The Flash only passed one Marvel Cinematic Universe film -- 2008's The Incredible Hulk -- at the worldwide box office during its theatrical run.
Per The Hollywood Handle, The Flash ended its theatrical run with $268 million, with $108 million of that total coming from domestic markets and $160 million from international markets. The DC Extended Universe film's abysmal box office performance just barely surpassed The Incredible Hulk's $264 million global haul from 2008. However, adjusted for inflation, The Incredible Hulk's box office jumps to $360 million, giving the Phase 1 MCU film an almost $100 million lead over The Flash.
While The Flash couldn't hold its own against the MCU, the superhero film did perform better than some of its DCEU predecessors. The Ezra Miller-led film is currently the fifth lowest-grossing installment in the shared universe, ahead of Birds of Prey ($205M), Wonder Woman 1984 ($169M), The Suicide Squad ($168M) and Shazam! Fury of the Gods ($133M). However, Wonder Woman 1984 and The Suicide Squad were both released on streaming the same day they opened in theaters, drastically diminishing their box office potential. Overall, the Scarlet Speedster's first solo film is expected to lose Warner Bros. Discovery upwards of $200 million.
DC's Blue Beetle Hits Theaters
The next DCEU film, Blue Beetle, is now officially playing in theaters. The penultimate installment in the shared universe grossed $3.3 million in Thursday previews. While that number is lower than the $9.7 million The Flash made on its Thursday previews, Blue Beetle had lower production and marketing budgets, meaning that it will be easier for the DC film to turn a profit. Blue Beetle is expected to gross between $25 million and $32 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office.
The Flash, influenced by the comic book storyline Flashpoint, follows Barry Allen as he travels back in time to prevent the death of his mother only to create an alternate timeline in which General Zod has returned and there is no Justice League to turn to for help. "That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian... albeit not the one he’s looking for," reads the film's official synopsis. "Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?"
The Flash can be purchased or rented digitally and will arrive on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on Aug. 29.
Source: X