Blue Beetle predicted to have the year's lowest opening weekend for a DC movie

Blue Beetle is predicted to make $30 million during its opening weekend – a disappointing start for the new superhero movie. 

This would narrowly make the movie DC's lowest-performing title at the box office during an opening weekend this year – Shazam! Fury of the Gods, released back in March, made $30.5 million, while The Flash, released in June, made $55 million. 

By contrast, Barbie cashed in $155 million on its opening weekend last month, while Oppenheimer made $80 million. As for other superhero movies from other studios, Marvel's latest big-screen project, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, made $118 million during its first weekend in theaters. 

Blue Beetle is the alter ego of Jaime Reyes, who's played by Cobra Kai's Xolo Maridueña. When Jaime returns to his hometown after graduating from college, he's chosen to be the symbiote host to the Scarab, an alien being that grants him superpowers and exoskeleton armor, turning him into the Blue Beetle.  

DC Studios CEO James Gunn recently confirmed that Blue Beetle will be the first official character in his new DCU – but it's not the first movie. That title belongs to Superman: Legacy, which is set to release in 2025. However, the first DCU project is Creature Commandos, a Max TV show coming in 2024. Still with us…? 

Blue Beetle arrives on the big screen on August 18. While we wait, check out our guide to the rest of the year's most highly anticipated movie release dates. And, for more on everything to come from DC Studios, we've got the lowdown on DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.