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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Have female superheroes historically performed as well at the box office as their male counterparts?

By Lisa Freedland
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NO

While some recent superhero movies with female leads posted box-office gross receipts on par with some male-led films, the biggest hits more typically feature male superheroes or a team of superheroes. Of the top 15 earning superhero films released since 1995, two have female leads: “Captain Marvel” (2019), ranking 13th at $427 million and “Wonder Woman” (2017), ranking 14th at $412 million. In 2019, “Avengers: Endgame” earned more than those two releases combined.

Still, those tallies mark gains from decades past. “Catwoman” (2004), for example, made $82 million worldwide, and “Elektra” (2005) made almost $57 million worldwide. By comparison, “Spiderman” (2002) and “Spiderman 2” (2004) made around $400 million and $370 million.

“Batwoman,” a 2019 TV series based on the DC comic character, is struggling to garner viewership amid poor reviews. It is rated 3.2 out of ten by IMDb users.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
The Numbers Superhero box office grosses, 1995-2021
Box Office Mojo ‘Catwoman’ (2004)
Box Office Mojo ‘Elektra’ (2005)
TV Series Finale ‘Batwoman’—Season one ratings
IMDb ‘Batwoman’
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.