10 lowest-grossing DC movies, ranked from worst to best

Superhero films aren’t always the commercial hits studios want them to be, especially when it comes to these DC Universe. Although there have been some amazing adaptations of DC comics for film, almost as many films under the company’s banner have bombed at the box office. Some of these failures are incredibly deserving, but in DC’s least commercially viable films rest some truly amazing uses of superhero stories.

Historically, DC’s films have failed for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, conditions like the COVID-19 pandemic or simple superhero fatigue can be deadly for the financial success of a given entry. Other times, the interest simply isn’t there for films that revolve around niche characters, or sequels for films with only lukewarm critical reception. Outside of concepts or market conditions, the simple truth is that DC’s movies sometimes fail Because they are just that badly made.

10

Steel

$1.7 million

Steel is not typically well-remembered in the broader scope of DC films, and for good reason. On a budget of 16 million dollars, Steel Made just a paltry 1.7 million, making it easily the worst-performing DC Comics movie of all time. Going back over the bottom ten, it’s also easily the worst quality-wise, more than deserving of its unfortunate box office name for an amazing variety of reasons.

John Henry Irons isn’t the most popular or well-known DC character to begin with, which makes it baffling that Steele got a major comic book movie before the likes of Wonder Woman or Green Lantern. On top of that, simply nothing about the film works, from the forgettable plot to the cheap-looking costumes and sets to Shaquille O’Neal’s abysmal, nervous, unconvincing performance as the titular metallic hero. Some athletes are able to effortlessly bridge the gap between professional sports and acting, but O’Neal certainly isn’t one of them, leaving Steel As little more than an empty shell built around his frame.

9

Catwoman

$40 million

As far as DC movie flops go, Catwoman is far from the worst offender, nearly managing to recoup its $100 million budget through international ticket sales. Critically, the Halle Berry star vehicle was even worse, unfortunately, quickly descending into filth as one of the worst superhero movies ever made. When reviewing the film, it’s easy to see why it struggled to find purchase at the box office.

The film makes the bold decision to re-write everything about Catwoman’s history from scratch, not even keeping her real name from the comics. instead, Halle Berry’s Catwoman is a supernatural, undead jewel thief with literal feline superpowers, speaking almost entirely in cheesy cat words. Not even Halle Berry’s star power can save the film from its own idiotic villain plot, cringe-worthy action setpieces, ham-fisted romance or awkward editing. At least there’s a decent degree of ironic enjoyment to be had Catwomans unbelievable choices.

8

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace

$15 million

Actually managing to break even and then some before considering advertising, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace is actually some of the best of the worst when it comes to DC’s worst cinematic flops. However, there is a reason the infamous fourth installment in the original Christopher Reeve Superman Quadrilogy has such a terrible theatrical name compared to its siblings. A heartbreakingly unfortunate final outing for the beloved Superman actor, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace Certainly deserves its box office woes.

Once again, the story takes a deviation far from the left field of the comics, with Superman versus the original villain Nuclear Man as his main antagonist. Nuclear Man simply does not work as a compelling enemy, and between the heightened cheesiness, nonsensical plot and overbearing message of world peace through nuclear disarmament, there is little left to appreciate about this contender for the worst Superman film. Still, at least Superman IV: The Quest for Peace It’s still with Reeve’s iconic take on the character, earning it some small graces.

7

Supergirl

$14 million

Set in the same universe as Christopher Reeve’s Superman movies, the rarely-remembered 1984 spin-off Supergirl has box office drag that reflects the non-existent pop culture impact. With only 14 million dollars, Supergirl Was far from the pop culture feeling implied by its high predecessor. The failure is largely deserved considering what few audiences have gotten out of bed for Supergirl are treated with.

Even for a Superman-adjacent film of the era, the plot of Supergirl is utter nonsense, with completely original concepts like witches, hidden cities, and unheard of Kryptonian artifacts bombarding the viewer right out of the gate. After it was finished, Supergirl can only offer the sub-par, Razzie-nominated performances of Faye Dunaway and Peter O’Toole to entertain viewers, Making for a decidedly awkward cinematic experience. At least Supergirl It contains some interesting action set-ups with well-done SFX for the time, not to mention the novelty of being the only Supergirl movie available at the time of writing.

6

Jonah Hex

$10.5 million

As a character, Jonah Hex sits in a strange place in DC canon, having lived, died, and had his adventures in the universe past at a distance from most of the most famous heroes of the franchise. It makes it all the stranger that he was able to grab movie headlines with a waffley Anderson Western that took back $10.5 million from a budget of $40 million. Few moviegoers are willing to take a chance Jonah Hex They are greeted with a puzzling film that justifies its meager profit margins.

