The DCEU has indeed had its share of thrilling moments on the silver screen; however, its journey culminated with the release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which felt more subdued than spectacular. This film serves as the sequel to James Wan‘s phenomenal $1.15 billion success featuring Jason Momoa in the iconic role of the King of Atlantis. The path to its premiere at the end of 2023 was fraught with challenges, including the global pandemic, extensive VFX requirements, and various other obstacles. It took more than five years since the original’s debut and a staggering budget exceeding $200 million to bring Arthur Curry‘s next underwater saga to life on the big screen. Unfortunately, the final product fell short of critics’ expectations, evidenced by a disappointing 33% Rotten Tomatoes score and a lackluster box office performance of just $439.3 million. Nevertheless, these numbers didn’t deter audiences from flocking to Netflix to watch the film in significant numbers.

In the week of May 26, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom made a splash on Netflix’s Global Top 10, securing the third position, trailing only behind the newly-released Fear Street: Prom Queen and the family-friendly animated success The Wild Robot. The superhero sequel performed remarkably well, nearly matching the latter with around 5.8 million viewers. With its recent launch across numerous regions in Central and South America, The Lost Kingdom also achieved a spot in the Top 10 in 22 countries, reaching the number one position in six of those. This achievement is particularly notable considering that the film is exclusively available on Max in the U.S., highlighting its strong international appeal.