Who would have expected that Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, one of the least popular movies of 2022, would emerge as the highest-earning MCU film to date? The Benedict Cumberbatch-led movie bested Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Thor: Love and Thunder in terms of profit.
As per The Direct, for the previous year’s roster of superhero films, Doctor Strange 2 earned a whopping $955.7 million, followed by Black Panther 2 with $859 million, and lastly, Thor 4 with $760.9 million.
The revenue records Doctor Strange 2 with $780 million, Thor 4 with $650 million, and Black Panther 2 with $750 million. The cost of production for each film showed Doctor Strange 2 with $496 million, while Thor 4 spent $547 million, and Black Panther 2 with $491 million.
Summing up, Doctor Strange 2 had a profit of $284 million, while Thor 4 earned $103 million and Black Panther 2 made $259 million.
Doctor Strange 2 Was MCU’s Biggest Profit-Earning Project of 2022
It’s no secret that many studios suffered financially during the pandemic, and Marvel Studios proved to be one of the highly affected enterprises with several projects already set to be released in theaters.
Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and The Eternals had to endure the wrath of the plague. The curse was finally broken in December 2021 when Tom Holland’s Spider-Man: No Way Home finally landed in theaters.
Doctor Strange 2 was so close to hitting the $1 billion mark, and despite fans feeling a bit disappointed with the sequel, as it did not live up to the hype and success of the original 2016 movie, the figures were a testament that the public terribly missed the cinema experience. With an aggregate score of 74% for critics and 83% for fans on Rotten Tomatoes, the ratings were slightly better than Thor 4 with 63% for critics and 77% for the audience.
The first Doctor Strange film earned $677 million at the worldwide box office and mesmerized viewers with its stunning cinematography, hyper-realistic visual effects, and overall storyline.
The sequel evidently outdid its predecessor, and it introduced new as well as old familiar faces to the audiences: Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch, Lashana Lynch as Captain Marvel, Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, and John Krasinski as Reed Richards in a cameo appearance.
Although many criticized the MCU and concluded that it is coming to its end because of the viewers’ decline in interest after Avengers: Endgame, the numbers still prove that they are commercial hits.
Will There Be Doctor Strange 3?
The Doctor Strange franchise is reportedly prepping for a third installment. Marvel Studios previously added the untitled threequel to its timetable, and while the project has not been officially announced, fans can expect that it will introduce more mind-bending spells and complex narratives.
Seeing the box office result of Doctor Strange 2, there is no reason for Marvel Studios not to give the go signal for the third installment. As long as Benedict Cumberbatch is enthusiastic to reprise his role, it is only a matter of time before the trilogy happens.
On the other hand, Marvel Studios evidently outdid DC in terms of profit for the year 2022. The rival company had two major movies that came out: Robert Pattinson’s The Batman and Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam. The latter emerged as a less hit for DC movies and somehow struggled to perform at the box office during the course of its theatrical run.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is available to stream via Disney+.
Source: The Direct
