Aquaman has become the highest earner in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). In its third week, the James Wan-directed film topped $940 million worldwide according to Box Office Mojo, putting it over 2016's Batman v Superman ($873.6 million). Aquaman performed very well in the United States but unfortunately could only top Justice League when it came to domestic numbers. With only $259 million earned in the US, Aquaman falls behind Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, Batman v Superman, and Man of Steel.
The worldwide numbers for the DCEU are as follows:
- Aquaman — $940.7 million
- Batman v Superman — $873.6 million
- Wonder Woman — $821.8 million
- Suicide Squad — $746.8 million
- Man of Steel — $668 million
- Justice League — $657.9 million
Domestically, Aquaman will top Captain America: The Winter Soldier next week, but will have a hard time reaching the next highest MCU film on the list, Iron Man 2 ($312.4 million). In the DCEU, Aquaman might be able to rise one more spot on the list of domestic earners. The underwater film needs to make $32 million more to top Man of Steel at $291 million.
Since Aquaman was released in 2018, its gross from 2019 will count towards last year's totals. At the time of this publication, Aquaman was the seventh-highest grossing movie of the year in the United States and will likely top Dr. Seuss' The Grinch ($269.6 million) in the next two weeks. Internationally, Aquaman is currently the fifth-highest grossing film of 2018, just behind Avengers: Infinity War ($2.048 billion), Black Panther ($1.346 billion), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ($1.308 billion), and Incredibles 2 ($1.242 billion). Based on current box office performance, Aquaman probably won't top Incredibles 2, solidifying it as number five for the year.Aquaman is now playing in theaters.