Film

Why WONDER WOMAN 1984 Will Be DC’s Next Billion-Dollar Hit

Despite a rocky start, DC‘s movie universe has been a force to be reckoned with at the box office. Wonder Woman was a huge hit, Aquaman made a billion dollars, and Shazam! turned a sizeable profit. Even the more critically-maligned installments – except Justice League – have been box office hits. And that’s not to mention Joker, which exists outside of this continuity and still made a billion dollars on its own. So, all eyes are on DC’s future. One title that stands out is the sequel Wonder Woman 1984, which arrives this summer.

In our latest editorial, we discuss why this will likely be the next DC movie to gross a billion dollars.

Wonder Woman’s Starpower

Over the past few years, Wonder Woman’s popularity as a character has skyrocketed. This is manifested in the 2017 movie’s huge success. Wonder Woman came at a time when DC’s cinematic future was in doubt. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad were both critically panned, while Justice League was in the midst of significant BTS issues. But alas, Wonder Woman defied all odds, earning rave reviews and strong box office legs. Even moviegoers who were burned out on DC films enjoyed this one.

The movie cemented Wonder Woman’s role in modern pop culture. This automatically makes any future movies featuring the character (sans Justice League) a cinematic event. And surely her starpower is boosting anticipation for Wonder Woman 1984. The first movie alone made $821 million worldwide, and most superhero sequels outperform their predecessors. This makes 1984‘s jump to a billion dollars all the more likely.

Audiences’ Anticipation

2020 has many major blockbusters hitting this summer, ranging from Black Widow to Fast & Furious 9 to Tenet. Sometimes movies can get lost in the shuffle, but that’s not the case with Wonder Woman 1984. The film is the most anticipated of the year in both Fandango and Atom Tickets‘ audience surveys. And not to mention, its release date of June 5th – the same timeframe as the first movie – puts the film in a strong spot, as it will dominate the entire month and beyond.

Of course, negative word-of-mouth can break any movie, but that hasn’t been the case with Wonder Woman 1984 at this point. So far, social media activity has been strong, with fans raving about the trailer and more. Its pre-release buzz has been super positive, and as long as the critics and audiences respond well, nothing’s stopping this one.

DC Films is on a Roll

To rehash, DC’s films have seen a surge in critical and commercial success. Aquaman and Shazam! made big money, while Joker is a legitimate awards contender. With this momentum going, it only increases anticipation for the sequel to DC’s most critically acclaimed movie outside of The Dark Knight Trilogy.

The only thing that might impact Wonder Woman 1984 is reception to Justice League, the character’s last big screen appearance. That was a critical disappointment and the only DCU movie to lose money. But that didn’t stop Aquaman from making over a billion bucks. So, it’s highly unlikely that it would affect Wonder Woman 1984.

Thus, barring any unforeseen events, we’re very confident in Wonder Woman 1984 being DC’s next billion-dollar event.

Do you think Wonder Woman 1984 will make a billion dollars? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter at @WOBAMEnt.

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of WOBAM! Entertainment.