Long-range box office estimates have The Marvels tracking for a lower opening weekend than its predecessor, Captain Marvel.
Per Box Office Pro, the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe installment starring Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel is tracking for a domestic opening weekend in the $50-75 million range. That is a significant drop-off from the $153.4 million opening for Captain Marvel’s first weekend in 2019. Additionally, The Marvels’ ticket presales are tracking 72 percent behind Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and 6 9percent behind Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Box office challenges for The Marvels
The relatively low tracking numbers for The Marvels could be the result of several issues. The most glaring is the conversation surrounding superhero fatigue, as multiple MCU and DC Universe projects have underperformed commercially in recent times. Furthermore, the previous Captain Marvel-centric movie had the benefit of being released between 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, while the MCU was still at its peak in popularity. Many argue that the oversaturation of MCU theatrical releases and shows on Disney+ has taken away the special event status of each new Marvel project that comes along.
While The Marvels still have a few weeks left to build momentum, the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike remains an issue for the movie’s marketing campaign. Stars Larson, Iman Vellani, and Teyonah Parris are unable to make the press rounds. Director Nia DaCosta shared these concerns. “I’m hoping I’m not promoting the movie by myself,” DaCosta said. “No one’s there to see me, either. They’re going to be like, ‘Where’s Brie Larson?’”
The Marvels arrives in theaters on November 10, 2023.
