Over the past decade, Marvel Studios has established a huge cinematic universe MCU based on the superhero comic book series. Captivating superhero fans all around the world, the franchise has continued to dominate the box office, with movies like the 2019 Avengers: Endgame, which briefly held the title of the highest-grossing movie.
Despite numerous billion-dollar successes, the studio has its share of underperformers. With the box office reception of Brie Larson’s recently released film, concerns arise that it may follow a similar trajectory.
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Brie Larson’s The Marvels Records the Lowest MCU Opening Weekend
Brie Larson’s MCU debut has been a divisive topic of discussion. While fans did not find her superhero amusing, critics praised her performance in the 2019 film Captain Marvel. Despite that, the movie went on to gross over $1.2 billion at the box office.
However, the odds don’t seem the same for its sequel, The Marvels, which hit the box office last week. The sequel has recorded the worst opening weekend under the franchise, grossing $47 million. It was initially expected to make $75 million to $80 million in the opening weekend.
However, the projections were brought down to $60 million to $65 million ahead of its release. The domestic box office of The Marvels is even lower than that of Edward Norton’s The Incredible Hulk and Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man, which also opened to lower than $60 million.
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5 Lowest Grossing MCU Movies of All Time
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021)
As Marvel concluded the third phase of the MCU, things did not seem too favorable for the franchise until the release of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was the second film to be released under Phase 4 and introduced Simu Liu to the franchise. While the film was praised for the cast’s performance and its action sequences, it grossed $432 million worldwide.
Various factors are considered to have influenced its box office performance, with a significant contributor being attributed to the limited popularity of the movie’s protagonist, as Shang-Chi is often regarded as a supporting character in the comics.
Eternals (2021)
2021 did not seem to be a great year for the MCU. Released after Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, Chloé Zhao’s Eternals made over $402 Million worldwide on an estimated budget of $236.2 million. The movie featured some of the prominent actors like Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek. Similar to the Simu Liu starrer, Eternals is also believed to have been negatively impacted by the timing of its release and the unawareness of the heroes among the audience.
Black Widow (2021)
Following her several appearances for over a decade in the MCU, Scarlett Johansson finally got a solo feature Black Widow. Being one of the prominent members of The Avengers, fans had been rooting for a solo project for Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff. However, despite the vast popularity of the character, the movie failed to make it big at the box office.
Black Widow was the first film to be released under Phase Four and made only $379 million with a $200 million budget. Several factors influenced its commercial performance, with one of them being the time of its release. Along with several aspects all around the world, the 2020 global pandemic significantly affected the theatrical and entertainment sectors, resulting in many movies experiencing its repercussions at the box office.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Along with Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, Chris Evans‘ Captain America has also been one of the most iconic characters in the MCU. While the character went on to star in some of the biggest films under the franchise, including the billion-dollar film Captain America: Civil War, his MCU debut has fallen under the lowest-growing movies of the franchise. Despite positive reviews, Captain America: The First Avenger grossed $370 Million at the box office.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Starring Edward Norton, The Incredible Hulk is considered to be a forgotten MCU movie, as the studio went on to recast Bruce Banner for the 2012 film The Avengers. Directed by Louis Leterrier, the 2008 film has remained the lowest-grossing film under the superhero film series, making $264 million on a $150 million budget.
The Marvels is the latest film to release under the franchise and has beaten The Incredible Hulk’s record of having the lowest domestic opening weekend. With reports estimating it to be a potential box office bomb, it could also end up among the lowest-grossing movies in the franchise.
The Marvels is playing in theatres.