Jonah Hex Has some interesting ideas, with Josh Brolin doing an awkward Clint Eastwood imitation through some interesting-looking makeup, but can’t stay on one track to save his life. The story is one long series of free quests that get in the way of each other, making it impossible to settle in the poorly realized time world. Although there are some individual concepts of the film that sound interesting on paper, the film fails not only as one of the worst DC comic adaptations, but one of the worst westerns of the 2010s.

5

Shazam! Wrath of the Gods

$134 million

The first Shazam! was a charming, fun, magical superhero story with Zachary Levi accurately portraying the mind of a 14-year-old boy. Given the lukewarm acclaim the film was able to receive, it’s not entirely a huge surprise that the follow-up feature wasn’t a massive hit, barely edging over its $125 million budget to probably not recoup advertising costs. This time, the entire “Shazamilly” is coming to stick around, expanding the focus of Shazam’s solo movie to be more of a team-up story.

However, in his efforts to expand the breadth of his hero cast, Shazam! Wrath of the Gods Loses some critical focus, with no single character given enough screen time to be truly captivating. The villain is also a noticeable step-down from the previous film Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, diluting yet another one of Shazam!’s best aspects. Essentially being a tonal re-tread of the first film but noticeably inferior in a few key areas, Shazam! Wrath of the Gods is a precious recitation whose box office numbers accurately indicate its quality.

4

Wonder Woman 1984

$196 million

One of the many stumbling blocks of the DCEU, Wonder Woman 1984 It was a bitter disappointment on the heels of Gal Gadot’s highly praised solo comedy film debut. Still technically a prequel in DCEU canon, this time around, Wonder Woman traipses through the ’80s in search of a way to revive her former lover, Steve Trevor, while contending with new villains Cheetah and Maxwell Lord. on a budget of 200 million dollars, Wonder Woman 1984 Just barely failed to break even.

Compared to previous entries on the list, Wonder Woman 1984 is at least competently conceived, with a plot that makes sense on paper and large letters for Wonder Woman to encounter and bounce off in her quest to extend the past through the power of will. But like many superhero sequels, Wonder Woman 1984 Over-indulging with multiple villains, the strange body-hijacking implications of Steve Trevor’s resurrectionAnd a decided over-reliance on 80s nostalgia. Although it largely misses the mark, the Wonder Woman sequel is perhaps not as bad as the box office judgment might imply.

3

Teen Titans Go! to the movies

$52 million

Despite being on the lower-end of DC comic book movie earners, Teen Titans Go! to the movies was actually somewhat of a financial success. Taking the same lean animation art style of the Teen Titans Go! TV series and transplanting it to the big screen, the feature cost only 10 million dollars to make, earning back five times that in a modestly lucrative release. for what it is Teen Titans Go! to the movies is certainly a success.

Taking place in the same “canon” of the TV show, as much as it can be said to have one, Teen Titans Go! to the movies The titular superhero group is distracted on a trip to Hollywood while trying to take down the villain Slade. Full of meta-contextual jokes and clever references to the DC universe at large, the film adapts the humor that makes the TV show work into a feature-length presentation with flying colors. Certainly nothing groundbreaking or cerebral, Teen Titans Go! to the movies At least it understands and goes out of its place as a low comedy.

2

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

$5.6 million

For every animated movie that appeals to the lowest common denominator, viz Teen Titans Go! to the movies, It is a brilliantly cerebral film that strikes a chord with children and adults alike Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. A continuation of the critically beloved Batman: The Animated Series, The special feature exists in the same universe while filling in Batman’s backstory, Linking it to a present-day vigilante framing Batman for murder.

Like essentially an extended, extra lovingly-animated episode of Batman: The Animated Series, The film transports all the tender care of the original showrunners to the big screen. From the poignant storytelling featuring one of Batman’s best love interests to the chilling art style that makes the Looming Phantasm’s mask feel 50 feet wide, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is an astounding success by almost every movie metric. It is a bitter pity that the craft of this film was not able to be appreciated by the audience of the time.

1

The Suicide Squad

$167 million

Even if it was a smash hit on streaming, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad After suffering from coming out in theaters hot on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when many audiences are still hesitant to risk exposure by returning to the movies. Nevertheless, it is still at the top of DC’s worst commercial failures, led by the sheer quality of its construction. A daring R-rated ensemble film starring famous actors as dark DC villains, The Suicide Squad Has almost no right to be as good as it is.

Time and time again, James Gunn has proven how well he understands what makes an ensemble cast click. To see him apply his craft to the bloody world of the Suicide Squad, in which life is cheap and the most evil and strange of DC’s creations are able to make appearances, is a true joy that cannot be represented by any box Office number. Essentially a thesis statement for the success of James Gunn’s upcoming DC UniverseIt is unfair, if not surprising, that The Suicide Squad Not better in theaters.

Upcoming DC Movie Releases