Ranking DC Comics Movies By How Much They Made At The Box Office

To say that there have been a lot of movies based on DC Comics characters over the years would be a gross understatement. For decades, projects based on famous figures from this company have dominated multiplexes and become some of the biggest features in history. However, it isn't just "Batman" and "Superman" titles that make up the history of DC Comics on the big screen. There have also been film adaptations of stories from DC Comics imprints or one-off graphic novels, such as "V For Vendetta" or "Watchmen," that have also drummed up noteworthy box office figures. Wherever you look, your eyeballs are bound to land on some film rooted in DC Comics source material.

Even given the dense library of projects that count as DC Comics adaptations, there are still clear box office victors, losers, and everything in between. Depending on the decades in which the films have been produced, there have also been drastically different box office circumstances impacting their arrival. Ranking each DC Comics movie from lowest to highest-grossing at the worldwide box office doesn't just allow one to appreciate the factors that determine whether one of these movies becomes either an "Aquaman" or a "Jonah Hex." It also makes one realize just how many of them have emerged over the years, a testament to how many influential properties DC Comics has been associated with.

"Batman: The Killing Joke" wasn't just an event because it was a feature-length adaptation of one of the most famous Batman graphic novels. It was also momentous because it was the rare direct-to-video animated DC Comics movie to also get a theatrical release. Initially created exclusively for the small screen, "Batman: The Killing Joke" ended up scoring a limited theatrical run courtesy of Fathom Events.

Though it only played a handful of days, "The Killing Joke" ended up grossing $4.3 million worldwide, $3.7 million of which came from its North American run. The enduring appeal of the original "Killing Joke" text — created in 1988 by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland — not to mention the excitement over seeing "Batman: The Animated Series" fixtures like Mark Hamill breathe new life into it, was enough to ensure people would show up to watch this direct-to-video movie on the big screen.

Just a few months before the official release of "Jonah Hex," the YouTube channel ItsJustSomeRandomGuy created a satirical video involving conversations between action figures of Iron Man and Jonah Hex. In one of the final gags of the video, Iron Man turns to the DC Comics cowboy and asks him, "Does it feel prophetic that there was a trainwreck in your trailer?" It turns out this was very much a harbinger of what was to come, as "Jonah Hex" absolutely bombed at the box office. 

Grossing just $11 million in its theatrical run, "Jonah Hex" fared so poorly in North America that its release was either scaled back or scrapped entirely in international territories. With minimal marketing to its name and trailers that echoed past box office bombs like "Wild Wild West," "Jonah Hex" was seemingly always doomed to be one of the worst performing DC movies. Truly, a trainwreck in every sense of the word.

A full year before Chris Evans played one of the first Marvel Cinematic Universe superheroes, he was a part of the ensemble cast for the DC Comics adaptation "The Losers." Debuting in April 2010, "The Losers" also featured fellow future Marvel Cinematic Universe actors like Idris Elba and Zoe Saldana, as well as Jeffrey Dean Morgan. That made for a big cast, but it wasn't big enough to give the movie a lot of life at the box office. The film grossed only $29.8 million worldwide, putting it way behind its budget. 

A key issue here was the decision to release the film just a few weeks before "Iron Man 2," which sucked up all the action movie oxygen in the room. It didn't help either that the marketing failed to establish unique details that could make the general public passionate enough about this material and turn "The Losers" into a box office winner.

On Cartoon Network, the "Teen Titans Go!" TV show was a ratings juggernaut, a sleeper hit that managed to escape the shadow of the earlier "Teen Titans" TV program. The popularity of "Go!" proved so enormous that "Teen Titans Go! to the Movies" made its way to movie theaters in July 2018. Spectators were buzzing with curiosity over whether or not this feature would continue the franchise's successful streak. Unfortunately, "Teen Titans Go! to the Movies" only grossed $51.6 million worldwide, most of which came from a frontloaded North American haul. 

Part of this may have come from the lack of appeal to non-kids in the film's marketing, as well as competition from other kid-friendly movies, like "Hotel Transylvania 3," playing at the same time. Still, the project was cheap enough to ensure that it wasn't a money loser for Warner Bros, and if nothing else, the franchise will always have those sizable TV ratings.

