Spider-Man: Brand New Day helps pave the way for Marvel Studios to come back into the game in India

Mumbai: Marvel Studios has staged a strong comeback at the Indian box office with Spider-Man: Brand New Day becoming the country's highest-opening Hollywood film.

The movie collected Rs 60.60 crore on its first day and recorded an average occupancy of 72.3% across India, according to Sacnilk, marking a sharp resurgence for the studio after several recent releases received mixed and modest response.

"The extraordinary response to Spider-Man shows that Marvel Studios' resurgence has truly begun. The film's first-day collection is around 60-70% higher than that of the previous Spider-Man film. This makes it a major win for both Sony and Marvel in India," said Kamal Gianchandani, chief business planning & strategy, programming, PVR INOX.

In the past seven years, barring long-established and familiar characters such as Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and Thor, Marvel Studios' films featuring new characters from its cinematic universe have received a mixed or modest response in India. Films such as Eternals (2021) and The Marvels (2023) did not perform well, largely because of superhero fatigue among audiences and the swift introduction of new Marvel characters for which audiences were unprepared.

Among Marvel's characters, however, Spider-Man continues to be a dependable theatrical franchise for Sony Pictures.

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"The film's success reflects the enduring appeal of Peter Parker as a character and demonstrates that when audiences connect with a compelling story and a cinematic experience, they show up in huge numbers in theatres," said Shony Panjikaran, general manager and head, Sony Pictures Releasing International, India.

Producers pointed out that the frenzy for the Spider-Man franchise among Indian audiences can be gauged from the significant contribution of its dubbed versions to the film's total India collection. They also pointed out that the opening day collection show there is no superhero fatigue among Indian audiences.

‘This opening sends a strong message about Marvel's position in India. Audiences have not moved away from superhero cinema; they have simply become more selective,” said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder & director, Karmic Films. ‘Spider-Man today is a genuinely pan-India theatrical brand. Over 40% of its advance business comes from dubbed versions. When a globally loved character combines franchise equity, spectacle and true event value, Indian audiences continue to respond in extraordinary numbers. Brand New Day could well mark the beginning of fresh theatrical momentum for Marvel in India," added Wadhwa.

Another aspect that could serve as the foundation for a solid and successful second innings for Marvel Studios in India is the point at which the last Spider-Man film ended, distributors said.

"The ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home was not just a good ending for Peter Parker. It was a strategic reset that gave Marvel Studios enormous creative freedom and helped rebuild the Marvel Universe organically. Spider-Man is likely to provide Marvel Studios with fresh momentum and a breeding ground for new stories featuring familiar characters in India," said Shaaminder Malik, a film distributor and trade analyst.

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Film trade analysts estimate that the film will easily surpass the previous instalment's India collection. Spider-Man: No Way Home, the previous film in the franchise, collected Rs 218 crore in India.

"The Spider-Man success is not happening by chance. It is part of a carefully planned strategy by both Sony and the Marvel team, with a fresh approach focused on stronger storytelling and its most-loved characters. I think the film will surpass the last Spider-Man movie's collection," said Girish Johar, producer and film business expert.