Anthony Stokes thinks that Warner Bros. should move the release date of Batman vs. Superman….
Recently we’ve been seeing an over saturation of blockbusters, especially in mid summer. Last year Star Trek Into Darkness was one of several movies that did okay financially, but would have benefited from less competition. Once again studios are playing chicken with each other, and in May 2016 we’ll see Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. squaring off with Captain America 3 and Batman vs. Superman both arriving on the same day. There’s a lot of talk that Marvel should be the one to change the date, but I’m on the opposite side of the argument for several reasons.
First off let me say I don’t think Captain America 3 will beat Batman vs. Superman opening weekend. It’s possible that if Captain America: The Winter Soldier is as good as people say that it will be close. Thor: The Dark World grossed almost as much as Man of Steel with mediocre reception and light competition; I have no doubt that with great reception The Winter Soldier can make more money than Man of Steel, and if Cap 2 is great then more people will be excited and line up opening weekend for the third movie.
But even if Batman vs. Superman wins the opening weekend, Warner Bros. and DC will still lose. There’s only so much money to go around on a given weekend. Captain America 3 will take money from Batman vs. Superman and visa versa. But Cap 3 isn’t Marvel’s big hand, and it’ll still make its money, just not as much as it could. Even, so Marvel will have covered any shortfall with The Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man the previous year. Warner Bros. is pulling out its biggest weapon in the DC arsenal and unlike Marvel, it doesn’t have two movies a year to make for any loss of earnings. If – and this is a huge if – Batman vs. Superman somehow fails, or doesn’t quite reach the box office heights expected of DC’s two biggest characters together for the first time, then the DC Cinematic Universe will have suffered a heavy blow.
May 6th 2016 will be a case of DC winning the battle but Marvel winning the war. Recently Marvel movies have been more successful than DC movies when released in the same year . The Avengers outgrossed The Dark Knight Rises, Iron Man 3 outgrossed Man of Steel and Thor: The Dark World wasn’t too far behind either. Warner Bros. needs to establish its DC brand, and going up against Marvel Studios and Captain America is a big risk that the studio could do without.
Anthony Stokes is a blogger and independent filmmaker who also assists with the music blog DopesterMusic and co-hosts the podcast Delusional Losers.
Originally published March 19, 2014. Updated April 11, 2018.
