The Marvels Reportedly Set For A Big Box Office Disappointment

The MCU, purely in terms of box office receipts, is at the top of the franchise food chain. To date, it has grossed over $29.5 billion worldwide, but the cracks are beginning to show. After an incredible box office run leading up to «Avengers: Endgame,» Marvel hasn’t been able to reach its previous prestigious heights — save for the $1.9 billion haul of «Spider-Man: No Way Home.» 

No installment since Spidey’s threequel has been able to cross the $1 billion barrier, and it looks like «The Marvels» may not even gross north of $700 million worldwide. Should these estimates pan out, «The Marvels» would be one of the few MCU offerings to open below $100 million. The last entry to do that was Chloe Zhao’s «Eternals,» which debuted with $71.2 million in late 2021. That film, which emerged as the MCU’s first «Rotten» movie on Rotten Tomatoes, earned just over $400 million — a modern-era franchise low. 

What’s jarring is that, unlike «Eternals,» which features several new characters, «The Marvels» is a team-up of several known and beloved heroes. Beyond Larson’s billion-dollar debut, Monica Rambeau and Ms. Marvel emerged as fan favorites thanks to their appearances in «WandaVision» and «Ms. Marvel,» respectively. «The Marvels» definitely has brand recognition in its favor, but is its potentially mediocre debut a sign that external factors are at play?