While there's a lot of talk about superhero fatigue setting in, we'd argue that it's simply been a hit-and-miss couple of years for the genre. Marvel Studios hasn't been at its best, for example, but with Shazam! Fury of the Gods kicking off the DCEU's final year of existence, the hope is that this shared world can go out on a high.
Unfortunately, with a "Rotten" 54% score on Rotten Tomatoes, those already underwhelming opening weekend projections have taken another hit.
Beginning its run at the domestic box office yesterday afternoon, the Shazam! sequel was only able to conjure up a disappointing $3.4 million from Thursday screenings that kicked off at 3pm.
Back in 2019, the first movie earned $5.9 million from Thursday screenings that began at 5pm and had made $3.3 million prior to that from Fandango preview screenings. Shazam! would go on to earn $53.5 million during its opening weekend, but we're hearing that this follow-up with likely end up in the high 20s or, optimistically, the low 30s.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods' current Audience Score is 84%, so there's a slim chance it could exceed expectations.
This is a real shame to see, especially as its 2019 predecessor was a critical and commercial hit that set the stage for a promising new DCEU franchise. Unfortunately, the pandemic pushed back development on this sequel and multiple delays have only served to increase the gap between both instalments.
This debut is -40% versus last March's Morbius and -55% compared to Black Adam. Aside from those release date postponements, an apparent lack of interest in the dying days of the DCEU hasn't helped matters when moviegoers go into movies like this one expecting the stage to be set for the next chapter.
Unfortunately, this weekend might close the door on Shazam! 3 ever happening at DC Studios.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is now playing in theaters.