Blue Beetle‘s poor box office performance, and that includes bad weather. In a move that would be called far-fetched even in a Shyamalan flick, Warner blames tropical storm Hilary for the movie’s poor ticket sales.
While the storm did impact Southern California considerably, the same can’t be said about foreign territories. And yet, Blue Beetle failed to gain any traction at the international box office. So, what’s going on with this movie?
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As fans correctly guessed, the lack of marketing didn’t do Blue Beetle any favours. Not only is the Beetle a lesser-known DC character – but his odds of attracting an audience with a complete lack of promotion are close to non-existent. All the online buzz and goodwill for the film accounts for nothing if the studio won’t entice potential audiences to watch the movie.
The reality is that tropical storm Hilary is just another excuse in the long list of future excuses that DC and Warner will invoke every time Blue Beetle‘s box office performance is mentioned. Some fans even believe the movie was “set up to fail,” as it could be seen as a somewhat awkward flick for the future of the franchise.
With Zack Snyder out of the equation and the future of the DCU filled with uncertainty, a movie like Blue Beetle might not be something Warner Bros. felt particularly excited about. While critics and audiences alike enjoyed the film, the truth is that Blue Beetle is hardly what you’d call franchise material.
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It’s clear Warner and DC want Superman: Legacy to be the superhero film everyone talks about when it comes to the newly-formed DCU. Any remnants of the DCEU receive second-class treatment – including Blue Beetle. As sad as it sounds, Angel Manuel Soto’s amazing superhero flick is the latest victim of DC’s long list of poor management decisions.
As we get closer to the release date of Superman: Legacy and the new era for DC in films, we can only hope that the studio eventually cares a bit more about their movies. After all, they can’t always blame tropical storms for why their films fail to deliver at the box office. Who knows? Maybe the DCU film can become a massive streaming success – unlike The Flash or Black Adam. After all, the movie deserves recognition.