Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe officially dead? There hasn't been a single film or television project that has come out in the last two years that has been successful, and that includes ones that have done okay critically. Viewership has essentially fallen through the floor. Maybe it's superhero fatigue? Are people finally sick and tired of comic book films and shows?
Or is it something more sinister that is driving people away? There are a number of cultural commentators who have begun to refer to the MCU as the "M-She-U" due to Marvel Studios and Disney pushing female-led projects down people's throats -- including the most recent film "The Marvels." This content, they say, is alienating men.
And I think there's a whole lot of truth to that. Sure, people are no doubt feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of television shows and movies they now have to watch in order to follow the interconnected MCU universe, making burnout a real phenomenon lots of viewers are experiencing. But sprinkle all that wokeness, feminism, and annoying "girl power" on top of that and it's no wonder dudes, who make up the lion's share of individuals who consume Marvel products, are fleeing cinemas left and right.
The Hollywood Reporter just released a piece revealing that "The Marvels" has experienced the second-worst second-week box office drop in movie history. Let that sink in for a minute. A Marvel flick is flopping by historic proportions at the theater. When you look at the sheer amount of profit these films have brought in over the last decade, it's almost inconceivable that Marvel ever make a failure of this magnitude.
But what do the creatives behind this project expect when good storytelling takes a backseat to a political agenda? When you don't cater to the audience that pays your bills, you can't be shocked that your project failed.
According to THR, the movie, starring actress Brie Larson, saw a whopping 78 percent drop in box office earnings over the course of its second weekend. That's massive. It's normal for a film to experience a 50 to 60 percent drop over a second weekend, even if it's a good movie, mostly because the vast majority of folks go see big blockbusters on opening weekend. Successful films will slowly drop from there until they leave theaters. "The Marvels" is sinking faster than a lead turd.
The movie earned a total of $10.2 million for a two-week total of $65 million, which is insanely low for an MCU film. Things did not improve for the movie overseas, where it only brought in $19.5 million from a total of 52 markets to earn a weekend total of $96.3 million internationally and $161.3 million globally.
The real question is whether or not Marvel Studios and its parent company, Disney, are getting the message viewers are trying to send. We don't want to be preached to. Just tell good stories. Focus on developing good characters. Make us care again.
I mean, this is the studio that took a C-list hero like Iron Man and transformed him into a household name, a character everybody, well almost everybody, loves. And they didn't stop there. Good storytelling made Captain America more popular and a bigger box office draw than Superman, arguably the king of all superheroes.
I mean, it takes a special group of creatives to take a talking raccoon and tree and make audiences care about what happens to them.
Where are those guys and gals at now? We need them back in the writers' room and the director's chair.
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