The DC Extended Universe is a tricky place. The first three installments were some of the most divisive films in recent memory, although that hasn't stopped the studio from continuing to order new projects like the Batgirl movie and Gotham City Sirens. The next film in the DCEU is Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman, which will be the first female led superhero film for both DC and Marvel. All eyes are on Wonder Woman to possibly be the first critical darling of the shared universe, and now it looks like it has the potential to make an impressive amount of money in its opening weekend.
The estimated numbers for Wonder Woman's opening weekend have just been tallied by Pro Box Office, and it's looking to be pretty lucrative. Because Wonder Woman is currently estimated to make a whopping $83 million during its opening weekend. I guess Diana's new superpower is her ability to make cash money out of thin air.
While still lucrative, $83 million is actually quite a dip when compared to the DCEU's past few films. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, while panned by critics, made an insane $170.1 million and became the sixth biggest domestic opening weekend of all time. Similarly, David Ayer's Suicide Squad made an impressive $133 million its opening weekend, despite more rough reviews by critics.
So what makes Wonder Woman so different? To start, faith in the DCEU has been a bit shaky following BvS and Suicide Squad. While DC characters are certainly beloved, folks are beginning to doubt if the DCEU will ever make a quality blockbuster. With behind the scenes shakeups continuing to happen, and directors leaving their projects, I'm not sure that people believe Wonder Woman will be the first truly great installment in the franchise.
Additionally, Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad also featured momentous occasions for DC fans. Dawn of Justice was the first time that DC's trinity was united on screen, and brought an absolutely fantastic new version of Batman to audiences. And Suicide Squad assembled a motley crew of villains, including fan favorites Harley Quinn and Deadshot. While Wonder Woman contains the first female superhero, Diana's origin story might be a tad less appealing for fanboys who want to see more heroes and DC action.
That being said, Wonder Woman's budget is a bit more modest than the past two DCEU installments. It has nearly half the budget of Batman v Superman, so it will be able to recoup its investment and make profit far easier. And Wonder Woman's release date is in the middle of two major Marvel installments (Guardians 2 and Spider-Man: Homecoming), so there won't be much competition when Gal Gadot's star vehicle finally hits theaters.
Wonder Woman will arrive in theaters on June 2, 2017.
