Aquaman is now officially the highest-grossing DCEU movie at the global box office. Previously topped by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the record-breaking fish-out-of-water superhero film is now king of the box office in the DC family.

Prior to Aquaman’s release, audiences were mostly on the fence about whether or not it could succeed - both critically and financially. However, following early praise for the film, Aquaman ultimately took fans by surprise, not only becoming the second-highest-rated film in the DCEU (it earned a fresh 64 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, while Wonder Woman still holds the number one spot with a 93 percent rating), but giving fans hope about the entire future of the DCEU in general. Now, Aquaman’s success speaks for itself now that it’s the highest-grossing DCEU movie at the global box office.

After a steady climb in the box office, Aquaman recently passed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice at the international box office, earning a current worldwide gross of  $887,620,880, according to Box Office Mojo, compared to Batman v Superman’s $873,634,919 worldwide gross. Even though it still has a ways to go at the US box office (it’s still below Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, and Man of Steel), Aquaman is on track to potentially reach the billion dollar mark during its international run.

Aquaman has been rising high at the box office steadily since its December 2018 release, recently beating films like Venom, Thor: Ragnarok, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Whether or not it can sustain this climb remains to be seen, though upcoming competing films don’t appear to serve as much of a threat. That is, until films like Glass and The Kid Who Would Be King hit theaters on January 18 and 25, respectively - though, even then, there’s no guarantee they’ll get in Aquaman’s way.

Underdog stories are always worth celebrating, and considering the initial missteps that Warner Bros. and the DCEU ran into, it’s encouraging to see a character like Aquaman - who is hardly as familiar to mainstream audiences as characters like Batman and Superman - take the lead. And, seeing as the DCEU desperately needed a critical and financial pick-me-up, the future looks bright for its upcoming slate with films like Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) and Shazam!, which also happen to feature DC characters who aren’t exactly household names for casual viewers.

More: Aquaman Can Teach Marvel One Big Lesson About Releasing Movies

Source: Box Office Mojo

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