January was a fairly calm month at the box office, even according to January standards, which are not particularly high. (In other words, unless you live in China where films like “Ne Zha 2” exploded and beat records, but I move away.) But as it is usual in the 2010s and beyond, Marvel Is there to save the day … Hopefully. “Captain America: Brave New World” arrives in theaters next weekend, and it is a lock to offer the first successful opening of 2025, that the theaters could well use. The question is: can it be a great success like a pre-countryic superhero film? Or does Marvel Studios roll the dice with this one?
The point of view of director Julius Onah on “Captain America” is currently considering an opening weekend in the range of $ 81 to $ 98 million. This is more or less in accordance with the previous monitoring numbers, which made the film take approximately $ 90 million, per The Hollywood Reporter. On the surface, this may seem disappointing, because we are used to Marvel Cinematic Universe entry eliminating easily $ 100 million. But it is not an arbitrary measure of success.
An opening more than $ 90 million would put it in the same stadium as “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” of 2014, which made $ 714 million worldwide after an opening of $ 95 million. In this case, we are probably talking about the most appreciated MCU film to date, so it is a high bar to respect. On the other hand, “Thor: The Dark World” of 2013 opened its doors to $ 85 million en route to world transport of $ 644 million. This film is considered to be among the worst of MCU, but it has always set up a very respectable figure.
Dancing around this national $ 90 million figure would put this film to success, because the MCU also tends to play very well abroad. “Winter Soldier” did more than 63% of its activities internationally. That said, we are no longer talking about 2014, and the age of superhero films having an alleged level of success is long behind us. This specifically raises many questions for this film.
Can Captain America be a success at the box office without Steve Rogers?
“Brave New World” sees Anthony Mackie returning as Sam Wilson. More Falcon, he took over Captain America’s coat. After meeting the newly elected president Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), Sam is caught in an international incident and had to discover the reason behind a nasty plot before the mysterious brain achieved their ultimate goal. The film also features Danny Ramirez (“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”), Shira Haas (“Bodies”), Carl Lumbly (“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”) and Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad”). Liv Tyler (Betty Ross) and Tim Blake Nelson (Samuel Sterns) also resume their roles of “The Incredible Hulk” in 2008.
Having Harrison Ford takes over in the MCU as Thunderbolt Ross for the late William Hurt looks like an asset for the film. How much does he add to the long-term results? Does the public care about Red Hulk, especially when it is Ford who plays him? It’s just the tip of the iceberg with the big questions that persist in the long -term success of this film.
Chris Evans played Captain America for almost a decade in the MCU before retiring from the role after “Avengers: Endgame”. Will the public be in Mackie in the role? This film also picks up an intrigue thread left by “Eternals”, one of the least profitable MCU films to date. Will the public care about it?
Beyond that, it is difficult to ignore a film like “The Marvels” which is struggling to erase $ 200 million worldwide in 2023. “Ant-Man and La Guêpe: Quantumania” also had an opening Massive before an epic collapse, ending with $ 463 million. Yes, “Deadpool & Wolverine” made more than $ 1.3 billion last year, and it is encouraging, but it was on the back of two beloved versions of well-known characters. This could be summed up at critical reception. If criticism and the public are on board, this film has a path to success. If word of mouth is rough? It could be a jumped ride, because it is not automatically a safe thing and to see in the minds of many medium moviegoers.
“Captain America: Brave New World” will be released in theaters on February 14, 2025.
