Overview
- The film opened this weekend with about $38 million in North America and roughly $68 million worldwide, far below prerelease studio projections.
- Critical and audience reaction was mixed, with a roughly 56% Rotten Tomatoes score, a B‑ CinemaScore and PostTrak data showing a male‑skewed turnout and low recommendation rates.
- Industry estimates put production costs near $170 million and note additional marketing spend, leading analysts to say the movie is unlikely to reach prior break‑even targets in the low‑to‑mid hundreds of millions.
- DC Studios co‑CEO Peter Safran acknowledged the shortfall but characterized it as a single data point within a longer‑term slate plan and the studio has kept planned follow‑ups such as Man of Tomorrow and Clayface on track.
- The weak launch, as family tentpoles like Toy Story 5 dominated the box office and superhero demand softens, raises pressure on DC to prioritize proven marquee characters or smaller, lower‑cost projects to protect future returns.