While theMCU’s box office results seem to be dwindling, Marvel’s upcoming projects promise to flip the trend soon. The MCU is a Hollywood behemoth, with more than $32.2 billion gathered in seventeen years, not counting TV profits. As of 2025,Avengers: Secret Wars,Avengers: Infinity War, andSpider-Man: No Way Homeremain in the top ten highest-grossing movies of all time.
AfterAvengers: Endgame’s resounding success, the MCU has struggled to reach the same heights throughout its second saga. Phases 4 and 5 faced several obstacles, from delays to recastings and significant changes in the studio’s plans.Unfortunately, not even critically acclaimed entries have been able to secure good results at the box office recently.
Marvel Studios’ Tried-And-True Tools Are No Longer Infallible
While disappointing, it’s easy to see why box office flops likeAnt-Man and the Wasp: QuantumaniaandThe Marvelsfailed to live up to expectations. Their main characters and concepts didn’t have the same pull as those of anAvengersor aSpider-Manmovie, and their execution didn’t help.QuantumaniaandThe Marvels' lack of connections to other MCU titles only added to their commercial failure.
However, Marvel’s most reliable formulae have also proved vulnerable. Team-ups and crossovers seemed to be a box office shortcut, yetThunderbolts*underperformed. Top-tier brand recognition and A-list talent also seemed to be infallible tools, yetThe Fantastic Four: First Steps' dramatic second-weekend drophas proved otherwise.Not even Marvel’s First Family has been able to bring the MCU’s box office back to its heyday.
Ten years ago, high-concept events likeCaptain America: Brave New World,Thunderbolts*, andThe Fantastic Four: First Stepshad the potential to cross the $1 billion mark. Now, asKevin Feige’s recent comments on the MCUsuggest, Marvel needs to adapt to its current landscape. Instead of focusing on raising the bar in scale and scope, Marvel may need to start minimizing risks.
The MCU’s Track Record Suggests Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars May Still Be Massive Hits Anyway
Following the disappointing performance of recent blockbusters likeThunderbolts*andThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel will likely take a new approach to its projects. However,before Marvel tests a new strategy,Avengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warsare bound to be box office hits by brand name alone. Both crossover events are the firstAvengersmovies since 2019’sAvengers: Endgame.
Avengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars' positive prospects are backed up by seasoned MCU directors, writers, and stars, many of whom participated in prior Marvel hits. Similar cinematic events likeSpider-Man: No Way HomeandDeadpool & Wolverinehave defied negative box office trends for the same reason. At least for now, the MCU seems shielded from commercial failure.
Marvel’s New Formula Will Likely Start Right After Secret Wars
As confirmed by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s upcomingX-Menreboot will have a full cast of brand-new actors, all on the younger side.Jake Schreier’sX-Menmovieand other Phase 7 titles might also have a lower budget and a considerably smaller scope.Besides helping each movie and show focus on quality, smaller budgets would also help miminize the impact of underperforming releases.
Smaller MCU projects also reduce the frequency of common production issues like reshoots, delays, numerous edits, and poor visual effects, many of which affected recent movies likeCaptain America: Brave New World. And fortunately for the franchise, theMCU’s new formula may launch right after must-watch cinematic events likeAvengers: Doomsday,Spider-Man: Brand New Day, andAvengers: Secret Wars.
