Why The Flash bombed at the box office

Warner Bros. spared no effort in promoting The Flash, the latest addition to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Despite its robust marketing campaign, the superhero flick is falling agonisingly short, with an opening weekend gross of a mere $55 million. To put this in context, that BO collection happens to be even less than the DCEU's Shazam! and Black Adam, which debuted at $53 million and $67 million, respectively, according to a report by Collider.

Perhaps The Flash's lack of a superstar comparable to Dwayne Johnson in Black Adam played a role. Alternatively, it could be the continuing multiverse plot trend that seems to be losing its charm. Despite the multiverse concept's recent success in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Flash failed to garner the same audience enthusiasm.

Behind the Scenes Drama Shadows 'The Flash'

The film has been plagued with issues right from the start. Several directors left the project, and leading star Ezra Miller's erratic public behaviour attracted negative press. That meant the makers of the movie were forced to ultimately exclude him from the promotional tour. However, even if the behind-the-scenes drama had been kept under wraps, Warner Bros. still faced the formidable task of enticing audiences to a film that simply wasn't piquing interest.

Despite an aggressive marketing campaign that included frequent tweets from James Gunn and a blurb from renowned author Stephen King, 'The Flash' only managed to score a disappointing B CinemaScore from opening day audiences. The movie's performance pales compared to DCEU's earlier triumphs like 'Man of Steel,' which opened at $116 million, or 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' that earned a whopping $166 million on its opening weekend.

But all hope isn't lost for 'The Flash.' Next weekend's box office results will determine whether the superhero flick is indeed a flop or can muster some last-minute momentum.