It took a while, but 2023 was finally the year that superhero-hating pundits welcomed in the era of what they've dubbed "superhero fatigue." While the genre does need to evolve, one hit-and-miss 365 days aren't necessarily the beginning of the end for this popular genre.
Last year, we saw disaster after disaster for the DCEU and even Marvel Studios wasn't immune to delivering movies which failed to connect with paying moviegoers.
Not a single title topped $1 billion and it's possible comic book adaptations aren't the draw they once were. Even so, there were some hits to be found and we thought you'd be interested to see how they all compare with each other...and which of them was 2023's highest-grossing superhero movie!
To take a look through this ranking - and our take on where they went wrong (or right) - simply tap that "Next" button below.
8. Blue Beetle - $130 Million
The best-reviewed DCEU movie of 2023 was also the lowest-grossing. The Hollywood strikes left Blue Beetle's cast unable to promote the project, though with no huge stars in the ensemble, it's hard to say how much of a difference it would have made.
While nowhere near enough people saw Blue Beetle, Xolo Maridueña's Jaime Reyes will reportedly return in the new DCU, giving him a second chance...which, based on box office numbers like these, would normally be off the table. We wouldn't bank on Blue Beetle 2 happening, anyway!
7. Shazam! Fury of the Gods - $134 Million
2019's Shazam! was a surprise critical and commercial hit, earning an impressive $367 million worldwide. Needless to say, we had high hopes for the sequel to one of the best-reviewed DCEU titles, but with a young cast now too old for their roles and underwhelming original villains, very little about Fury of the Gods worked.
Even a much-hyped Wonder Woman cameo failed to increase interest and at least some of the blame for the movie's failings should be laid at the feet of Black Adam. Simply put, the wait for a follow-up was too long and interest had waned enough to make the sequel far from a must-see for fans.
6. The Marvels - $205 Million
Released smack bang between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel cruised to over $1 billion at the box office and had all the makings of Marvel Studios' newest hit franchise. Like Shazam! Fury of the Gods, though, the wait for a follow-up might have been a few years too long.
Both creative and marketing ultimately downed The Marvels; what should have been an epic cosmic adventure was a fun, throwaway team-up which never presented itself as essential viewing. The movie itself was fine, but that wasn't enough, and it's now Marvel Studios' biggest box office flop.
5. The Flash - $271 Million
Hyped up as the greatest superhero ever made, The Flash was set up to disappoint fans from the start. Putting it on the same level as movies like Spider-Man 2, The Dark Knight, and Avengers: Endgame was a baffling move and, as soon as fans realised it wasn't all it was cracked up to be, the tide turned against it online.
That dampened excitement, though a problematic lead star meant plenty of moviegoers gave up on this one long before it raced into theaters. The movie boasted rotten visual effects, groan-worthy cameos, and not one, but two dire performances from Ezra Miller. At least Supergirl and Batman were fun to watch.
4. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom - $336 Million
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is indeed still playing in theaters, but the odds of it making an additional $140+ million to overtake our third-place movie are between slim and none. Still, the sequel has performed considerably better than expected, particularly after receiving the worst reviews of any 2023 DCEU title.
It's interesting to compare this one to The Marvels because both of their predecessors were released at roughly the same time; however, Jason Momoa and this character have proven themselves a bigger attraction than Brie Larson and Captain Marvel, suggesting the MCU brand no longer has its previous drawing power.
3. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - $476 Million
The Ant-Man threequel was meant to kick off 2023 and Phase 5 in style. The trailers promised a long-awaited exploration of the Quantum Realm and while the decision to feature Kang the Conqueror's debut here was questionable, it was exciting to think this reality might be his domain given its ties to time travel.
Instead, very little about this one worked the way it was supposed to. The Volume made the Quantum Realm feel sparse and artificial, and Kang's death at the hands of the movie's title characters turned the Multiverse Saga's big bad into just another villain. It's no wonder this movie didn't resonate.
2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - $690 Million
Considering the fact Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is one of the greatest superhero movies ever made, we're a little annoyed it didn't crack $1 billion. Then again, seeing as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse made $384 million in 2018, there's no way a sequel making $690 million can be considered a disappointment.
A visual masterpiece which means it ranks among the best animated movies as well, Across the Spider-Verse was only let down by being a "part one" movie which no sign of "part two" on the horizon (Beyond the Spider-Verse lost its release date and remains "TBD").
1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - $845 Million
An emotional and fitting conclusion to James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, it's a great shame this movie couldn't quite soar to $1 billion. $155 million is neither here nor there when all is said and done, though, and it still managed to hit the mark in every other way.
While Gunn has moved on to the DC Studios and the new DCU, he left the door open for these characters to remain a huge part of the MCU...we just don't envy whoever has to follow him! Still, it's good to see 2023's two best superhero movies sitting at the top of this list.