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The reason(s) The Marvels flopped at the box office

By Michael Patterson

(L-R): Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, and Teyonah Parris as Captain Monica Rambeau in Marvel Studios' THE MARVELS. Photo by Laura Radford. © 2023 MARVEL.
(L-R): Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, and Teyonah Parris as Captain Monica Rambeau in Marvel Studios' THE MARVELS. Photo by Laura Radford. © 2023 MARVEL. /
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Loki, Loki season 2, Loki season 2 episode 6, Loki season finale release time
Tom Hiddleston as Loki in Marvel Studios’ LOKI, Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Gareth Gatrell. © 2023 MARVEL. /

Glorious competition

As someone who had to stay up late to watch the Loki finale and then get up early the next morning to see The Marvels, I am well-aware of the commitment that being a fan of the MCU requires. And the most committed fans did turn out (remember the movie still grossed over $110 million in its opening weekend). However, what about those who maybe didn’t feel the need to see another chapter of the MCU when they already had the Loki season 2 finale to enjoy this past weekend?

Loki is one of the most universally-adored characters in the MCU, and his Disney Plus series is the one that has received the most acclaim (outside of WandaVision), so it’s no surprise that the second season has been so successful. Its season finale premiered on Thursday evening (the same night as The Marvels‘ previews), so it would have been totally understandable if MCU fans opted to watch the God of Mischief’s newest adventure instead, especially as it may well be the series finale.

Loki had far more visibility than The Marvels over the past few weeks, with Marvel and Disney going hard on the promo train because they knew how successful the first season was. Thus, releasing the movie in the wake of its game-changing season finale maybe wasn’t the best idea.

We’re not blaming Loki itself for the movie’s underperformance, but it could have had quite the impact if fans were forced to choose. After all, given the character’s popularity, the fact that the show had been running for five weeks prior to this episode (and that it can be watched from the comfort of your own home), and the fact that it was the season finale, you couldn’t blame anyone if they ultimately chose to watch the show instead of venturing out to the movie theaters this weekend.

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