Black Widow falls off a cliff at the box office

[Alben Barkley]

Is interest in Marvel/capesh**t finally dying out??? Will Hollywood start actually making new movies again???

Only time will tell, but for now at least it’s not looking too good for the post-“Endgame” Marvel. It’s doing worse than Space Jam! 😂😂😂

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/07/20/disney-marvel-black-widow/

Maybe it’s the model. Or maybe it’s Marvel.

Disney’s highly anticipated Marvel film “Black Widow” suffered a brutal blow at the box office this weekend, falling 67 percent compared to its opening weekend and dashing hopes at the company for a July hit.

Potentially even more worrisome for Disney is that the poor numbers may not have been solely the result of its decision to make the movie available simultaneously for $30 on Disney Plus: It could be that consumers don’t want to pay for Marvel content in the numbers they once did, no matter the venue.

If true, it would imperil the most lucrative movie universe of all time at precisely the post-pandemic moment movie theaters need it most and throw Marvel’s larger financial future into question along with it.

“I assumed this would be a bigger, more consistent hit,” said Josh Spiegel, a commentator and leading Disney expert. “If ‘Black Widow’ can only do what it did in its second weekend, there’s a part of me that says people may be a little tired of Marvel. That should make Disney worried.”

The underperformance is particularly concerning for Disney as it seeks to unleash a barrage of new movies in its so-called ”Phase 4” of storytelling in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU, as it’s known. (The third ended with the megahit “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019.) This September “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” — Marvel’s first film with an Asian lead — will kick off six new MCU movies through next July after 24 months without a new film. (The stretch will culminate with “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” without that series’ lead, the late Chadwick Boseman.)

A Disney spokeswoman declined to comment for this story.

The MCU is the most lucrative group of movies at the country’s largest entertainment conglomerate. Its nearly two dozen installments have grossed more than $8.5 billion at theaters in the United States and an additional $14 billion at theaters overseas, while also generating billions more digitally and in merchandising.

Starring Scarlett Johansson as the dark title character, “Black Widow” was supposed to slide right into that lucrative tradition. The film, which explores its protagonist’s backstory, has long been awaited by fans; its numerous pandemic postponements beginning in May 2020 amounted to a kind of de facto teaser campaign. The film finally came to theaters and Disney Plus’s Premier platform July 9.

But after a middling (for Marvel) start of $80 million in theaters, the film grossed just $26 million at the box office this past weekend, finishing in second place to LeBron James’ comedy “Space Jam: A New Legacy." Its second-weekend plunge, it turns out, is the biggest of any Disney-released Marvel film, which generally play well for weeks.

The film now stands with $132 million in U.S. receipts over 11 days of release and could wind up as the lowest-grossing Disney Marvel film ever. (Currently that distinction goes to "Captain America: The First Avenger,” with $177 million a decade ago.) Most Marvel films exceed $300 million domestic, and many have surpassed $400 million.

“Black Widow” has not fared much better overseas, where it has yet to be given a release slot in China and has struggled in some countries. All told, the film has so far grossed $263 million worldwide, way off the pace set by many of Marvel’s billion-dollar releases.

While some might chalk up the results to covid-related consumer nervousness about theatrical moviegoing, experts note that does not explain the relatively low numbers in Disney Plus sales. Disney said the film took in $60 million in ”consumer spend globally” the first weekend, referring to Disney Plus purchases, and did not report second-weekend sales. Figures of that size won’t make up the theatrical shortfall.

[MasterJedi]

Meanwhile Loki is critically acclaimed, record views and acclaim, you're not winning this.

This post is also a reason why so many really smart people are socially isolated, shh, let people enjoy things.

[John Dule]

No, admit it Alben. You just hate women. That's the only reason one could have for not seeing Marvel's Disney's Black Widow: A Marvel's The Avengers Story in theaters opening week.

[Alben Barkley]

Meanwhile Loki is critically acclaimed, record views and acclaim, you're not winning this.

This post is also a reason why so many really smart people are socially isolated, shh, let people enjoy things.

Winning what? I wasn't aware I was in a competition. I simply posted an article about how this movie is massively underperforming expectations.

