Even though it is a highly successful franchise, Marvel movies are not as bulletproof as they once were. This was evident last weekend when The Marvels opened with just $47 million. That was the lowest debut for an MCU film in history and just a third of the $153 million its predecessor, Captain Marvel, earned in its first weekend.
The movie’s misfire has prompted many to wonder whether superhero fatigue is finally hitting audiences. And while it may be too soon to say that, the signs are troubling.
It’s not just the low opening numbers but also the lukewarm response to the movie and the poor ticket pre-sales that are telling. The Marvels is a rare MCU release to receive a B CinemaScore from audiences, and it also has a disappointing 62 percent on Rotten Tomatoes critics’ reviews.
In addition to the bad buzz, the actors’ strike that kept stars like Brie Larson from promoting their films has yet to help. Larson and her co-stars could not visit various theaters to surprise fans and attend screenings until the SAG-AFTRA strike was resolved Thursday evening.
Combined with a bleak critical reception and a weak performance on day-and-date sales through Peacock’s streaming platform, The Marvels shows little sign of life. Its worldwide gross is just $110 million, a far cry from the $220 million it cost to produce and the $100 million it took to promote the tentpole.
The biggest reason for Marvel’s flop is that it appears to be another run-of-the-mill superhero film. The story is similar to previous MCU releases, with the same plot and characters. The only difference is that the story is told from a female perspective.
The Marvels has been slammed by critics, who have called it bland, formulaic, and boring. The snarky, acerbic Fredrik deBoer at the Daily Beast called it “the MCU’s worst movie in three years” and criticized Disney for pandering to women with its casting choices.
The Marvels has a chance to rebound next weekend, when it is expected to earn another $110 million. But with the franchise’s star power taking a hit, it might be time to put away the capes and helmets for good. After all, it is becoming clear that audiences simply aren’t going to show up for any old superhero flick anymore reliably. And that’s a big problem for Marvel. Its future success will depend on its ability to find new stories and characters that people care about. And that means shedding the stale formula it has relied on for so long.
