Projections suggest grounded opening for "The Marvels" compared to MCU predecessors

"The Marvels" is poised for takeoff at the box office, but its ascent is projected to be more grounded compared to its predecessor, "Captain Marvel," and other Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) blockbusters.

The latest MCU venture has amassed $6.6 million in previews. Projections for "The Marvels" suggest an opening weekend haul between $60 million and $65 million. However, this figure is notably lower than Brie Larson's inaugural MCU film as Captain Marvel, which debuted at $153 million in 2019, following $20.7 million in Thursday previews. The success of "Captain Marvel" was boosted by its release between "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame" and being the first female-led MCU film, ultimately crossing the $1 billion mark.

The sequel to "Captain Marvel" is also expected to fall short of this year's previous MCU releases, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," which opened at $104 million and $118 million, respectively, including $17.5 million each in Thursday previews.


Among MCU films, only 2008's "Incredible Hulk" ($55.4 million) and 2015's "Ant-Man" ($57.2 million), without adjusting for inflation, had smaller opening weekends than projected for "The Marvels." This poses potential challenges for the film, which incurred a production cost of $220 million and an estimated $100 million for promotion. The global start is anticipated to be around $140 million, with an estimated $80 million from the international box office.

Starring Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani, "The Marvels" unites the trio of female leads in a battle against the formidable villain Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), who possesses the ability to manipulate the fabric of space and time. Parris and Vellani make their big-screen debuts as Monica Rambeau and Ms. Marvel, reprising roles from Disney+ shows "WandaVision" and "Ms. Marvel."