The Marvels has ended its international box office run with a record, as the superhero film failed to generate significant interest. Disney stopped reporting weekly box office figures for The Marvels less than a month after its debut, as the film strayed further from the top of the charts after its opening weekend, resulting in the lowest return for an MCU movie ever. The latest box office update confirms what was projected by reports last December. This figure is far from what Captain Marvel made after its 2019 premiere, with the original film earning over $1.13 billion worldwide.
The Marvels falls short at the box office
As per ComicBookMovie.com, the Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels, failed to recoup its $275 million budget, resulting in a global box office take of $205.8 million, making it the lowest-earning MCU big-screen ever. Only $84.5 million came from North American cinemas, while $121.3 million was attracted from overseas territories, surpassing the previous record set by 2008's The Incredible Hulk.
The Marvels, despite its infamous box office record, has received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 62% critical rating and an 83% audience score. Critics attribute the sequel's commercial failure to factors like growing superhero fatigue and the movie's female-led nature, while others argue it is unworthy of its box office fate.
The Marvels faced several issues before its release, including poor test screening reviews, reshoots due to Kevin Feige's dissatisfaction with the initial output, and director Nia DaCosta's departure for Hedda, a film with Thor star Tessa Thompson, and being excluded from a cast and crew screening.
The Marvels starred Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris as S.A.B.E.R astronaut Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel.
Meanwhile, the MCU will be leaning on Deadpool 3 for a much-needed boost as it will be the only movie released from the cinematic universe in 2024. Much of the MCU slate was shifted amid the long-running SAG-AFTRA strike last year.
There is no date announced as yet for when The Marvels will be available on Disney+ or home video.
Why was The Marvels' budget so big?
The Marvels, initially estimated at $130 million, has been revealed to be worth $270 million, making it one of the most expensive Marvel projects and non-Avengers films.
The Marvels' galactic adventure sets it apart from Earthly superheroes, as cosmic stories require more significant production costs than Earth-based films. Space settings require more investment in digital environments, sound stages, and advanced CGI, unlike Earth-based films that use real locations and props.
The film features an ensemble of three heroes: Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Photon. Each character is given a solid storyline, ensuring they fit into the broader MCU narrative. The trio-centric approach goes beyond just paying lead actresses, developing layered stories for each character, and pushing the budget beyond typical single-hero MCU movies. VFX is a crucial part of Captain Marvel 2's budget, requiring extensive green screen work and CGI elements like spaceships and alien entities, along with the unique powers of the characters.
Unlike some heroes who need minimal CGI interventions, the protagonists of The Marvels – all endowed with light-based powers – necessitate a heavy VFX input, contributing to the film's overall cost. Over the years, superhero movies, both within the MCU and beyond, have witnessed ballooning budgets. Films like Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) had budgets hovering around the $250 million mark.
Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our own research. The figures can be approximate and Pinkvilla does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they are adequately indicative of the box-office performance of the film(s).
