2025 was a bit of a disappointing year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps were praised by fans and critics alike, that positive reception didn't translate into a big box office success. For the first time in over a decade, a Marvel Studios project wasn't present in the top ten highest-earning films of the year. To add insult to injury, Captain America: Brave New World was released to a mixed reception, with fans agreeing it is the weakest entry in the Captain America saga. Fortunately, things might finally start to turn around for the superhero giant.
2026 is a big year for the MCU. Avengers: Doomsday is set to bring together the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts, and Earth's Mightiest Heroes for the first time in cinematic history. Furthermore, Tom Holland's Spider-Man will make his first big screen appearance in nearly half a decade courtesy of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. But the cherry on top? Marvel kicked off the year with a big success in the streaming world, and it's one nobody suspected.
Captain America: Brave New World finds success in Google TV and Disney+
According to FlixPatrol, Captain America: Brave New World is the tenth most popular movie on Google TV and the thirteenth most popular film on Disney+ for 2025, which isn't really a surprise. After all, Cap's latest adventure was viewed for a combined total of 750 million minutes in its first week on Disney+ alone, quickly becoming the number one movie on the platform.
The jury is still out on whether Captain America: Brave New World was profitable for Marvel during its theatrical run. The movie earned $415 million at the worldwide box office on a reported budget of $180 million, which would seem like a decent success at first sight. However, when taking into account marketing expenses and reshoots, the budget could have inflated all the way to $425 million. If that were the case, then Cap's latest project didn't cross its breakeven point. That's why it was important for it to become a streaming success.
See, box office results aren't the only measure of success for a movie. After all, studios also profit from the film's merchandise and the number of times it is streamed. With that in mind, Captain America: Brave New World could've eventually proven to be a moderate win in Marvel's eyes, even if it pales in comparison to the successes they used to have during the Infinity Saga.
The fact that Captain America: Brave New World likely didn't pass its breakeven point, but became a sensation on Google TV and Disney+, also raises a big problem with the current streaming model. Why would audiences go to a theater to watch a film that has mixed reviews when they can wait for it to be released on any of the many streaming platforms? This is why many are worried about Netflix acquiring Warner Bros and potentially reducing the period of time movies spend in theaters.
Hopefully, the MCU will make a bit of a resurgence in 2026. Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday are the only two films set to release this year, and they will both shine the spotlight on Marvel's most popular heroes. Unless they receive extremely negative reviews, chances are they will both become commercial successes. Better yet, they could reignite fans' love for the MCU after a streak of disappointing projects. Needless to say, there's a lot riding on these two movies, and we can't wait to see how it all pans out.
Captain America: Brave New World is now streaming on Disney+.