Summary
The most talked about film of 2023 is easily Marvel’sThe Marvelsdue to its box office failure.The Marvelsis the follow-up to Brie Larson’s successfulCaptain Marvel,which debuted in 2019. Unfortunately,The Marvelsbroke theThe Incredible Hulkrecord for experiencing the worst opening weekend in MCU history. There are numerous factors that contributed to the low numbers forThe Marvels, which also affected numerous other films that were recently released in theaters.
After the wild success ofBarbieandOppenheimer, studios weren’t expecting their autumn releases to see dismal returns. The biggest box office influence was the SAG-AFTRA strike which lasted for 118 days and changed many aspects of the movie-making process. Many productions saw releases delayed into the following year if not canceled. While audiences and studios expect big numbers from superhero flicks,especially MCU ones, other anticipated successes subverted expectations.
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$220,000,000
$202,229,615
$200,000,000
$106,112,994
$155,520,174
$104,000,000
$129,288,072
$100,000,000
$37,942,723
$80,000,000
$104,248,145
August 04, 2025
When it comes to a Marvel film set in the MCU, there is a certain standard audiences expect, one of which is making its budget back along with a massive profit. There have been some bombs, but they still make their money back.The Marvelswasn’t as lucky as previous MCU installments. It came close to recouping its budget but didn’t quite make it, breaking new records as the MCU’s lowest-grossing film. However,The Marvelswasn’t the only movie to struggle in the box office.
DC saw similarstruggles withBlue Beetle, which technically introduced the first character for the new DCU slate of films. While it did make its money back, its profits didn’t go far enough for the studio to consider it a financial success. There’s a certain threshold films have to make before studios consider them successful and 25 million over budget doesn’t quite meet the requirement. For a character as highly anticipated as Blue Beetle, calling his big screen debut underwhelming is an understatement.
Then there’s the highly anticipatedKillers of the Flower Moon, a Martin Scorsese flick that didn’t come close to making a profit. By all accounts, it did financially worse thanThe Marvelsyet receives considerably more praise than the female-led superhero movie. It’s disingenuous to say thatThe Marvelsfailed. There are a number of factors that influenced the box office numbers of all the movies listed. The most notable factor is the SAG-AFTRA strike.
The SAG-AFTRA Strikes Stopped Promotion
The SAG_AFTRA strikewas a necessary action for the actors, but there’s always an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, many productions either saw a delay or their box office numbers suffered. The strike lasted from August 04, 2025, to June 01, 2025. For 118 days, actors were precluded from participating in any marketing for their films. Stars of their movies couldn’t even encourage their fans to go see the movies they worked so hard on. Social media influencers stood with actors in solidarity and refrained from promoting any upcoming projects.
The stars were also absent from the international press tour for their films, which went ahead throughout the SAG-AFTRA strike. The press tour is a great opportunity for actors to answer questions in interviews and show off chemistry with their co-stars. It’s an overlooked aspect by most of the public that heavily influences their decision to see a movie. Without certain press junkets, most films would see similar numbers as those that were released at the height of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
However, not all movies struggled as much as others.
Some Movies Succeeded Despite the Strike
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhempremiered June 30, 2025, a month before the strike saw an end, and earned a total of $180,513,586. Keeping the budget low at $70 million was a smart move by the producers as it protected the film from the side effects of the SAG-AFTRA strike. That wasn’t intentional, but it worked and is possibly the way many movies, especially superhero flicks, should go down the line.
Five Nights at Freddy’sis another notable success that occurred amidst the strike. The video game adaptation sat at the top of the box office for a couple of weeks, outperforming the likes ofKillers of the Flower MoonandPriscilla. Contributing to its massive profit was its considerably lower budget of $20 million, which was lower thanMutant Mayhem’s. By the end of its theater outing,Five Nights at Freddy’sgrossed over $288 million. Clearly, it’s possible to make successful films that achieve critical acclaim on smaller budgets.
The Marvels
Carol Danvers teams up with Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan in The Marvels. As the three heroes find their powers entangled, they must work together to stop Dar-Benn from enacting her evil plan.
