The Marvels has officially become the lowest-grossing movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with a worldwide box office gross of around $205 million, marking a disappointing end to its theatrical run. This places it in a similar bracket as DC’s Birds of Prey, which despite being considered a financial disappointment, managed to recoup more than double its budget.
Despite receiving somewhat positive word-of-mouth and a review score of 8 from us, The Marvels failed to gain momentum after a challenging start in November. Described as ‘funny and heartfelt,’ the film struggled to overcome the obstacles faced by the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a year marked by difficulties in building momentum, particularly outside of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Amidst questions about the MCU’s overall direction, including the impact of the SAG-AFTRA strike and the Jonathan Majors trial, Disney faced challenges in surpassing the billion-dollar mark for the first time since 2019. The struggles of the MCU in 2023 have been a significant factor in this shortfall, as it failed to reach the same levels of success as previous years.
