‘THE MARVELS' Stumbles: MCU's Worst Opening Weekend Ever Recorded

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been a juggernaut in the film industry, but its most recent installment, "The Marvels," has faltered at the box office, marking the worst opening weekend in MCU history.

"The Marvels," the 33rd film in the franchise, generated an estimated $47 million domestically over its debut weekend, which is significantly lower than previous entries in the series. This disappointing result marks the lowest opening weekend box office for any MCU film to date, according to reports from multiple sources including The Guardian, CNBC, and the LA Times.

Despite topping the box office charts, the film's earnings were far below expectations. It opened to $63.3M overseas, culminating in a global total of $110.3M, which is 75% below the global opening for 2019's "Captain Marvel".

The reasons behind this unexpected downturn are varied. Some critics suggest that audience fatigue with superhero films may be setting in, while others point to competition from other big releases. Yet, it's worth noting that previous MCU films have managed to shine even amidst tough competition.

There is also speculation about whether the less familiar characters introduced in "The Marvels" failed to draw in as large an audience as previous films featuring well-known superheroes. Despite these challenges, the franchise has a robust lineup of future films and series that may potentially rebound from this setback.

This unexpected result raises questions about the future of the MCU and the broader superhero genre. As Slate puts it, "What happened?". It remains to be seen if this is a one-off incident or a harbinger of things to come for the MCU.

For now, "The Marvels" holds the dubious distinction of having the worst opening weekend in MCU history, a fact that will surely be analyzed and discussed in the months to come.