In a surprising turn of events, Marvel Studios, typically the reigning superhero of the box office, is grappling with a sobering reality check following the lackluster performance of The Marvels. This cinematic setback marks a pivotal moment for the production house, which has dominated the superhero genre since the groundbreaking debut of Iron Man in 2008.
Over the weekend of November 10-12, The Marvels premiered to a disappointing $46.1 million in North America, marking the worst opening in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, known for its staggering $30 billion in global ticket sales. The 33rd installment in the MCU faced harsh criticism with lackluster audience exit scores and a tepid B CinemaScore.
The underwhelming response to The Marvels is not the sole indicator that Marvel may be grappling with issues related to quality control. Previous MCU releases, such as ‘Eternals’ and ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania,’ also received B CinemaScore, while audiences expressed concerns about the increasing number of shows on Disney+ complicating the overarching MCU storyline.
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Behind the scenes, industry insiders reveal that Marvel Studios and Disney were aware of The Marvels challenges before its theatrical release. There was a growing recognition that Marvel head Kevin Feige and his team needed to reassess their approach to theatrical tentpoles. On November 8, during an earnings call, Bob Iger acknowledged that Disney’s focus had shifted towards quantity over quality under the leadership of Bob Chapek, a sentiment echoed by Feige and his team, according to sources.
A day later, Marvel and Disney announced a significant shift in their release strategy, reducing the number of superhero films slated for 2024 from three to one. This move, disclosed at the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, had broader implications beyond the production halt on Deadpool 3, emphasizing a need for Marvel to recalibrate its approach.
Deadpool 3, featuring Ryan Reynolds, is now positioned as Marvel and Disney’s sole superhero offering in 2024, rescheduled to open on July 26 instead of May 3. This highly anticipated threequel, introducing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, is set to be a pivotal release, serving as a multi-verse spanning feature that sets the stage for Marvel’s upcoming Avengers movies.
The original Captain Marvel debuted to a robust $153.4 million in North America and amassed an impressive $1.13 billion worldwide.
Notably, this stumble by Marvel Studios echoes the recent struggles faced by rival DC, whose film ‘The Flash’ disappointed with a domestic debut of $55 million and a modest global total of $270.6 million. Most experts agree that we have entered an oversaturation of superhero movies and studios need to reevaluate how they move forward.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter Pamela McClintock and Aaron Couch
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