The upcoming Disney+ superhero film, The Marvels, is expected to make a strong opening at the box office, with estimates suggesting it will earn between $75 to $80 million.
The Marvels is the 33rd instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and serves as a sequel to the 2019 hit film Captain Marvel, which raked in $153.4 billion worldwide. The projections for the movie vary among research firms, with NRG placing it at $72 to $88 million, while The Quorum predicts $80 to $90 million.
What sets The Marvels apart is its focus on three female leads and its director, Nia DaCosta, who is not only the first Black woman to helm a Marvel Studios movie but also the youngest director of an MCU film. It’s worth noting that the last Marvel Studios film that didn’t open to at least $70 million was Ant-Man in 2015, which earned $57.2 million globally.
In fact, the majority of MCU movies, 25 out of the total, have opened to over $100 million domestically, with eight surpassing the $150 million mark. Exhibitors are under added pressure for The Marvels to perform well due to the recent cancellation of the release of Dune Part II because of the actors’ strike and the resulting prohibition on promotional activities.
The concern of superhero fatigue is also an ongoing issue, with DC experiencing the brunt of it, as seen through the underperformance of The Flash this summer. The film opened at only $55 million dollars domestically.
However, exceptions exist to this fatigue, such as Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which debuted at 106 million dollars domestically and grossed $845.6 million globally, just slightly behind the second film’s box office success.
In The Marvels, Brie Larson reprises her role as Captain Marvel alongside Iman Vellani, who has gained recognition for her role in the Disney+ series, Ms. Marvel, and Teyonah Parris, who portrays the adult version of Captain Marvel character Monica Rambeau.
The film’s plot revolves around the inconvenient connection between the heroes, where every time they use their powers, they swap locations with one another, as hinted in the season finale of Ms. Marvel last year. Additionally, Gary Lewis, Park Seo-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, and Saagar Shaikh also have roles in The Marvels.
