'The Marvels' Premiere Weekend Ranks Last Among MCU's Big-Screen Hits with Only $47 Million

The weekend premiere of The Marvels, which started with barely $47 million, was a new low for superhero franchise Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The figure is according to studio estimates published on Sunday, November 12, reported CNBC.

Initial estimates placed the film's domestic opening between $75 million and $80 million, but those numbers have now dropped to a range between $60 million and $65 million in anticipation of the movie's release on Friday, November 10.

With its $63.3 million in overseas ticket sales, The Marvels earned a total of $110.3 million worldwide.

(Photo : David Becker / Getty Images for Disney)
Displays and signage are seen during THE MARVELS Reception and Special Screening at The Westin Las Vegas and AMC Town Square 18 in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 07, 2023.

MCU Hits New Low

The Marvels reportedly took an estimated $47 million over its first three days in US and Canadian movie theaters. This means it has surpassed The Incredible Hulk as the MCU's worst-ever opening; the latter brought in $55.4 million when it debuted in June 2008.

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, remarked that despite having the lowest domestic opening for the MCU, The Marvels underlined once again the significance of the overseas marketplace for the Marvel brand.

"The film will now rely on Thanksgiving holiday corridor moviegoing to help move the big-budget superhero film closer to profitability and help to determine the film's ultimate success at the box office," he said, as reported by CNBC.

Rotten Tomatoes gave The Marvels a 62% critical approval rating, while moviegoers were far more enthusiastic, awarding the film an 85% approval rating. Even yet, Disney probably knew that it would be difficult to get people to see the 33rd MCU film in cinemas. Studio CEO Bob Iger has said this year that the number of Marvel movies being released has been reduced.

Production costs for The Marvels reportedly totaled $274.8 million, making it the fourth-most expensive film in the MCU. This fact just adds to the movie's already considerable financial woes. The picture only earned an estimated $63.3 million overseas, bringing the total for its opening weekend globally to $110.3 million.

According to the Guardian, the lack of effective advertising owing to the actors' strike and its connection with the lackluster Ms. Marvel series on Disney+ have been cited as possible causes for The Marvels' dismal success.

Since Iron Man's debut in theaters in May 2008, the MCU has been the most successful film series in Hollywood, with worldwide box office receipts of nearly $29.7 billion. Both the Star Wars franchise ($10.3 billion) and the James Bond series ($7.9 billion) come in second.

What Is the Movie About?

The Marvels stars Brie Larson as Captain Marvel or Carol Danvers, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel or Kamala Khan.

In the official synopsis, Carol Danvers, also known as Captain Marvel, sees her skills and powers become linked with those of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan, popularly known as Ms. Marvel, and Danvers' estranged niece, now SABER astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. An unstable reality compels the trio to team up and save the universe and other planets.