A Historic Low: Marvel's Lowest Opening Weekend Ever
The Marvels storms the global box office this week, but initial predictions suggest a disappointing opening weekend Discover the thrilling storyline and prepare for a cinematic spectacle unlike any other
The Marvels is currently playing in theaters, but unfortunately, the film had a disappointing start, achieving the lowest opening weekend attendance in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This year, The Marvels became the third Marvel film to be released. However, the studio has experienced mixed results. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 performed exceptionally well, earning an impressive $845 million at the box office. On the other hand, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania fell short, only accumulating $475 million in ticket sales.
The initial predictions for The Marvels were unfavorable, and its situation was further hindered by the inability of the movie's actors to advertise their film due to the ongoing actor's strike. Ironically, the strike ended around the same time as the release of the movie. To discover whether The Marvels triumphed or fell short, continue reading.
The Marvels box office: How much did it make?
The Marvels grossed $47 million at the domestic box office over the weekend, falling significantly short of initial predictions, and marking the lowest opening for any movie in the MCU's history. The inclusion of Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani in the cast did not contribute to its success at the international box office either, as it only managed to gross $63 million, resulting in a worldwide total of $110 million. Considering the rumored production cost of $220 million, the film is now faced with the challenge of generating any profit once advertising and marketing expenses are factored in.
The Marvels is anticipated to make around $60 million in domestic box office earnings over the weekend, although there are speculations that the number could be as low as $50 million. Deadline provided these figures, which is quite a decrease from their earlier prediction of a $75-$80 million opening weekend. Consequently, it appears that interest in the Marvel movie is waning as the release date draws near.
The movie is projected to earn $80 million overseas, bringing its global total to $140 million. This is lower than the debut earnings of Eternals, which made $160 million, and Black Widow, which made $148 million. However, Black Widow's worldwide gross was affected by its simultaneous release on Disney+. To put things in perspective, Captain Marvel had a US debut of $153.4 million and a worldwide debut of $456.7 million, making it the highest-grossing opening for a female superhero movie.
Deadline reports that the pre-sales for "The Marvels" stand at over $5 million, which is similar to the pre-sales for Warner Bros/DC's "The Flash," a movie that had a disappointing start with $55 million in the United States. There is concern that if the previews, which begin on Thursday at 3 p.m., only bring in around $6 million, the opening weekend of "The Marvels" could plummet to just over $40 million. We will provide updates on this story as soon as the initial figures become available.
What is The Marvels about?
The following is the official description of the film, provided by Marvel: "After freeing herself from the oppressive rule of the Kree and seeking retribution against the Supreme Intelligence, Carol Danvers, also known as Captain Marvel, finds herself inadvertently responsible for the turmoil that ensues in the universe."
"When she is assigned to a peculiar wormhole related to a rebellious Kree and encounters Kamala Khan, a devoted fan of Jersey City and also known as Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau, Carol's distant niece who is now an astronaut in the S.A.B.E.R. program, their powers become intertwined."
Editor's P/S
As a Gen Z fan, I feel disappointed and concerned about the poor performance of "The Marvels" at the box office. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been a dominant force in the film industry for over a decade, and it's disheartening to see one of its films struggle so significantly. I'm a big fan of Brie Larson's portrayal of Captain Marvel, and I was excited to see her character team up with Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau. However, it seems that audiences were not as enthusiastic about the film as I was.
There are a few factors that may have contributed to "The Marvels" disappointing performance. First, the film's release date was originally scheduled for July 2023, but it was pushed up to February 2023. This last-minute change may have caught some fans off guard and prevented them from making plans to see the film. Second, the marketing for "The Marvels" was relatively muted compared to previous MCU films. There were few trailers and TV spots, and the film's social media presence was relatively low-key. This may have made it difficult for fans to get excited about the film.
