Recent box-office tracking for “The Marvels” had already pointed at a disappointing opening weekend, but what I’m now hearing is far worse than anyone could have imagined.
Some analysts had originally believed that a $55M - $75M domestic debut would occur for “The Marvels,” but I’m being told that the latest internal numbers actually point to a $45M-$50M 3-day opening. Yikes.
Most MCU movies open with around $100 million, but it looks like “The Marvels” will be that rare exception.
“The Marvels” tickets pre-sales have indeed been disastrous, and the weakest for any MCU movie in the post-Covid era. There is just not much audience interest for the Brie Larson starring ‘Marvels’ and it’s certainly had Disney in total panic mode.
Disney spent over $270 million on “The Marvels,” and that’s not even counting marketing costs. Sure, good reviews could slightly bump up these numbers, but what I’ve also been hearing is that the movie isn’t good.
What could help “The Marvels” is that it’s going to be playing on a slew of IMAX screens come opening weekend. The original “Captain Marvel” opened with $153 million and benefited from IMAX. The sequel stars three female leads, including Larson, and is being directed by Nia DaCosta.
This is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 33rd feature film. DaCosta is one of four credited writers on the screenplay, along with Megan McDonnell, Elissa Karasik, and Zeb Wells. You almost never get a single person writing the screenplay for an MCU movie.
Many will undoubtedly point to the usual “superhero fatigue” excuse, and it’s definitely a factor, but the fact remains that the most popular superheroes (Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk) are no longer part of the MCU. There is far less interest in Marvel movies because of that.
“The Marvels” hits theaters on November 10th, with the review embargo lifting on the 8th. Some major spoilers have already begun to leak out including fully detailed descriptions of the post-credits scene.