Unraveling Marvel’s Box Office: In the lead-up to The Marvels’ premiere on November 10th, there was an initial belief that any negative projections were exaggerated. This optimism was fueled by past instances, such as Pixar’s Elemental initially appearing as a flop but later achieving success. Even after watching The Marvels on its opening weekend and finding it enjoyable, clever, and more coherent than recent Marvel movies, the outcome proved otherwise. The Marvels experienced a substantial decline, with ticket sales dropping by a staggering 78% during its second weekend in theaters, marking the largest second-weekend drop in MCU history.
As detailed by Variety, The Marvels has set several undesirable records and is likely to encounter more challenges in the weeks ahead. Marvel Studios, known for overcoming occasional setbacks, faces a new and concerning trend. Previous Marvel films, like Thor The Dark World, deemed the least favorable in the Infinity Saga, didn’t impede the success of subsequent releases like Guardians of the Galaxy.
Marvel Studios’ resilience has been a hallmark of its 15-year journey since 2008. However, the current trend lines raise more significant concerns. While Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Guardians Vol. 3 each surpassed $800 million, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels might not collectively reach that milestone by the end of The Marvels’ theater run.
The Marvels, despite its positive aspects with Iman Vellani shining as Ms. Marvel, creative fight scenes, and exciting teases for fans couldn’t escape box office struggles. The era where Marvel could rely on consistent hits appears to be evolving. Deadpool 3, slated for July, is anticipated to exceed $1 billion, driven more by the success of its predecessors than the MCU’s influence.
Looking ahead, Deadpool 3 stands as the sole Marvel release in 2024. Subsequent years introduce a Captain America movie without Chris Evans, a Fantastic Four reboot, Thunderbolts (an anti-hero team-up), and Blade, almost abandoned by Mahershala Ali. The uncertain fate of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty in 2026 and the conclusion of The Multiverse Saga with Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027 raise questions about the future.
The absence of the original MCU stars poses challenges, as seen with the successes of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder, which featured marketable superstars reprising beloved roles. In contrast, Eternals, The Marvels, and Ant-Man 3 with Paul Rudd faced a less enthusiastic response.
Notably, Captain Marvel grossed over $1.1 billion globally in 2019, while The Marvels is anticipated to struggle to reach $200 million. This raises concerns about the potential for sequels to match the success of their predecessors in an evolving landscape.
Also read: Marvel Maestro Destin Daniel Cretton Takes a Step Back: Avengers’ Kang Dynasty Directorial Change
Our Reader’s Queries
Why did The Marvels fail at box office?
During a recent interview at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit (via CNBC), Iger cited inadequate supervision on the film’s set as a result of the COVID pandemic as one contributing factor to the flop.
Is The Marvels hit or flop?
The sequel to Captain Marvel only made $47 million in its first weekend, making it the lowest-earning film in the franchise so far. This was a lot less than the expected $75 million to $80 million.
Why is The Marvels flopping?
The Disney CEO, Bob Iger, believes that The Marvels failed at the box office due to a lack of oversight on the set.
How is the new Marvel movie doing in the box office?
The Marvels marks the first Marvel movie to fall short of reaching the $100 million milestone in the US box office. The sequel’s total theatrical run pales in comparison to the opening weekend of its predecessor, 2019’s Captain Marvel ($153 million debut).