A new report is putting Marvel Studios under the spotlight, saying the once-dominant MCU has lost its box office edge as DC looks to rebound under James Gunn and Matt Reeves.
Marvel’s Decline
According to Variety, Marvel released three films this year that all underperformed compared to their predecessors, with each one barely eking out a profit. That’s before marketing costs are even factored in.
Kevin Feige’s 2025 MCU bombs include Captain America: Brave New World ($415.1M), Thunderbolts ($382.4M), and The Fantastic Four: First Steps ($515.8M).
Not as much demand
One agent told the outlet that while joining the MCU is still “a crazy, life-changing opportunity,” the demand isn’t what it used to be: “I don’t have as many clients asking to do one as they were five years ago.”
Marvel has since cut back its output in an effort to steady the ship. The two upcoming Avengers films are being described as “bulletproof” by an industry exec, but standalone projects are now seen as weak spots.
As one executive put it: “The standalone movies are in trouble, because you feel like you can miss it now.”
The MCU Is No Longer a Guarantee
The larger takeaway is that Marvel movies no longer guarantee box office dominance.
“Any movie could be huge, but nothing is close to a guarantee,” one director told the site.
With budgets continuing to climb, recent underperformers like Thunderbolts, Captain America: Brave New World, and Fantastic Four: First Steps highlight the new reality — Disney can’t count on the MCU to print money anymore.
Rise of DC
Regarding DC, the report points to Superman and Batman as being the standouts.
“Gunn did the most important thing: The first movie he made was really good,” said one communications exec. “If Batman and Superman are humming at the same time, there’s no limit to what they could do.”
However, another exec added they’re not sold on Gunn’s next two films, but say at least it’s a step in the next direction.
“I wish ‘Supergirl’ and ‘Clayface’ weren’t the next ones,” said another exec. “But it’s a pretty confident first step.”
DC vs Marvel
Gunn also has Man of Tomorrow going into production early next year for a July 2027 release.
Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II hits October 2027.
Supergirl on June 26, 2026, and Clayface on September 11, 2026.
Marvel? The MCU is on hiatus until Avengers: Doomsday, out December 2026, followed a year later by Secret Wars. Sony also has Spider-Man: Brand New Day coming out July 2026.
