Despite only playing in theaters for less than two weeks, Shazam! Fury of the Gods was already written off a long time ago.
The blockbuster superhero sequel may have topped the box office in its opening weekend, but it was lagging way behind its predecessor in terms of numbers, while the arrival of John Wick: Chapter 4 effectively obliterated any chances it had of even trying to establish any kind of longevity.
It’s easy to see why many are predicting the beginning of the end for the comic book bubble when Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is heading towards the status of being the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s biggest-ever money loser, at the exact same time Fury of the Gods is trending downwards on its way to winding up as the DCU’s lowest-grossing installment of all-time.
What makes it even more alarming is that not only is David F. Sandberg’s sequel being predicted to exit theaters with an embarrassing global haul between $145 million and $155 million – which is well under half as much as Shazam! – but the three films above it at the bottom of the franchise’s barrel all have much better excuses for bombing.
The Suicide Squad netted $166 million, but James Gunn’s effort was an R-rated film released simultaneously on HBO Max in the throes of the pandemic, while Wonder Woman 1984 did well to even reach $169 million given that it hit multiplexes at the tail end of 2020. Birds of Prey was branded a colossal catastrophe after barely squeaking past $200 million all-in, which leaves Fury of the Gods staring embarrassment square in the face.
