The Marvels' Opening Weekend Box Office Is Set To Make MCU History In The Worst Way

"The Marvels" is on track to have the lowest-grossing opening weekend for a Marvel Cinematic Universe film to date. 

Back in early 2019, audiences around the world headed to their local multiplexes to witness Brie Larson's debut as Captain Marvel in the heroine's self-titled picture. Marketing and interview clips expertly suggested that Captain Marvel was the future of the MCU, which was on track to wrap up its first chapter later that summer with the fan-service heavy "Avengers: Endgame." And so, "Captain Marvel" debuted to a whopping $153 million stateside. The film went on to rake in over $700 million in international markets, thanks in part to a $153 million haul from China. All in all, Larson's debut pic made $1.1 billion. 

Just four years later, "The Marvels" is on track to have the lowest debut for an MCU film. No, not the lowest-grossing debut post-pandemic – just the lowest, ever. Deadline has the Nia DaCosta-directed picture coming in anywhere between $47 to $52 million this weekend. The flick had a Friday haul of $21.5 million. While Disney hasn't released official numbers, there's likely no scenario where the film sees a generous, headline-changing spike this weekend. With an opening weekend take just south of $52 million, "The Marvels" is making MCU history. 

For context, the Edward Norton-starring film "The Incredible Hulk," arguably the closest thing Kevin Feige's cinematic toybox has to a black sheep, debuted at $55 million back in 2008. It's all but certain that "The Marvels" will emerge as one of the lowest-grossing entries in the entire MCU, potentially achieving a worldwide haul that fails to overtake the $426 million domestic cume of the first "Captain Marvel."  

Those who did show up for "The Marvels" on Friday appear to be less than enthusiastic about the movie. The MCU's latest effort was awarded a B CinemaScore from audiences — a below-average grade for superhero films. With that score, "The Marvels" joins the company of "Green Lantern," "Catwoman," and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." On the other hand, "The Marvels" does have a 62% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as an 85% audience score. However, all this data suggests that, at best, the film has received a mixed reception from moviegoers. 

The film did have a fan in Looper critic Reuben Baron, who gave Brie Larson's latest a 7/10 rating. Still, even they couldn't move past the idea of "The Marvels" being a safe, repetitive entry in a franchise that seems more interested in the next thing than the project it's currently showcasing. "As it teleports back and forth between interplanetary set-pieces, it's entertaining enough that you can't be too bothered that it's barely about anything and that it can't find the focus to really commit to the things it's almost about," they wrote. 

Sure, "The Marvels" has a few cheering it on, but it simply can't be understated just how devastating this is for a picture that cost $220 million. Internationally, the film is just not faring well, which means there's a strong chance that it will be a rare flop for the MCU. Consider this: it's on track to take somewhere north of $11 million in China this weekend — the first "Captain Marvel" made $89 million during its Chinese box office debut. 

It can be quite alarming to digest the fact that the MCU is about to have its lowest opening weekend ever, but one shouldn't get worried just yet. Unfortunately, Marvel simply fumbled Captain Marvel as a character post "Avengers: Endgame," failing to capitalize on the popularity she manifested after her debut picture. It's disappointing that one of the most diverse films in the MCU's history is now about to set a record in the worst way possible. However, it's equally important to understand just how bad this is for the franchise. 

Superhero fatigue is no doubt plaguing the MCU, but it's mind-boggling that the Marvel brand — which still has diehard fans — is suffering the same fate as DC. "The Marvels" is on track to have a lower debut than this year's "The Flash," which opened to $55 million domestically before limping away with a $266 million worldwide posting. It became one of the biggest flops of the year and one of the largest bombs in Warner Bros.' history. 

Still, this isn't the end of Marvel. Don't forget, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" made over $840 million earlier this summer. And the studio just had a winner in "Loki" Season 2, which boasted a crowd-pleasing, perhaps even genre-defining finale. And audiences will no doubt show up for "Deadpool 3" and the new "Captain America" flick. 

It'll be interesting to see what lessons Disney and Marvel Studios can learn from "The Marvels," which is now playing in cinemas.