It just wasn't time for "Catwoman" in June 2004. As Halle Berry would say, it was "overtime." Debuting as a replacement for Warner Bros.' original planned summer 2004 blockbuster, an aborted version of "Batman vs. Superman," "Catwoman" only grossed $82 million globally. The problem here was pretty simple: "Catwoman" was utilizing a familiar character name but didn't build on the source material or performers that the general public was familiar with. Where was Gotham City or Michelle Pfieffer? Even the presence of a new performer like Berry in the lead role wouldn't have been an issue if the project had fit the mold of audience expectations for who Catwoman was. 

With this critical error ingrained into the production's DNA, "Catwoman" was always doomed to come up short financially, despite having Berry fresh off her historic Best Actress win at the Oscars. But the presence of an acclaimed performer isn't enough to salvage a movie that misfires this badly at the box office, especially when it's "overtime."

The original "Red" turned into a sleeper hit in 2010, getting a lot of mileage out of combining Helen Mirren with guns as well as the scarcity of big movies headlined by people over the age of 60. Something else that helped? Opening in mid-October. In this area, "Red" had little action movie competition, even if it was headlined by Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker and John Malkovich, in addition to the ageless Mirren. 

By contrast, "Red 2" opened in the far more competitive mid-July timeframe in 2013. Having to grapple with far more action movies in theaters, as well as more mixed reviews than its predecessor, "Red 2" grossed just $148.1 million. While not a disastrous sum, this was noticeably beneath its predecessor and not enough to make the production profitable. With this installment, the box office potential of the "Red" series went into a nap it never woke up from.

After the original "Suicide Squad" proved financially successful but was critically trashed, Warner Bros. brought out the big guns for a sequel. "Guardians of the Galaxy" writer-director James Gunn was hired to revamp the property with a whole new look and feel. But going in such a bold direction in the hopes of securing the box office glory of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films didn't quite pan out for "The Suicide Squad."  

The film grossed just $167.1 million worldwide, a steep decline from the $745.4 million worldwide gross of the original "Suicide Squad" and also flat-out terrible for a movie that cost $185 million to make. Part of this could be laid at the feet of simultaneously launching "The Suicide Squad" on HBO Max in the United States. However, the bigger culprit was the lingering negative reception of the original movie and a lackluster marketing campaign from Warner Bros. Whatever the reason, "The Suicide Squad" couldn't come up with box office figures as impressive as its critical reception.

There was no way a "Superman" sequel could hope to match the box office haul of its predecessor. The hubbub surrounding the prospect of seeing a big-budget live-action version of Superman on the big screen for the first time could never be replicated. Much like with 1989's "Batman" years later, there was nowhere to go but down at the box office once you delivered something audiences had been waiting so long for. 

But that didn't mean "Superman II" was doomed to failure, as the feature still took in a robust $190.4 million globally, enough to make it the third-biggest movie of 1981 worldwide. It wasn't as wildly profitable as "Superman," but "Superman II" was a hit in its own right. The film also became something of a cult item, with fans clamoring for years for an alternate cut of the film by director Richard Donner, who was removed from "Superman II" halfway through filming. The so-called "Donner Cut" was finally released in 2006.

Before 2020, every DC Extended Universe movie had cracked $360 million worldwide and only "Shazam!" had ended up beneath $655 million globally. While "Birds of Prey" ended that streak, it's worth noting that the film was likely made with the recognition that it wouldn't be the next "Aquaman" either. Armed with an R rating and an $82 million budget (considerably less than all other DC Extended Universe titles), "Birds of Prey" was built from the ground up to not require gargantuan box office numbers to be profitable. 

In its worldwide box office run, somewhat cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, "Birds of Prey" grossed $201.9 million. The hopes of this being the next "Deadpool," a low-budget R-rated superhero movie that took off like a rocket financially, never transpired, but "Birds of Prey" also didn't do terribly. If nothing else, its box office shortcomings feel more forgivable, considering it ended up making more than significantly costlier "The Suicide Squad."

