While Suicide Squad wasn’t quite as bad as the critics made it out to be, few would say that it was a great film. Too many members of Task Force X were under-developed, the villain was pretty terrible and let’s not even get started on the problems with Jared Leto’s Joker. Still, none of that stopped the flick from grossing an impressive $745 million worldwide. We already knew that it was a fairly big money maker for the studio then, but with home entertainment and television revenue now factored in, Suicide Squad has become the DCEU’s most profitable venture to date.
Deadline reports that on top of its initial haul, David Ayer’s 2016 effort brought in an additional $288.80 million after it left theatres, taking its grand total revenue to a staggering $618.30 million. When you factor in costs, which come to $459.85 million, that still leaves Warner Bros. with a cool $158.45 million in their pocket. Those wondering why a Suicide Squad 2 is being rushed into development need not wonder anymore.
When compared to other comic book movies, Task Force X isn’t quite at the top, but it’s certainly no slouch, either. For comparisons sake, check out the list below, courtesy of CBM:
Iron Man 3 – $391.8m
Avengers Age of Ultron – $382.3m
Guardians of the Galaxy – $204.2m
Big Hero 6 – $187.3m
Captain America: The Winter Soldier – $166.2m
Suicide Squad – $158.95 million
Thor The Dark World – $139.4m
Doctor Strange – $122.65 million
Batman v Superman – $105.7m
Ant-Man – $103.9m
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – $81.31m
X-men Days of Future Past – $77.4m
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – $70.4m
Man of Steel – $42.7m
When you look at those numbers, it’s easy to see why Warner Bros. is still so hot on the property, despite the negative reviews and poor reception from fans. And honestly, we’re not against seeing a Suicide Squad 2. As mentioned above, the first film had more than its fair share of problems, but there was certainly potential there and we’d love to see more of characters like Harley Quinn and Deadshot. Especially if the studio is able to learn from their mistakes and give us an improved product.
Time will ultimately tell what the future holds for Task Force X, but with a director search already underway for Suicide Squad 2, it shouldn’t be too much longer now before we learn what’s in store for the “Worst Heroes Ever.”