Where Does ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ ‘Historic’ Box Office Decline Rank Among Other Superhero Movies?

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” was hyped up to be an epic superhero movie featuring a clash between two icons in the DC Comics Universe. It brought in $422.5 million worldwide in its opening weekend but met with negative reviews and mixed reactions from fans — which might explain its second weekend, now ranked among the worst box office drop-offs ever for a superhero movie.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” had a “historic” drop when it brought in 69 percent less box office revenue in its second weekend than its first. After making $166.1 million in North America in its opening weekend, the film took in $51. 3 this past weekend. The 69 percent drop ties the film with 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” for second worst of all time for a marquee superhero movie. The only superhero movie with a bigger drop was 2003’s “Hulk.”

As far as second-weekend earnings go, the film ranks 10th among superhero movies. According to Forbes, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is behind “Iron Man 2” ($52 million), “Deadpool” ($56m), “Spider-Man 3” ($58m), “Spider-Man” ($71.4m), “Iron Man 3” ($72.5m), “The Dark Knight Rises” ($62m), “The Dark Knight” ($75m), “Avengers: Age of Ultron” ($77 .7m) and “The Avengers” ($103m).

Box-office analyst Jeff Bock told The Hollywood Reporter that unfavorable reviews and “ho-hum word of mouth” contributed to “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” having such a large drop-off. He also said it makes the margin of error for future DC films “very narrow.” The film currently holds a 29 percent freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Had this been certified fresh, or even championed by audiences, BvS: Round 2 wouldn't have seen a fall quite so fatal. That doesn't mean WB hasn't succeeded in relaunching the DC Universe. We all know money talks the loudest in the blockbuster game,” Bock said.

While signs may point to all the negativity surrounding the film for the drop, the Los Angeles Times proposed another possibility. “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” had so much hype going into it that many of the people who were going to see it made sure to get there opening weekend so they wouldn’t miss anything. This was seen when “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” was released on July 15, 2011, where everyone went opening weekend and there was then a 72 percent drop in the box office the following weekend.

Why do you think the numbers dropped so much in the second weekend? Soundoff in the comments section below!