Since 2008's Iron Man, the Marvel machine has been one of the most unstoppable forces in box office history. Now that aura of invincibility is showing signs of wear and tear. The superhero factory hit a new low with the weekend launch of The Marvels, which opened with just $47 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The 33rd installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a sequel to the 2019 Brie Larson-led Captain Marvel, managed less than a third of the $153.4 million its predecessor launched with before ultimately taking in $1.13 billion worldwide. And The Marvels debuted with more than $100 million less than Captain Marvel opened with—something no sequel before has ever done, the AP reports. David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Research Entertainment, called it "an unprecedented Marvel box office collapse."
The previous low for a Walt Disney Co.-owned Marvel movie was Ant-Man, which bowed with $57.2 million in 2015. But The Marvels was a $200 million-plus sequel to a billion-dollar blockbuster. It was also an exceptional Marvel release in numerous ways. The film, directed by Nia DaCosta, was the first MCU release directed by a Black woman. It was also the rare Marvel movie led by three women—Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani. Reviews weren't strong (62% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), and neither was audience reaction. The Marvels is only the third MCU release to receive a "B" CinemaScore from moviegoers, following Eternals and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania.
Below are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
- The Marvels, $47 million.
- Five Nights at Freddy's, $9 million.
- Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, $5.9 million.
- Priscilla, $4.8 million.
- Killers of the Flower Moon, $4.7 million.
- The Holdovers, $3.2 million.
- Journey to Bethlehem, $2.4 million.
- Tiger 3, $2.3 million.
- Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, $1.8 million.
- Radical, $1.8 million.
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