2023 has not been a good year for the DC Extended Universe as a franchise which once stood a very real chance of competing with Marvel Studios has sadly gone the way of Fox's long-dead X-Men franchise (which fizzled out with flops like Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants).
Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, and Blue Beetle have all bombed, though it's not like 2022 was any different after Black Adam similarly crashed and burned.
The brand is seemingly damaged beyond repair, and the year will close out with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. As the sequel to a movie which grossed over $1 billion in 2018, the ingredients for success are there, but should it fail, we'll arguably have all the confirmation needed that "DC" might as well stand for "don't care" among moviegoers.
The odds are going to be stacked against DC Studios' DCU, that's for sure, and another embarrassing box office stat has been revealed today.
By the end of this weekend, concert film Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour will have grossed just shy of $131 million at the domestic box office since opening last Friday. The movie didn't play on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and will only be available to watch Friday through Sunday for the next two weeks.
In comparison, the North American box office total for The Flash was $108 million. For Blue Beetle, it was $72 million. And, when it comes to the Shazam! sequel, that grossed a paltry $57 million.
Taylor Swift obviously has a massive fanbase, but so does DC, and this shows how much these iconic characters have struggled in 2023. In fact, it's starting to look like Swift will be this Fall's true box office hero (anti-hero?) because not even The Marvels is expected to beat her movie's opening weekend of $92.8 million.
Next year, the MCU will get a boost from Swift's popularity, however, as she's expected to make a cameo appearance in Marvel Studios' Deadpool 3.
The cultural phenomenon continues on the big screen! Immerse yourself in this once-in-a-lifetime concert film experience with a breathtaking, cinematic view of the history-making tour. Taylor Swift Eras tour attire and friendship bracelets are strongly encouraged!