Hell, I don't care if their TV series do well on streaming, I just am tired of the same 4 movies being remade over and over again. It would be one thing if there were still a lot of other types of big movies being made like in say the 90s. But these comic book things seem to be taking all the budgets in recent years. Pretty much all we have left now as far as big budget movies that aren't superhero/franchise/reboots is Tarantino, and he says he's retiring soon. So basically it's down to obscure indie movies (which usually don't get a wide release so you're stuck watching them on streaming rather than theaters, and most aren't that great), Oscar bait (which has been mostly trash lately too), and superhero movies. Also live action remakes of every Disney animated classic and everything ever made in the 1980s. It's beyond stale. Again, no problem just "letting people enjoy things." But they seem to be taking the place of things I enjoy which sucks. All I'm saying is that I would welcome a change because this s--t has worn itself out, and I'm hopeful others feel the same way.

Also thank you for the compliment but LOL I'm not socially isolated.

[Illiniwek]

Loki is freaking fantastic. I think the MCU still has some magic left in it.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Loki was certainly the best season of Doctor Who I had seen in a long time. The creators' decision to feature a reformed version of The Master as its anti-hero main protagonist certainly brought fresh air to the franchise.

Black Window on the other hand was indeed was just meh... as the critics have so aptly pointed out, Florence Pugh's performance was pure gold, but she alone wasn't able to salvage that trainwreck. Personally, I thought that David Harbour's character was the most annoying and most embarassing aspect about it. What a waste of an otherwise fine actor. The movie was for the most part watchable until he reappeared in that prison break sequence.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Venom and Spiderman and Chris Hemsworth last Horrah as Thor as Jane is expected to become Ms Thor just there is gonna be a She Hulk

That's why Thor isnt in Loki after Thor 4 there isn't gonna be anymore Chris Hemsworth only Jane

Chris Hemsworth is moving to other stuff

This is MCU Phase 4, 3 is over

[Ferguson97]

I mean, there's kind of been a pandemic. Many people aren't comfortable going to movie theaters yet.

[Crumpets]

Ironically this was one of the only Marvel movies that looked like something I might want to see but

I mean, there's kind of been a pandemic. Many people aren't comfortable going to movie theaters yet.

and even if I'm vaccinated and comfortable going out, movies are kind of a social thing and I don't know many people in a "Let's all go to the movies" mood right now.

[Benjamin Frank]

This is pretty normal for box office returns.  It's a bit more of a drop off than pre-pandemic, but I suspect a large part of that is that the movie premiered on streaming services at the same time, providing more people a chance to see the film right away.

[Samof94]

This is pretty normal for box office returns.  It's a bit more of a drop off than pre-pandemic, but I suspect a large part of that is that the movie premiered on streaming services at the same time, providing more people a chance to see the film right away.

Exactly.

[Samof94]

Meanwhile Loki is critically acclaimed, record views and acclaim, you're not winning this.

This post is also a reason why so many really smart people are socially isolated, shh, let people enjoy things.

I love alligator Loki.

[AGA]

Didn't even know this movie was out.

[THG]

Didn't even know this movie was out.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I saw it, but more to support the theater (which I adore, and the last movie I saw there prior to this was The Rise of Skywalker, ack, glad that's no longer the case!), than of a desire to see it. I thought it was to borrow a phrase "good but not great" and not something I'll likely remember in a year. I'm not one of those MCU fans either for the most part, in fact I haven't even seen an Avengers movie after the first one, but this mostly functions as a standalone, (it's actually a prequel to the later Avengers movies) so that's not really a problem. Probably the best thing about it by the way is Rachel Weisz, not only is she still absolutely stunning at 51, she was actually believable as the ~30 year old mother of the two young girls in the flashback intro, (aka younger than Scarlet Johannsson and presumably the character in most of the movie), and she gave a very strong performance, probably one more than this type of movie needed. Weakest point had to be the villain, he was so boring and one-dimensional, even not as a big MCU guy I'll admit most of its movies have had VERY strong villains, this guy just can't hold a candle to them.

Which I think explains it, I think most of the people going were in the same boat as me, or MCU fanboys/girls who had to see the latest installment.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

I am not going back to movies until fall for Venom and Spiderman some of these films like Suicide Squad can wait for Netflix