Yes, it's true, the live-action "Constantine" movie isn't super faithful to the original DC Comics character of the same name. However, that didn't stop moviegoers from showing up in solid numbers to see the picture when it dropped into theaters in February 2005. Through its worldwide run, "Constantine" ended up securing $221.5 million, or just a hair under three times its budget. 

Even better, it was a solid performer for its leading man, Keanu Reeves, as "Constantine" became one of the biggest non-"Matrix" movies ever for the actor at the time of its release. Being one of the first action vehicles for Reeves after the "Matrix" trilogy wrapped up and launching it outside of the summer blockbuster season proved to be critical to "Constantine" becoming a successful, if not entirely faithful, DC Comics feature. Although there was talk of a sequel — even as recently as 2020 — "Constantine 2" never materialized.

"Batman Returns" is a bit of an odd duck (or penguin, if you prefer) in terms of its box office performance. At first glance, it would appear that the film was an unqualified hit. Just look at its domestic box office run, which kicked off with this Tim Burton movie setting a new record for an opening weekend in North America, dethroning the 1989 "Batman" for that honor. "Batman Returns" would eventually gross $266.8 million worldwide, making it the sixth biggest movie of 1992 globally while its $162.8 million North American cume was enough to make it the second-biggest title of the year at home. 

However, "Batman Returns" ended up making roughly 37% less than the 1989 "Batman" movie at the worldwide box office, while having a price tag that was more than double the $35 million cost of its predecessor. Viewed through this lens, even the sizeable returns of "Batman Returns" couldn't help but seem underwhelming.

While "Batman" movies have trended dark and gritty in the 21st century, "The Lego Batman Movie" ran, not walked, in the opposite direction. This spin-off of the 2014 hit "The Lego Movie" was bursting with bright colors and energy, while also being a hyperactive rainbow-colored ode to the expansive Batman mythos. "The Lego Batman Movie" was also a box office hit, albeit not quite as big as "The Lego Movie." Still, its $310.5 million worldwide box office gross was a great sum that even managed to surpass the global hauls of past live-action blockbusters starring the Caped Crusader, like "Batman Returns." 

Residual goodwill from "The Lego Movie" was key to this one's theatrical success, as was the general public's love for all things Batman. Departing from the tonal norms of modern "Batman" features didn't hinder "The Lego Batman Movie" from seizing a heroic box office gross.

"Shazam!" wasn't just another installment in the DC Extended Universe. It was also an attempt to inject something with a more modest budget and a distinctly family-friendly tenor into the generally dark DC canon. With these aspirations built into its DNA, "Shazam!" ended up becoming a solid box office performer with a $363.6 million worldwide gross. This performance was especially impressive given the $85 million budget, as well as its April 2019 release date, which placed "Shazam!" directly in between Marvel Cinematic Universe megahits "Captain Marvel" and "Avengers: Endgame." 

"Shazam!" was able to thrive against that competition thanks to a marketing campaign that emphasized a spry and fun atmosphere as well as a kid-friendly wish-fulfillment central concept that's always been integral to this character's appeal. While not the biggest entry in the DC Extended Universe in terms of global box office, "Shazam!" was still a profitable and successful venture that proved the DC Extended Universe could be home to more than just grim $200 million-plus action blockbusters.

At a glance, "Superman Returns" would seem to be a solid box office performer. It didn't smash any records, but this Brandon Routh star vehicle did surpass all other "Superman" titles at the worldwide box office with a $391 million sum. Meanwhile, it also edged past "Batman Begins" from one year earlier globally. All signs seemed to point towards "Superman Returns" being an impressive hit, considering it was also the first movie starring the character in nearly 20 years.

Unfortunately, "Superman Returns" cost a staggering $263 million to make, compared to the $150 million price tag of "Batman Begins." Similarly, "Superman Returns" also came in behind the global total of director Bryan Singer's "X-Men 2" from three years earlier and was nowhere near as big as other superhero titles like the "Spider-Man" features. Given these factors, it becomes more understandable that "Superman Returns" never spawned a sequel, with Warner Bros. opting to reboot the series seven years later with "Man of Steel."

