Thunderbolts* cannot break at the box office; Is Marvel Studios recalibly recalibly?

Well, the numbers are for Marvel Thunderbolts*And they don’t have a nice appearance. Despite the strong reviews and be framed by the Disney CEO Bob Iger As a son of Marvel’s “excessive quality”, the film is now officially ready not to break the global box office.

He must be a great puncture for Marvel and Disney, and also raises a bigger question … Marvel Studios is finally recalibrating his playbook?

After Captain America: Brave New World Stumbled at the beginning of this year following a trial of rocky post-production (and of expensive finds), all eyes have turned to Thunderbolts* To stabilize the current Marvel trajectory.

Iger even called him the “first and best” example of Marvel’s refreshed attention, so the stakes was high. Six weeks later, however, the film has only obtained $ 371 million all over the world and to break in a tie, it had to hit $ 425 million.

To be honest, Marvel climbed things down here. According to Variety, the study was cautious in which it was: the cast was largely made up of characters of Black widow AND The hawk and the winter soldierBoth who have been released in that strange blur of the pandemic era of streaming and theatrical uncertainty.

The production budget was cut to $ 180 million and the marketing expenditure closed to $ 100 million, which was less than the usual Marvel success budget.

However, it wasn’t enough.

Employers’ analyst Jeff Bock He underlines the main number: “These lower level comics films are no longer crushed cinematographic. Thunderbolts* Even close after only one month in cinemas is a concern. These films are not challenging like previous iterations. “

This could be the most significant sign of where the effort of superheroes is landing more hard, on the characters who are not family names. Marvel dominated the Era of Infinity Saga with 19 of its 22 films that cross the global sign of $ 500 million. Now? Only 6 of the 13 voices of Saga Multiverse did the same. This is a serious drop-off.

So what awaits us? The article suggests a strategic pivot and it seems that Marvel has made it playing it with characters of Level B. The imminent slate of the study is stacked with heavy beats:

• The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 2026)

• Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man 4 (2026)

• Avengers: Secret Wars (2027)

• A mysterious film in July 2027

• In addition, the development continues on the sequel to X-Men and Black Panther

Meanwhile, solo projects such as Lama They are still blocked in the development of Purgatory.

As Variety says: “Marvel seems to embrace a go-big-or-gome mentality.” The global box office is no longer what it was. The saturation of the superhero is real. And the public presents itself for the icons, not for the surpluses of the ensemble.

I understand it, but at the same time, the Marvel film never needs to have a budget of $ 100 million! They could make a film on a smaller scale for much less than a profit.

Regardless of this, Marvel has built a car that is not only based on the box office numbers. Among the Disney+, Merchandise and Home Release markets, the study can resist some fires. But, unfortunately, this could frighten the wonder of experimenting with medium level teams and solo-cut solo racing could be exhausted.

I just think it can and I should still make those films, but with lower budgets. Furthermore, they must not connect with the largest universe. They can only be one stories.

The Multiverse saga still has large oscillations, but I imagine that things will change with the types of films they make and the characters they play with, and I am not enthusiastic about it.

What are your thoughts?