I Can’t Believe How Much More The DCEU’s Highest Grossing Movie Made Than Its Budget

The DCEU‘s highest-grossing movie, James Wan’s Aquaman, is still an impressive achievement over six years after it broke historical DC movie records. The DC Extended Universe raced to its first crossover event after only three installments. After Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice teased the Justice League’s creation with cameos by Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg. Then, Justice League ᴀssembled the team, and Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry received his own spinoff one year later. James Wan’s Aquaman was the first movie outside Zack Snyder’s DCEU original plans to follow Justice League‘s controversial release.

The DCEU is officially over as the DCU begins its first chapter. Jason Momoa will no longer play Aquaman, but he’s set to join James Gunn’s franchise as Lobo in the DCU’s upcoming Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. The DCU’s Aquaman hasn’t been cast yet, and it’s unknown when or where the King of Atlantis will first appear in the new DC Universe. It will be challenging for the DCU to replace Aquaman, as Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry became one of the most popularn characters in the whole DCEU, as shown by Aquaman‘s record-breaking box office performance in 2018.

Aquaman Made Over $1 Billion At The Box Office

James Wan’s Aquaman Still Holds The тιтle Of Highest-Grossing DC Movie Ever

Aquaman vs Ocean Master in the DCEU's Aquaman 2018

As reported by ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, James Wan’s 2018 Aquaman movie grossed $105.4M domestically over its first five days in theaters, and it tripled that amount at the end of its domestic run, for a total domestic gross of $334.8 million. Overseas, Aquaman quickly crossed the $300 million mark, and it gathered a total of $1.131 billion worldwide by the time it left theaters. Apart from claiming the тιтle of highest-grossing DC movie ever, Aquaman also broke other records, landing at the second spot of Warner Bros.’ highest-grossing movies, after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.

Since then, Barbie surpᴀssed Aquaman in Warner Bros.’ rankings, with $1.4 billion at the worldwide box office.

No other DCEU movie got close to Aquaman‘s box office. The following five movies in the DCEU’s box office rankings are all films that released before Aquaman: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, Man of Steel, and Justice League. The next movie in the list is Aquaman‘s only sequel, as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s box office broke the DCEU’s downward trend and reached $439 million despite the franchise’s poor results towards its conclusion.

Aquaman’s Budget Makes The DCEU’s Highest Grossing Movie Even More Impressive

James Wan’s Aquaman Was A Bold Risk For Warner Bros In 2018

As reported by Business Insider, Aquaman‘s budget estimates range from $160 million to $200 million. By 2025, it’s not uncommon for superhero blockbusters like DC’s The Flash and Marvel’s The Marvels to reach budgets of around $200 million, and unfortunately, it’s also not uncommon for them to flop at the box office, with The Flash grossing $271 million and The Marvels earning only $206.1 million worldwide. Due to inflation, Aquaman‘s $160m-$200m budget was an even bolder risk in 2018, especially considering that Aquaman wasn’t an established property at the time.

Man of Steel wasn’t as controversial as Superman’s next two movie appearances, but it still struggled to launch the DCEU with solid box office results. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice didn’t meet expectations, and Justice League underperformed mᴀssively. Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman gave the DCEU a breath of fresh air, but nothing guaranteed that Aquaman would succeed. Yet, not only did Aquaman surpᴀss expectations, but it also turned one of the least popular A-list DC Comics heroes into the face of DC’s movie success, dominating the 2018 Christmas box office worldwide.

Why Aquaman’s Budget Vs Box Office Numbers Are Still Promising

Batman And Superman Aren’t The Only DC Characters Who Can Thrive In Cinemas

Aquaman, Ocean Master, and Black Manta in the DCEU — Custom image by Nicolas Ayala

Batman has dominated DC’s box office for decades. Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises reached the $1 billion mark before the DCEU began, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice crawled to $872 million due to its lukewarm reception. After Justice League‘s disappointing $660 million run, the DCEU seemed unlikely to cross the $1 billion mark. But to everyone’s surprise, it was none other than Aquaman who surpᴀssed all expectations and claimed the тιтle of highest-grossing DC character of all time.

James Wan’s Aquaman proves that many other DC characters could thrive just as much as Batman and Superman, if not more. Aquaman‘s record-breaking box office also proves that a superhero film’s success doesn’t depend solely on how popular a character is beforehand. Instead, each movie’s quality and spectacle can make or break them at the box office. For example, Aquaman‘s rich underwater world provided something groundbreaking for the genre, whereas The Flash‘s convoluted plot sabotaged one of DC’s most famous heroes’ movie debut.