The Flash box office proves it should have been canceled like Batgirl

The Flash’s box office continues to plummet after its third weekend, proving why Warner Bros. should have canceled the movie altogether. Back in August 2022, Warner Bros. took the call to cancel Leslie Grace’s Batgirl movie and treat it as a tax write-off. The studio claimed that the film wasn’t on par with the quality of movies that DC wanted to produce.

However, this decision was met with major backlash from fans who weren’t happy about the studio still backing the Ezra Miller-led Flash movie. That was a period when the actor’s controversial acts were at an all-time high. Hence, many believed that The Flash should have been canceled, just like Batgirl.

Now, the losses the film has endured prove that canceling it may have been the right move after all.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's and fans' opinions on the subject.

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Why The Flash should have been canceled

A still from The Flash (Image via DC)

Produced on a reported budget of $225 million, The Flash’s opening weekend box office brought in just $55 million at the domestic box. It dropped by 72.5% and made just $15.2 million in its second weekend. The third week has endured another huge drop as the film just made $5 million, bringing the domestic total to $99 million.

Meanwhile, The Flash's box office total worldwide stands at $245 million, and it doesn’t seem to have the legs to cross the $300 million mark either. Adding the marketing budget to the production and reshoots budget, Warner Bros. Discovery spent well over $300 million on the film, and it is not even getting anywhere close to its breakeven point.

Ezra Miller’s Flash movie needed to surpass $700 million worldwide to secure its future and ensure a sequel. But with such low numbers, Warner Bros. Discovery is said to lose more than $200 million on the film after deducting the cut of the theater chains from its box office total. Hence, releasing it has done more harm than good for the studio, so it should have been shelved for another tax write-off.

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How Warner Bros. could have benefitted by canceling The Flash

Kara Zor-El, Barry Allen, and Michael Keaton (Image via DC)

The Ezra Miller-led Flash movie failed due to various reasons. The first was the actor’s past controversies. But other reasons include excessive competition in Summer 2023, James Gunn’s DCU reboot announcement, a departure from the SynderVerse, a false marketing campaign, faulty CGI, superhero fatigue, and even multiverse fatigue to a certain extent!

Mainly because of Ezra Miller and James Gunn’s DCU reboot announcement, people did not want to give the film any chance at the box office, and this is something the studio should have anticipated. Warner Bros. Discovery has lost a similar amount that they would have lost if The Flash had been canceled like Batgirl.

How James Gunn's DCU future has been harmed (Image via Sportskeeda)

Additionally, the studio could have saved the money it spent on the film’s marketing, which could have been used elsewhere. The film’s release has harmed the DC brand as not only has it added to the superhero fatigue, but people may not be willing to give Blue Beetle, Aquaman 2, and James Gunn’s new DCU a chance after this massive debacle. So, the future stands at a big risk as well.

Most importantly, canceling the movie would have saved the studio from embarrassment. After all, The Flash was marketed as one of “the best superhero movies,” but the result doesn’t reflect that verdict. Hence, the studio would have been better off if it didn’t release the film.