Aquaman Was DC’s Last Shot at Relevance (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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By the time Aquaman hit theaters, DC’s cinematic universe was in deep water, critics were bored, fans were divided, and even Batman looked like he needed a nap. So naturally, their last hope was a fish-talking dude in green tights? Yep. But instead of flopping, Aquaman rode a tsunami of glowing jellyfish, underwater battles, and shirtless Jason Momoa charm straight into pop culture glory. It didn’t take itself too seriously, which turned out to be exactly what the DCEU needed.
With crab armies, drum-playing octopuses, and Nicole Kidman ninja-kicking Atlanteans, Aquaman was part fantasy epic, part sea-soap opera, and all-around bonkers fun. Somehow, this underwater spectacle became DC’s most crowd-pleasing movie in years, less brooding, more brawling. And in the most unexpected twist of all, the ocean saved the franchise when the skies (and capes) had failed.
Aquaman’s Spectacular Box Office Earning
By the time Aquaman dove into theaters, the DC Extended Universe was barely treading water. Superman was moody, Batman was grumpy, and no one really knew what was going on with the Justice League except that it wasn’t working. The DCEU had been trying to chase Marvel’s billion-dollar sparkle with all the charm of a brooding poetry club. People were losing interest, memes were doing better numbers than movies, and it felt like DC’s last call before sinking into cinematic oblivion. And then, splash, Aquaman happened.
It was weird. It was wild. It had sea dragons, glowing tridents, and Jason Momoa channeling half-rockstar, half-sea king energy like the ocean depended on it. No one expected the guy who once said “My man!” in a flying Batmobile to become the franchise’s lifeboat, but he did. Aquaman opened to a solid $72.7 million domestically and quickly powered past $500 million globally, eventually surfacing with a whopping $1.15 billion worldwide, making it DC’s highest-grossing film to date, via Box Office Mojo.
Critics were split down the middle. Some praised its visual madness and unashamed camp, while others rolled their eyes at the chaos. However, audiences dove in for the spectacle, stayed for the chaotic underwater Game of Thrones, and somehow, Aquaman pulled off the impossible. It made DC fun again.
This wasn’t just a superhero movie, it was a full-blown underwater opera in technicolor. And for the first time in years, DC didn’t feel like it was apologizing for existing. The critics were divided, sure, but audiences couldn’t care less. Aquaman swam against the current and washed away the gloom, lifting the DCEU from the depths and proving that sometimes, the key to saving a universe is abs, octopus drummers, and one heck of a good time.
How Aquaman Saved DC Universe?
With a splash and a trident twirl, Aquaman did what a brooding billionaire and a moody alien couldn’t, make the DCEU fun and profitable. While previous DC flicks tried to launch a grimdark cinematic universe with all the cheer of a tax audit, James Wan’s aquatic rollercoaster ride dove into theaters and resurfaced with over $500 million, a fanbase, and most importantly, hope. It wasn’t just a win for Atlantis; it was a reset button for the franchise. Suddenly, DC didn’t need every film to carry the weight of the entire brand like Batman lifting Kryptonite.
Aquaman proved that standalone stories with style, color, and a bit of octopus drumming could float. No longer shackled to Snyder’s dark-and-stormy blueprint, DC could breathe (or gill?) easily. Each new movie could now swim on its own merit without dragging the entire universe down with it. In short, Aquaman didn’t just save Atlantis, he threw a life vest to the entire DC ship.
Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
