The Marvels is looking like an absolute bomb at the box office and could easily become the lowest MCU opening of all time.
The news is a major wake-up call for Kevin Feige and Disney with their diverse approach to content which here is proven once again to be a big failure.
It’s not using diverse characters that is the problem, what is a problem is their approach when they go out of their way to exclude certain groups of people based on gender and race which negatively impacts the story.
Excludes male characters and most of the audience
If you have seen the first Captain Marvel and The Marvels, there is absolutely no doubt the movies go out of their way to exclude male characters.
The first Captain Marvel makes men look like drivel (I break it down here), and The Marvels barely features any men at all and the few that are in the movie come off as do-nothings and feminine.
The failure of the diverse approach is also witnessed by the star of the movie, Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan played by Iman Vellani, who is simply an unbelievable superhero and steals the spotlight from the other two actors and characters, with one particular actor an Oscar award winner.
Likewise, the villain, Dar-Benn played by Zawe Ashton, doesn’t come off the least bit intimidating, frightening, or powerful (read my review here).
So instead of making a comic book movie featuring strong superheroes of both genders, Captain Marvel and The Marvels go out of their way, simply put, to send a “message” and make men look like shit.
Well, as I said was going to happen over four years ago, Marvel’s diversity approach has destroyed the MCU.
Lowest MCU box office
Deadline is reporting The Marvels is likely to see the lowest MCU opening weekend at the box office. Estimates went from over $80 million just three weeks ago and are now down to $47M-$52M. Update: It’s on the lowest side: $47M.
The SAG strike is now over so that means actors can promote their various projects. In a last-ditch effort, Marvel Studios got Brie Larson on The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon, and Brie Larson made a surprise appearance at a NYC movie theater, but Deadline says the last-minute push has not moved the weekend grosses any higher.
Including the Thursday previews of $6.6 million – the lowest MCU Thursday when adjusted for inflation – The Marvels Friday box office is looking like $21.5M, a far cry from Captain Marvel‘s $61.7 million Friday, and $153.4M opening weekend.
Don’t blame fans this time
The critics have also rejected the flick as The Marvels has a 62% Rotten Tomatoes Score, the third lowest for an MCU movie.
While The Marvels happens to have an 85% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score, that’s only because the diehard MCU fans that go to see and like everything have gone to see the movie.
Captain Marvel audience, kids, families and women haven’t shown up
Something like 75% of the first Captain Marvel audience isn’t showing up, which according to Thursday previews, is kids, families — and women.
Yep, while male fans are getting harassed by Twitter users and blamed for The Marvels failure, they actually showed up. The woman did not which is probably due to most women not liking Brie Larson. Women also like to see strong men on screen, which this movie has none of.
You are going to hear all kinds of excuses as to why The Marvels is failing, it has nothing to do with superhero fatigue or that Marvel is stretched thin — it has everything to do with the fact it simply isn’t good. Agenda comes first, story second.