Under any other circumstances, a $655.9 million worldwide gross for any single movie would be a reason for celebration. Unfortunately, that global haul wasn't nearly enough for the 2017 blockbuster "Justice League." Simply on profitability alone, with "Justice League" costing $300 million to make, the film would need to make much more than $655.9 million to start showing anything near a profit. Worse, the film made less than previous DC Extended Universe titles like "Man of Steel" and "Wonder Woman," both of which weren't headlined by six superheroes. 

Bringing together so many DC Comics icons into one movie — if Marvel's "The Avengers" was any indicator — should have resulted in a far bigger box office success than this. However, the divisive nature of its predecessor, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," and the flow of news about its troubled production — not to mention holiday season 2017 competition from "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" — ensured that "Justice League" would become a box office disappointment even with a worldwide gross north of $655 million.

Just four months after "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" debuted, the DC Extended Universe delivered its third title, "Suicide Squad," which shifted the action away from A-list superheroes like Superman and Batman and onto more obscure villains from the DC Comics mythos. The end result was a feature that got trashed by critics, but did end up scoring a sizeable haul at the global box office, perhaps thanks in part to the presence of Will Smith and the scene-stealing Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.

In its theatrical run, "Suicide Squad" grossed $745.4 million worldwide, a figure made all the more impressive considering "Suicide Squad" never got released in China, a territory that contributed a hefty $95.7 million to the box office haul of "Dawn of Justice." Unforgettable marketing materials and the presence of A-list actors like Smith, Robbie, Viola Davis, and Jared Leto ensured that "Suicide Squad" would keep the box office good times rolling for the DC Extended Universe.

In March 2016, the time had finally come for the ultimate showdown. The DC Extended Universe was about to explode wide open with "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," the first time that Batman and Superman would interact in a live-action feature. This was a sizeable motion picture meant to not only redefine the worlds of these two superheroes but also introduce further DC Comics heavyweights like Wonder Woman and The Flash to the general public. 

The box office results of all this ambition was a film that immediately took off with what was the biggest March domestic opening weekend at the time of its release. Once the dust had cleared and all the dollars had been counted, "Dawn of Justice" accumulated $872.3 million from worldwide audiences. Even with that massive figure, this box office performance was criticized in some circles for failing to hit $1 billion worldwide, as well as its steep weekend-to-weekend declines in North America. Still, an $872.3 million gross is nothing to sneeze at and reflected the enormous excitement surrounding the prospect of a tussle between two DC Comics titans.

Being based on one of the biggest comic book villains ever, DC Comics or otherwise, was always going to give "Joker" a leg up at the box office. However, there was some trepidation surrounding its box office prospects since, unlike most other comic book movies, "Joker" was an R-rated production and not an action movie. But any concerns about its unorthodox qualities alienating moviegoers vanished once  "Joker" laughed up the biggest October opening weekend in history at the domestic box office. 

The box office good times didn't stop there, though, as "Joker" also turned out to be a massive draw in international territories. In its entire theatrical run, "Joker" grossed $1.072 billion worldwide, an astonishing sum that also made this the first R-rated motion picture in history to exceed the $1 billion mark at the box office. Perhaps no feat better represents how much "Joker" exceeded expectations than the fact that its haul was right on par with the global box office gross of the significantly costlier PG-13 tentpole, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." Needless to say, "Joker" went from being a box office wild card to an ace in the hole.

For years, Aquaman was a punching bag. A go-to source of mockery on pop culture properties ranging from "The Big Bang Theory" to "Family Guy," Aquaman was never seen as being as cool or popular as fellow DC Comics mainstays like Batman or Wonder Woman. However, all those comments got dialed way down once the 2018 blockbuster "Aquaman" hit theaters and proved to be not just a box office juggernaut, but the biggest DC Comics adaptation in history at the worldwide box office. 

This achievement came about thanks to a $1.148 billion global haul, much of which came from an $812.6 million international total that, all on its own, surpassed the worldwide box office gross of past DC Extended Universe titles like "Suicide Squad." Resonating with foreign moviegoers, including Chinese audiences who contributed over $295 million to its box office gross, was critical to making "Aquaman" such a gargantuan success. With those accomplishments, Aquaman went from being a punchline to a movie star like no other in the DC pantheon.