Summary
The latest MCU offering to hit theaters will be the second installment in theCaptain Marvelseries, titledThe Marvels. The film will tie together the stories of Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan as their cosmic powers become entangled. Even though there has been a lot of discussion recently about superhero movie fatigue (and people growing tired of Marvel movies in particular), the MCU is continuing to pump out its TV shows and movies at the same rapid pace it always has.
The box office numbers forThe Marvelsare already projected to be disappointingly low for what Marvel usually makes, which is something that no Marvel fan wants to hear, especially Captain Marvel fans. Despite the fact that the release of this film should be a triumph for diversity and storytelling, the MCU hasn’t done its best to ensure that this release goes smoothly, and has essentially set the film up to fail before it’s even out.
What Is The Marvels About?
The Marvelsis the second installment inCaptain Marvel’s story(despite the fact that she has shown up multiple times throughout the MCU after her first movie). The story follows Carol Danvers once again, who has to deal with a newly unstabilized universe. Because of this, she gets sent to check out a wormhole that’s linked to a Kree revolutionary, and when she does, her cosmic powers become intertwined with those of Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan (aka Ms. Marvel). They must figure out how to harness their powers together and work as a team to save the universe.
What Is The Marvels' Projected Box Office?
Though the numbers can’t be known for sure until the movie actually releases, box office analysts are able to come up with a rough idea of what a movie’s opening box office numbers are going to be. Experts have stated thatThe Marvelsis set to open at $75M-$80M, which is about 50% lower thanCaptain Marvel’s opening. While the initial projection was even lower than this and the current one has raised the total a little bit, it’s still a disappointing opening for a Marvel movie. If the projection turns out to be true, it means thatThe Marvelswill have an even lower opening thanAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which was another famously disappointing MCU box office.
How The Marvels Was Set Up To Fail
While it’s not super surprising that the dwindling interest in the MCU is culminating with this film, it is unfortunate. The general public, as well as a lot of former Marvel fans, are starting to feel worn out on superhero movies, especially after the release ofAvengers: Endgame. The market is oversaturated, and the MCU in particular releases so many Disney Plus shows and movies per year that it makes it difficult to keep up. It also doesn’t help that a lot of these releases don’t feel as well-made as earlier MCU entries, and most getfairly mediocre reviews and reactions from fans.
At this point, Marvel has to be aware of the general feeling around their movies now. While they’re still successful at the box office compared to a lot of other movies, their numbers are getting lower and lower, but they seem to be doing nothing to change that.They’re not changing their approach to storiesor the number of releases, which just means that every new entry gets swept under the rug even more. Ironically,The Marvelshas a chance at actually being a breath of fresh air for the MCU, but Marvel hasn’t done a great job of marketing it or setting it up for great success in any way.
It’s disappointing that an MCU movie directed by a woman of color (Nia DaCosta, director of Candyman) and starringthree female characters in the lead roles(two of which are, again, women of color) is the one that’s going to bear the brunt of the disinterest in the MCU coming to a head. There’s a possibility that higher-ups could use this movie’s lack of success (if the box office numbers turn out to be true) as an indicator that audiences don’t want to see these kinds of stories and will move away from that direction.The Marvelsalready seems to be a success for representation, but the amount of money it makes may not reflect that. And, unfortunately, in a studio system that values profit above all else, that may be all that matters.
NEXT:The Best MCU & DCEU Halloween Costumes For Kids In 2023 - Loki, Iron Man & More
