In an unexpected turn of events, “The Marvels,” the highly anticipated Marvel film, has fallen short of expectations at the box office, prompting Disney to make the unprecedented decision to no longer report the film’s earnings.
Despite being touted as the next comic book tentpole, “The Marvels” struggled, earning only $80.7 million domestically and $197 million internationally. With a budget exceeding $270 million, the film now stands as the lowest-grossing entry in the Marvel franchise.
In response to the challenging box office performance, Disney issued a memo stating, “With The Marvels box office now winding down, we will stop weekend reporting of international/global grosses on this title.” This move, coming after just four weeks of theatrical run, is deemed unusual within the superhero franchise, as highlighted by Comicbook.
Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, acknowledged the film’s underwhelming performance during the NYT DealBook Summit 2023, attributing it to challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Iger mentioned, “The Marvels was shot during COVID, and there wasn’t enough supervision on set [from executives].”
“The Marvels” box office setback serves as a unique chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, raising questions about the impact of external factors on blockbuster productions and the strategies employed by studios to navigate unforeseen challenges.
