With how well Walt Disney's (DIS -0.38%) Marvel movies have done in recent years it's easy to dismiss Time Warner's (TWX) DC Entertainment as a lightweight challenger. In fact, Thor: The Dark World star Chris Hemsworth half-jokingly did just that in a promotional interview for the movie Rush. "We're just winning aren't we?" Hemsworth said. "That's not really a rivalry."
Batman Begins (2005) |
Iron Man (2008) |
The Dark Knight (2008) |
The Incredible Hulk (2008) |
Green Lantern (2011) |
Iron Man 2 (2010) |
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) |
Thor (2011) |
Man of Steel (2013) |
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) |
TOTAL: $1,597.5 million / $3,345.9 million |
TOTAL: $1,123.3 million / $2,292.4 million |
Meanwhile, back at Avengers Mansion
Critics will note that my table excludes several Marvel movies and $3.3 billion in global grosses. True enough. I'm trying to get a sense of how well DC's "phase one" would compare with Marvel's first generation, which includes the five movies shown above and concludes with The Avengers.
Including Marvel's team-up film would put its "phase one" gross at $1,746.7 million and $3,811 million worldwide. DC is already in spitting distance of those totals, and we've yet to see Batman vs. Superman or a Justice League film. Factor in a growing audience for the CW hit Arrow, and I think DC and Time Warner are better positioned for cinematic success than most fans and investors think.
Don't forget about the blackest night
Cashing in is a different matter, of course. Again, look at the table: Batman's adventures account for more than 70% of DC's box office haul to date. Green Lantern was at least as big a failure as Man of Steel was a success. DC and Warner can't hope to match Marvel's numbers without first figuring out how to make lesser-known characters marketable.
Arrow is already helping some. Adding the Flash and Wonder Woman to Batman vs. Superman, as is rumored, could also boost interest -- especially now, when moviegoers are taking to strong heroines in greater numbers than ever before.
Now it's your turn to weigh in. Do you think a Justice League film could outperform The Avengers at the box office? Why or why not? Leave a comment in the box below to let us know what you think.