Even though it obviously wasn’t his intention, the shadow of Christopher Nolan continues to loom large over DC more than a decade on from The Dark Knight Rises, to the point it’s almost become a curse for any of the company’s comic book adaptations to be dubbed “the best since Batman Begins/The Dark Knight.”
Of course, the filmmaker was Warner Bros.’ golden goose for 20 years before he severed those ties and jumped ship to Universal, and one studio’s loss has proven to be another’s massive financial gain. Thanks largely to a robust opening weekend in China, Oppenheimer has officially crossed $850 million at the global box office as it continues marching towards a billion. It might not happen, but it’s definitely not impossible.
As for the beleaguered comic book universe, well, things aren’t looking great. Sure, Blue Beetle did manage to pass $100 million worldwide but it’s still a bomb, and comparing Oppenheimer to the last four installments in the sagging sandbox only serves to make Nolan’s legacy tackling costume-clad crimefighters all the more undeniable, as if it wasn’t already.
Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, and Blue Beetle haven’t even managed to bring in $900 million from theaters between the four of them, something Nolan is going to achieve with an R-rated historical drama that’s basically three hours of people talking in rooms.
Needless to say, if it wasn’t for Barbie, then WB would be forever ruing the day it let Nolan go.