DC currently had 40 theatrical releases, thus I decided to rank them all by their multipliers at the box office. In other words that is how much money they made compared to their opening weekend (for example
a film that made 20 million its opening weekend and finished at 110 million means 5.5 multiplier).
This is normally a good indicator for how positive or negative word of mouth was during its theatrical release. Normally Summer films (June-July) have smaller multipliers, while August-November have high ones with December having the largest multipliers. The release month is at the end.
Ranked by Multiplier
1-Superman 17.97881463718412 December
2-Superman II 7.672460517953838 June (Highest opening in history at the time)
3-Batman 6.203766356054691 June (Highest opening in history at the time)
4-Aquaman 4.936537608877877 December
5-Mask of the Phantasm 4.720595810836362 December
6-Superman III 4.489890661251792 June
7-Batman Begins 4.212574017179863 June
8-Red 4.153231353412426 October
9-League of Super Pets 4.071439442472976 Late July
10-Wonder Woman 3.995714579214082 June
11-Superman Returns 3.808524343421777 June
12-Batman Returns 3.564015233768223 June (Highest opening in history at the time)
13-Joker 3.486935156263408 October
14-Batman Forever 3.486465640352715 June (Highest
opening in history at the time)
15-The Dark Knight 3.366835206005868 July (Highest opening in history at the time)
16-The Lego Batman Movie 3.315828013366974 February
17-Red 2 2.951092344804438 July
18-Teen Titans go to the Movies 2.861367323175096 Late July
19-Wonder Woman 1984 2.802128876274798 December (C)
20-The Dark Knight Rises 2.785422546882897 July
21-Superman IV 2.759226354809909 July
22-The Batman 2.75613294111579 March
23-V for Vendetta 2.749789410794803 March
24-Shazam 2.623508097119154 April
25-Constantine 2.552182736608277 February
26-Birds of Prey 2.549482510112006 February
27-Black Adam 2.50957107648114 October
28-The Losers 2.508033085741671 April
29-Batman and Robin 2.503351382543701 June
30-Man of Steel 2.495687791534994 June
31-Supergirl 2.49142865706943 November
32-Justice League 2.440524623458739 November
33-Suicide Squad 2.431886498497542 August
34-Catwoman 2.407046012631933 July
35-Green Lantern 2.192810538579133 December
36-The Suicide Squad 2.129995842462331 August (C)
37-Batman V. Superman 1.990033573634545 March
38-Steel 1.966480780812534 August
39- The Flash 1.964500101819139 June
40-Jonah Hex 1.960662085580733 June
41-Watchmen 1.947135665894295 March
42- Shazam Fury of the Gods 1.914174340289404 March
If ranked by total domestic gross then it is-
1-The Dark Knight 3.366835206005868 July (Highest opening in history at the time)
2-The Dark Knight Rises 2.785422546882897 July
3-Wonder Woman 3.995714579214082 June
4-The Batman 2.75613294111579 March
5-Joker 3.486935156263408 October
6-Aquaman 4.936537608877877 December
7-Batman V. Superman 1.990033573634545 March
8-Suicide Squad 2.431886498497542 August
9-Man of Steel 2.495687791534994 June
10-Batman 6.203766356054691 June (Highest
opening in history at the time)
11-Justice League 2.440524623458739 November
12-Batman Begins 4.212574017179863 June
13-Superman Returns 3.808524343421777 June
14-Batman Forever 3.486465640352715 June (Highest opening in history at the time)
15-The Lego Batman Movie 3.315828013366974 February
16-Black Adam 2.50957107648114 October
17-Batman Returns 3.564015233768223 June (Highest opening in history at the time)
18- Shazam 2.623508097119154 April
19-Superman 17.97881463718412 December
20-Green Lantern 2.192810538579133 December
21-Superman II 7.672460517953838 June (Highest opening in history at the time)
22- The Flash 1.964500101819139 June
23-Watchmen 1.947135665894295 March
24-Batman and Robin 2.503351382543701 June
25-League of Super Pets 4.071439442472976 Late July
26-Red 4.153231353412426 October
27-Birds of Prey 2.549482510112006 February
28-Constantine 2.552182736608277 February
29-V for Vendetta 2.749789410794803 March
30-Superman III 4.489890661251792 June
31- Shazam Fury of the Gods 1.914174340289404 March
32- The Suicide Squad 2.129995842462331 August (C)
33-Red 2 2.951092344804438 July
34-Wonder Woman 1984 2.802128876274798 December (C)
35-Catwoman 2.407046012631933 July
36-Teen Titans go to the Movies 2.861367323175096 Late July
37-The Losers 2.508033085741671 April
38-Superman IV 2.759226354809909 July
39-Supergirl 2.49142865706943 November
40-Jonah Hex 1.960662085580733 June
41-Mask of the Phantasm 4.720595810836362 December
42-Steel 1.966480780812534 August
I keep hearing the Covid Pandemic ruined Birds of Prey. I never heard that until well after it was out of theaters, and I looked into that. It got 5 weekends before The Covid pandemic started, and by then its legs were nearly dead. It is doubtful that cost it much money, but it would have been a few spots higher.
I had no idea Green Lantern did that awful. With its December release that is probably the actual worst performer on the list.
I did not expect Watchmen to be dead last. With how legendarily bad Batman V. Superman’s legs are I thought it would be last. It is amazing that Snyder directed 2 films with less than a 2 multiplier.
At some point in the nineties films went from small openings and really long theatrical windows to the reverse. To compare some of these older films to their contemporary releases.
Jaws had 36.81930487134981 multiplier. Now switching to highest grossing film of their year-
Grease had 17.89129201919497 multiplier. Slightly less than Superman
Raiders had 25.55099295999927. Way above Superman II.
Last Crusade has 6.716800032267052 a little above Batman.
So overall Batman and Superman still had great legs competing with beloved films, while Superman II’s legs were not impressive at the time.
Do I even have to say Superman III had worse legs than Return of the Jedi?
I do not expect good legs for Shazam Fury of the Gods, so hopefully that first weekend is a huge payday.