Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t seem to get off to a great start, and the box office proved it. Second part Shazam!, DC, and how he wants his universe to develop in theaters, and moreover, without work at the box office. so much so that There is already talk of a certain amount of superhero fatigue on a regular basis. in film and television. But maybe the question is, can movies, theaters and studios afford it?
After almost two decades of virtually uninterrupted leadership in the box office of superhero films, It seems incredible that the public is not tired of certain trails and plots, which is inevitable that they have nothing in common. And yet, when it seems that in the latest films, everything is not so. Something that has already led to the disappearance of proper names, such as Victoria Alonso, one of Kevin Feige’s closest hands.
Ceiling marked in Marvel saga of infinity He found no relief in phase 5, which opened up too many sites.. Characters who are no longer associated with rookie fans who have crossed over from the comics to the screen and who already belong to their own generation of cinematic superheroes.
Added to this is the turn in demand caused by television series. But despite this, superhero movies remain hugely profitable.
superhero gold
The chart below shows superhero movies from Marvel And COLUMBIA REGION released since 2021 and its position in relation to all films of the genre. The ups and downs are clearly visible. The winner is Spiderman: No Way Homewith a big difference. And the last really good film released by the House of Ideas.
Leaving aside black Widow And suicide squad which were still very marked by the pandemic and restrictions in theaters, according to Marvel Studios, the lowest-grossing film at the box office was Eternal. On behalf of DC Studios Black Adamboth are about 400 million.
The average budget for these productions is between $150 and $200 million. Add to that another $100 million to $150 million in advertising. In total, the amount can vary from 300 to 350 million dollars. However, either of the two worst films on the list turned out to be profitable.
Everything, in a context where it's getting harder to make a profitable blockbuster through theaters and where changing habits in recent years due to the pandemic have seen mid-budget titles become less and less visible. A panorama that makes these films indisputable to the studios, despite criticism not only from academics, but also from critics themselves. fandom.
Is superhero fatigue caused more by quantity than quality in Marvel and DC products?
After 2019, when the stories of some of the most famous superheroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ended, the studio sought to restore its film dynastyintroducing many new and diverse characters, launching more projects than ever before, and expanding into Disney+ as an era streaming.
Since the start of Phase 4 in 2021, there has only been one film -Spiderman: No Way Homeexceeded $1 billion at the worldwide box office. By comparison, six films have surpassed that mark in Phase 3. EternalAccording to the aggregator, Phase 4 has the lowest score of any Marvel Cinematic Universe project from critics. rotten tomatoes. 47%, hardly. A clear sign that superhero fatigue is starting to rise.
Phase 4 has been criticized by some for being rambling and unfocused.. For releasing too much content in a short period of time and for inconsistent quality from project to project. Poor box office performance and disappointing reviews led to more and more talk about the film. superhero fatigue. The idea that the public is tired of this type of movies and series.
Despite this, it is becoming clear that achieving such profitability is becoming increasingly difficult: Shazam!: Wrath of the Gods it grossed just over $30 million at the US box office. The movie that should bring Warner Bros. over $200 million to break even fell short of $53.5 million. A figure that its 2019 prequel easily achieved in its opening weekend.
To see it from Marvel's side, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantum Mania it received mostly negative reviews and has a current worldwide gross of just over $463 million. In other words, the film has yet to beat the box office in ant-man 2015 ($519 million) and Ant-Man and the Wasp 2018 ($622 million).
Even quantum mania ultimately surpassing its 2015 predecessor at the box office., the film's performance will likely continue to be a disappointment to Marvel and studio fans alike. After all, unlike the first two Ant-Man films, the third installment of the sub-franchise was positioned as a great entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and not to be missed. But that it was a total disappointment, whether superhero fatigue existed or not.
In perspective, Phase 4 films grossed an average of $371 million from seven films at the US box office.. By comparison, Phase 2 grossed an average of $308 million across six films.
It's also important to look at it from this perspective: the three Phase 4 films areSpiderman: No Way Home, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever And Doctor Strange in the multiverse of madnessare among the top 10 highest-grossing films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A future like Star Wars fatigue?
But despite the ongoing The financial success of Marvel Studios, there's no denying that there's been a cultural shift when it comes to these projects.. No traction as it was on saga of infinity, but it's still a safe enough card for studios to keep releasing movies and keep audiences going to theaters. Especially knowing that they will find a product that will keep them entertained.
Movies about superheroes in many cases family and friends plans that don't fail. Perhaps they are no longer remembered, but they have become a tradition. The challenge is to know how long it will last.
Nothing in modern culture is permanent. No matter how brilliant the creators are, how great the stories are, or how passionate fandom: All intellectual property goes through periods of ups and downs. Even star Wars It's already happened to him, so don't assume that superheroes, successful comic book characters who have sunk into oblivion for decades before being rescued by movies, can do the same to them.
But for now, looking at it in terms of cold numbers and economics, it seems like we're still a long way from superhero fatigue big enough to destroy what is already the biggest movie product of our era.
Source: Hiper Textual
