Movies

Has Captain America: Brave New World been a box-office hit or flop?

BBG News

The debut of “Captain America: Brave New World” signifies a crucial milestone within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), yet it may not initiate the bold new era that Marvel envisions.

On Valentine’s Day this year, Anthony Mackie made his first appearance on the big screen as Cap, and it seemed like things were off to a great start. Over the four-day weekend that encompassed both Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day, Marvel secured its 35th straight number one opening at the U.S. box office by earning $100 million in ticket sales.

As a diehard fan, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my cinematic journey so far, having watched ten full days worth of movies. Interestingly, it surpassed the global box office collection of 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, which was approximately $289 million. However, the Marvel Cinematic Universe debut of The Hulk held the title for the lowest-grossing Marvel movie until 2023 when The Marvels managed to earn only $199.7 million over a four-week period.

For a second consecutive week, “Captain America: Brave New World” remained number one, but beware, the earnings plummeted significantly, similar to Sam in free fall. This drop represents a staggering 68.3%, making it the third-largest decline in Marvel’s history. Following closely are “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” with a 69.9% drop and “The Marvels” with an even steeper 78.1% decline, both occurring in 2023.

In total, just eight Marvel Cinematic Universe films, out of the 35 that have been released so far, didn’t manage to earn $150 million within their first ten days at the box office. Remarkably, three of these underperformers – Black Widow, Shang Chi, and Eternals – were premiered in 2021 when the cinema industry was still grappling with the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Here we stand, years on, and “Brave New World” persists with its challenges, devoid of the crutch of an excuse. Even “Quantumania,” a film with a fanbase barely larger than its main character, managed a more successful sophomore weekend.

After all this time, “Brave New World” still faces difficulties without its initial excuse. On the other hand, “Quantumania,” a movie with as small an audience as its leading man, outperformed in its second week at the box office.

As a gamer, I’ve got to admit that the predictions for Brave New World are not looking too bright. Currently sitting at around $289 million, it seems like it might have a tough time reaching the $400 million mark. If that holds true, it means we’re in some pretty exclusive company, and not in a good way.

In all, only four Marvel Cinematic Universe films have fallen short of reaching a certain threshold. These are movies like The Marvels, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow, and Captain America: The First Avenger, which did not meet the mark.

As a hardcore gamer, I’ve got to say, the epic saga of Brave New World has not only recovered its initial investment of $180 million but exceeded it, which is quite an achievement for any franchise! It’s also impressive to note that it’s reached its fourth instalment without a hitch. Only six other superhero series have managed this rare feat, making the journey of Brave New World all the more captivating.

It’s important to mention that even some popular movie franchises might consider a $400 million box office return as a disappointment, but when it comes to Marvel, such a figure would be disappointing, or, put differently, an unexpected underperformance in the context of the series.

And still, there’s long term damage to consider here when it comes to Marvel’s brand worth.

Why is Captain America 4 a box-office flop?

In simpler terms, can you explain precisely what transpired? And how were audiences able to accomplish something that Red Hulk failed at, which was defeating Captain America?

Or, in other words, what specifically took place? And how did people succeed where Red Hulk didn’t, by overcoming Captain America?

In situations like this, the phenomenon known as “superhero fatigue” or “Marvel fatigue” is frequently mentioned, although the staggering earnings of $1.3 billion by films featuring Deadpool and Wolverine last year demonstrate that people are still eager to watch quality productions in this genre. However, it appears they have become more discerning in their choices, and negative reviews for Brave New World may not have helped matters.

Approximately half of Captain America 4 has been rated poorly on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the third Marvel Cinematic Universe film to do so, with scores slightly higher than Eternals (47%) and Quantumania (46%). These ratings are based on a total of thirty-five films in the series.

Absolutely, the film titled “Thor: Dark World” is currently holding a rating of 67% on that platform, if you were curious to know.

It’s more concerning that the CinemaScore for Brave New World, often viewed as a reliable measure of audience response, is lower than expected.

At first glance, the movie receiving a B- grade doesn’t seem too disappointing. After all, that’s passing, isn’t it? But here’s the catch: Quantumania got a slightly better grade with a B+. In fact, Brave New World is the only Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film to score lower than a B+. This means that it might take some courage for audiences to go and watch this movie initially.

Apart from evaluations based on quality, the film presented a fresh take on the Captain America character, previously made iconic by Chris Evans, which required audience acceptance.

It’s not unusual for a hero to be replaced on screen, and Anthony Mackie isn’t entirely unfamiliar with the Marvel universe either. He’s been part of various Marvel films before, including Avengers: Endgame, where his character, who was initially The Falcon, assumed Steve Rogers’ shield for the first time.

Fans have had six years to adjust to this transformation, and a Disney+ series titled “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” has given us additional guidance on the process. The sluggish pace of this transition might be why enthusiasm seems muted, even though Mackie delivers an impressive performance in the role. However, some problems with the movie may have affected excitement as well.

Mackie is making his debut as the main character in such a significant role, and neither he nor his character have proven to be successful box office attractions independently. Additionally, the film’s major surprise, which involves Harrison Ford transforming into a giant and becoming enraged, was revealed through marketing beforehand.

Mackie is new to this big lead role, and we don’t know if he or his character can attract audiences on their own. Also, the movie’s big secret (Harrison Ford turning huge and getting angry) was shown in the promotions before it even came out.

To be honest, what movie could people possibly be requesting a sort of follow-up to The Incredible Hulk after all these fifteen years?

What does this mean for the MCU?

What does this imply for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)? Does the “super producer” Kevin Feige need to step away from his role, as suggested by Deadpool’s creator, Rob Liefeld?

The earnings and audience reception for Brave New World have been disappointing, and this seems to be part of a negative pattern. Except for Deadpool and Wolverine, it appears that the Marvel production’s ability to captivate audiences is waning.

On both large and small displays, it’s clear that “Agatha All Along” has been doing exceptionally well lately. It managed to secure a Golden Globe nomination and maintains high viewership ratings consistently.

Moving ahead, it seems crucial to maintain a level of discernment, and it appears Marvel has got that covered. They’re trimming their TV lineup, meaning we won’t see a second season of Secret Invasion – a piece of news I’m relieved about.

Additionally, there will be a significant emphasis on thrilling new installments within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), featuring classic groups like the Fantastic Four and X-Men, a development that looks promising.

The true trial, however, lies ahead with the forthcoming “Avengers” films such as “Doomsday” and “Secret Wars.” These were the periods of Marvel’s most significant triumphs in the past, and they could achieve similar success once more if they handle their strategies effectively.

After twenty years, Marvel must demonstrate their ability to reinvent their established universe into something fresh and compelling, capturing audiences not just due to brand loyalty or blind devotion, but also genuine interest. We’ll find out soon enough if they can pull it off.

Captain America: Brave New World is out now in cinemas.

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2025-02-27 16:20

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