In a challenging year for Hollywood, moviegoers sent a strong message to industry powerhouses like Disney, DC Studios, Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Paramount Pictures: "We are not interested in what you are making." These major studios faced significant struggles at the box office in 2023, earning them a spot on the list of The Biggest Box Office Bombs of the year. And among the casualties, superhero movies stood out as particularly disappointing.

"The Flash" Takes the Lead

Kicking off the list of box office bombs is "The Flash." With a staggering budget of $200 million, the film failed to meet expectations, earning a mere $55 million domestically during its opening weekend. Starring troubled actor Ezra Miller, the movie faced challenges in its promotion, given the controversies surrounding Miller in the months leading up to its release. Despite earning $270 million globally, "The Flash" fell significantly short of recovering its production and promotional costs.

"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania" and "The Marvels" Struggle

Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe also faced difficulties in the superhero genre. "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania," featuring the beloved cast from the 2015 film, suffered the worst drop-off from the opening weekend in Marvel movie history, with a 69% decline. It aimed to explore the intriguing "Quantum Realm," but failed to captivate audiences.

Meanwhile, the female-led sequel, "The Marvels," couldn't escape the downward spiral. It had the worst opening weekend in the history of the MCU franchise, earning just $47 million. The film experienced an alarming 78% drop in box office performance during its second weekend, making it the worst-ever box office drop for a modern-day Hollywood superhero film. These disappointing numbers left Marvel Studios facing its fair share of disappointment.

"Elemental" Struggles with High Budget

Disney-Pixar's animated film "Elemental," featuring a 'non-binary' lead character, faced an uphill battle from the start. With a massive $200 million budget, the film opened to a lackluster debut of $29.5 million. Analysts attributed its struggles to the overabundance of content on the Disney+ streaming site, according to Disney CEO Bob Iger.

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" Falls Short

Another highly anticipated blockbuster, Disney's "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," failed to live up to expectations. Despite a decent opening weekend with $60 million in June, the fifth installment of the franchise couldn't maintain momentum in the following weeks. With a budget of $295 million (excluding marketing costs), the film grossed $383 million. However, it needed at least $600 million to break even, leaving the studio to face significant financial losses.

"Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One" Disappoints

Even Tom Cruise, known for his box office success, faced disappointment with "Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One." The highly anticipated installment in the "Mission Impossible" franchise, with a budget of $300 million, fell short of expectations. Despite earning $567 million worldwide to date, it was considered a financial disappointment. Paramount Pictures responded by delaying the release of the next installment until 2025, citing the writers and actors strikes at the time.

DreamWorks' "Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken" Struggles to Make Waves

DreamWorks Animation hoped to make a splash with "Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken," an animated film targeting teenagers. However, the movie failed to gain traction and quickly disappeared from theaters. With a budget of $70 million, it struggled to generate more than $45 million in gross sales at the box office.

Disney's Nostalgic "Wish" Fails to Impress

As the year drew to a close, Disney attempted to recapture some movie magic with its nostalgic animated film, "Wish." Unfortunately, it was not a hit among moviegoers. Opening to just $19 million in November, with a production budget of $200 million, the film fell short of expectations. Critics panned it as lifeless and heavy-handed in its references to Disney classics. With a 49% critics review on Rotten Tomatoes, "Wish" struggled to resonate with audiences, earning a modest $50 million domestically and $56 million worldwide.

Overall, 2023 proved to be a challenging year for Hollywood's superhero genre, with numerous underperforming films from prominent studios. As moviegoers continue to demand fresh and compelling storylines, studios will have to adapt to shifting tastes and expectations in order to revive box office success.