The Marvels Opens Below Expectations With $47M Debut

Highlights

• The Marvels had a disappointing box office opening, grossing only $47 million domestically and $110 million globally, marking the lowest opening weekend for an MCU film since 2015's Ant-Man .
• The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its action and humor, while others criticized its plot and character development.
• Factors such as the ongoing Screen Actors Guild strike, reduced promotion, and competition from other films may have contributed to The Marvels ' underwhelming performance at the box office.

The latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Marvels, opened below expectations this weekend, grossing an estimated $47 million at the domestic box office.

The film also experienced low numbers overseas, opening at $63 million for a global premiere weekend of $110 million.

This marks the lowest opening weekend for an MCU film since Ant-Man was released in 2015; it grossed $54 million in its debut.

The film's disappointing initial box office take is a major setback for Marvel Studios, which has seen its films consistently dominate at the box office for the past decade.

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The Captain Marvel sequel was expected to be one of the biggest hits of the year, but it apparently failed to connect with audiences in a manner now expected from anything associated with the MCU.

Additionally, the film's critical reception has been mixed; some reviewers praised its action sequences and humor, while others criticized its plot and character development.

The Marvels, the 33rd installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is a sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel.

The film stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, teaming up with Teyonah Parris as the grown-up version of Captain Marvel character Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel

Parris and Vellani made their respective television debuts in the Disney+ series WandaVision and Ms. Marvel. The film follows the three heroes as they team up to take on a new threat.

The Marvels also starred Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, and introduced Zawe Ashton into Marvel's sprawling cinematic universe.

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Breaking the traditional mold of superhero films, The Marvels stands out with an all-female lead cast, a first for the genre.

At the helm of this groundbreaking project is Nia DaCosta, who claimed an important part of Marvel Studios history as the first Black woman to direct an MCU film.

Additionally, DaCosta is the youngest director to lead an MCU project, having turned 34 just days before the film's release.

This trend of embracing indie directors is a testament to Marvel's dedication to fostering talent and encouraging diversity in the industry, as evidenced by their support for Ryan Coogler, Taika Waititi, and Chloé Zhao.

In spite of its star-studded cast and exciting premise, The Marvels opened below expectations, with a $47 million domestic box office debut, the lowest opening weekend for an MCU film since Ant-Man, which started with $57.2 million domestically in 2015.

However, The Marvels received generally positive reviews from critics, earning a 62 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Audiences also seem to be enjoying the film, giving it an 84 percent approval rating on the same platform.

The film's lukewarm box office showing could be attributed to a number of factors, including its release during the ongoing Screen Actors Guild strike (which ended after several months of picketing on November 9th), reduced "word of mouth" promotion, and a mixed critical reception.

Its middling performance at the box office can also be attributed to its release date coinciding with the premiere of David Fincher's latest thriller, The Killer, on Netflix.

This marked Fincher's highly anticipated return to the genre since 2019's Mindhunter.

The Marvels' release date of November 10th and its unfortunate proximity to the end of the strike constrained the project in several ways, as the terms of the strike prevented the film's stars from promoting The Marvels publicly.

The underwhelming initial box office performance of The Marvels led to renewed speculation that "superhero fatigue" is a measurable phenomenon in film, and that audiences are simply growing weary of the glut of superhero movies released in recent years:

This theory is reinforced by the fact that The Marvels is only the third MCU film to receive a "B" CinemaScore from audiences, after Eternals and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania.

The vast majority of MCU releases have earned some variation of an "A," making the relatively impressive score of "B" more like a "D" in the context of Marvel movies:

The film's release further coincides with lingering questions about the MCU's future direction, and recent reports suggesting Marvel Studios may consider recasting or shifting away from Jonathan Majors as a key villain in its multiverse-focused narrative.

Majors, who had been poised to emerge as a prominent antagonist in the franchise, is currently facing misdemeanor assault and harassment charges stemming from a domestic dispute incident.

Ongoing legal proceedings have cast a pall over his role in the MCU, potentially prompting Marvel Studios to reassess its plans for the character – and perhaps to reconsider planned story lines which hinge heavily on Majors' Kang The Conquerer.

The Marvels was the only novel nationwide release on its opening weekend; it topped the box office charts.

Five Nights At Freddy's dropped to second place with $9 million in its third weekend, while Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour added another $5.9 million in its fifth weekend.

Sofia Coppola's Priscilla Presley biopic Priscilla remained in fourth with $4.79 million, and Martin Scorsese's Killers Of The Flower Moon landed in fifth with $4.6 million in its fourth week.

It's been a mixed bag for new releases this year, with some films performing well and others struggling.

The Marvels is the latest example of a highly anticipated film which failed to meet expectations – and it will be interesting to see how it performs in the coming weeks, and whether audiences will flock to theaters at a more leisurely pace.

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The film's disappointing debut raises questions about Marvel's strategy and suggests the need for a reassessment before releasing future MCU installments.

The Marvels faces an uphill battle as the holiday season approaches, with highly anticipated films like The Hunger Games prequel The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes and Disney's animated film Wish set to hit theaters (and serve as competition for similar moviegoer demographics).

Finally, The Marvels isn't the only hotly anticipated entry in the franchise, as the eagerly awaited Deadpool 3 is next in line to hit theaters – introducing the X-Men into the MCU, and potentially holding the power to reinvigorate fan interest in the MCU.

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