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

It was never going to match Captain Marvel’s success

Captain Marvel was a huge success story for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first ever female-led Marvel Studios movie, it ended up grossing over $1 billion at the box office – a resounding success for being such a milestone, especially as Carol Danvers wasn’t as well known as other Marvel heroes. It’s a phenomenal accomplishment and one that should have come earlier in the MCU if we’re being honest.

However, when we recount the film’s success, there is one small footnote that we often overlook. The movie was released between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame – both of which broke box office records and currently sit in the Top 10 highest-grossing movies ever made. It was also set up in the closing moments of Infinity War, which again drew a huge audience.

The MCU was at its peak when Captain Marvel was released, and the movie benefitted from a billion dollar launching pad in an Avengers movie. It was always destined for success. Unfortunately, that success made it impossible for The Marvels to follow in its footsteps.

Not only is audience excitement waning after a number of lacklustre projects, there were no major Avengers movies to launch promotion for the sequel. It was just there, fighting for its life at a very quiet time for the MCU and marketing in general.