A new report confirmed what many expected, two flops by Marvel Studios in 2023 lost money for the company.
Gone are the days of everything Kevin Feige touching turning to gold. The MCU has been a mixed bag of fan reactions and audience reception since 2021. Phases 4 and 5 have offered high points like Spider-Man: No Way Home, but also lows like Eternals, Secret Invasion, or Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.
Unfortunately, this negative word of mouth and ill will among some fans has caught up with the once untouchable Marvel Studios.
2 MCU Movies Lost Money in 2023
A recent Bloomberg report confirmed that two Marvel Studios films in 2023 lost money: The Marvels and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.
This should not come as a surprise, as the box office can sometimes speak for itself.
The Marvels is the single worst theatrical performance in MCU history.
Not only did it earn a record-low $206.1 million at the global box office, but its reported budget ballooned up to $274.8 million (per The Numbers), making it the fourth most expensive film in MCU history.
While The Marvels‘ theatrical run was the most catastrophic in studio history, Quantumania got 2023 off to a surprisingly bumpy start.
Ant-Man 3 earned $476 million on a reported $200 million budget, but beyond the financial information, it broke some of the trust of diehard MCU fans.
The villain being set up as the lead antagonist of the Multiverse Saga, Kang the Conqueror, was defeated… by ants. Then, actor Jonathan Majors was arrested the month after the film’s release and has since been fired by Marvel.
It is safe to say Marvel Studios is looking to bounce back in 2024 with one new movie hitting theaters that will look to benefit from franchise nostalgia.
Will Deadpool and Wolverine Turn a Profit?
Deadpool & Wolverine, opening July 26 of this year, is on a path to right the wrongs of Marvel’s past.
“I am Marvel Jesus.” – Wade Wilson
While everything was not a disaster for the MCU in 2023, Loki Season 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 shined, it objectively hurt the brand.
The proof was in the pudding, Captain Marvel leading into Avengers: Endgame created another $1 billion earner, while The Marvels coming off of Quantumania and Secret Invasion caused many normal moviegoers to skip the trip.
Now, fans get to wait for the next Marvel blockbuster and there’s arguably no better project to release during a reset year than Deadpool 3 joining the MCU.
This is the first character whose film rights were previously owned by Fox to receive their own film from Marvel Studios.
The Deadpool franchise has already been an impressive success, earning a combined $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office.
Luckily, the R-rating is sticking to this franchise, led by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman is coming out of Wolverine retirement for the first time since 2017’s Logan.
The Direct previously predicted Deadpool & Wolverine to be the highest-earning movie (from any studio) in 2024, putting it firmly on track to earn Marvel and Disney a re-defining amount of money.
