The Marvels' Box Office Stumble Blamed On One Major Disney Push
Marvel Studios received a tough blow over Veterans Day weekend, with "The Marvels" opening to a franchise-record low of $46.1 million at the domestic box office. But while it'd be easy to see the film's poor performance as the ultimate sign that the once-dominating movie studio has lost its touch, it's not fair to pin the blame squarely on Marvel's shoulders in this instance.
Instead, it all comes down to Disney's push for more content in an effort to increase traction on its streaming service, which has resulted in a common Phase Five criticism that all the film installments so far have required fans to stay up-to-date with the shows streaming on Disney+ to understand what's going on. "The Marvels" fully leans into this strategy, with the film not only a sequel to 2019's "Captain Marvel" but also a follow-up to the events of "Ms. Marvel," "Secret Invasion," and "WandaVision."
"At the time the pandemic hit, we were leaning into a huge increase in how much we were making," Disney CEO Bob Iger shared in a November earnings call (via The Hollywood Reporter). "I've always felt that quantity can be actually a negative when it comes to quality. And I think that's exactly what happened. We lost some focus."
Could future MCU releases be hurt by this strategy as well?
Marvel fans aren't necessarily averse to keeping up with several storylines in order to follow the narratives of event films such as "Captain America: Civil War" and "Avengers: Infinity War." However, these earlier entries only require viewers to have seen two or three movies every year, whereas Disney and Marvel's Phase Five tactic requires audiences to also keep up with hours of streaming content, turning some fans away from their post–"Avengers: Endgame" output.
"Captain America: Brave New World" might run into similar issues as "The Marvels," acting as both the fourth Captain America movie and a continuation of the miniseries "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." While not as overwhelming a load to take on as the number of miniseries required to fully grasp the "Captain Marvel" sequel, the idea of having to sit through yet another one, particularly one that hasn't left much of an impact, might be enough to drop the enthusiasm of some viewers.
Fortunately, the team at Marvel is taking their feet off the pedal for 2024. The only MCU film on the schedule is "Deadpool 3," a release that is sure to get butts in seats given the success of the prior "Deadpool" films and the inclusion of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. Both "Captain America: Brave New World" and "Thunderbolts" have been moved to 2025, which will hopefully give both audiences and Marvel much-needed time to breathe.