Summary
The Marvels' box office projections have plummeted only days before theCaptain Marvelsequel hits theaters. If these box office predictions prove correct,The Marvelswill have a lower opening weekend than a notable box office disappointment for Marvel Studios.
WhileCaptain Marvelopened to box office success that culminated with a $1 billion-plus worldwide total,The Marvelshas been mired by discouraging reports. In addition to claims thatThe Marvelsreshoots and test screening responsesdid not fare well,Captain Marvel 2has seen underwhelming box office projections that have not improved as its release date approaches.
Deadlinereports thatThe Marvelsis projected to earn around $60 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office. This is a notable decrease fromThe Marvels' box office projectionsof $75-80 million from roughly three weeks ago. Worse yet, tracking services like Quorum predict a less-optimistic domestic opening of $50 million-plus. Overseas,The Marvelsis projected to open with $80 million, giving the sequel a worldwide box office debut of roughly $140 million. Conversely, the firstCaptain Marvelopened with $153.4 million in the U.S. and $456.7 million worldwide.
If these box office projections hold up,The Marvels' worldwide opening weekend gross will fall behind the debuts ofEternalsandBlack Widow, which respectively opened to $160 million and $148 million globally. Another worrying sign forThe Marvelsis that its presale numbers are roughly $5 million, on par withThe Flash. The Warner Bros. and DC movie is hardly one to emulate, asThe Flashwas a box office bomb. Adding to the concerning news is the possibility thatThe Marvels' opening weekend numbers will drop further to $40 million-plus if Thursday previews come in at around $6 million.
Fans believe there are signs that Marvel Studios is worried aboutThe Marvels' box office fortunes this weekend. The recent promos and the final trailer focused on past Avengers teammates and foes and teased a hugeX-Men connection inThe Marvels. Some fans view this as a desperate last-minute push to engage fans by recalling past successes and hinting at the X-Men finally joining the MCU when the focus should be on the trio of female leads, a long overdue event for any superhero franchise.
While some believeThe Marvelsis being set up to fail, the lackluster promotional campaign could be partly attributed to the ongoing actors' strike, which has prohibited the cast from promoting the film. Still,The Marvels' box office projections continue a trend of disappointing financial numbers for the MCU that predate the strike. IfThe Marvels' can earn rave reviews on par withGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which was a box office success, perhaps it can turn around these low numbers. Otherwise, Marvel Studios is likely preparing for more bad news.
The Marvelswill be released in theaters on Jul 25, 2025.
The Marvels
While investigating a wormhole linked to the Kree, Monica Rambeau’s powers become entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Carol Danvers. The trio team up to determine why they are swapping places with each other every time they use their powers.
