Captain America Falls Hard While The Monkey Climbs High at Box Office!

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Regrettably, it was quite foreseeable that Julius Onah’s Captain America: Brave New World would have a significant drop in box office earnings this weekend. Even though the new Marvel Studios film had a decent start last week (though it didn’t reach nine-figure domestic sales), there were several indications of a substantial decline ahead. As expected, these signs are now evident in the numbers we’re seeing today.

Since 2021, it appears that Marvel Studios releases have been following a pattern that we’ve seen often, and unfortunately, Captain America: Brave New World experienced a significant decline in its domestic box office earnings this weekend. However, there’s good news for the industry as Osgood Perkins’ film adaptation of Stephen King’s short story, titled The Monkey, had a strong start at the box office. Here are the Top 10 results, and we’ll discuss the details afterwards.

Captain America: Brave New World Suffers A Big Fall Weekend-To-Weekend, But It Manages To Hold On To The Number One Spot

Initially, in its first three domestic days, the movie “Captain America: Brave New World” didn’t set any new records, but it managed to perform satisfactorily. Earning $88.8 million, it currently holds the title for the top debut of 2025. Despite not receiving rave reviews, people still chose to watch it (as I gave it a 2-star review in my TopMob “Captain America 4” analysis). However, the movie faced an unfortunate situation as success over the long term at the box office relies on positive buzz and word of mouth. Without this, a disappointing second weekend was unavoidable.

As a film enthusiast, I must admit that the poor second weekend performance of Captain America: Brave New World has proven to be a reality check. The movie saw a staggering 68% drop in ticket sales from Friday to Sunday, earning only an additional $28.2 million domestically over the last three days. This brings its total earnings in the U.S. and Canada up to $141.2 million so far. Clearly, this is not the outcome that Marvel Studios or the overall film industry was anticipating.

Quantumania,” it is comparable to the drops experienced by Taika Waititi’s “Thor: Love and Thunder” in 2022 and Cate Shortland’s “Black Widow” in 2021, although the latter had a simultaneous streaming release.

It seems clear enough what led to this situation. Despite the Marvel Cinematic Universe maintaining a dedicated fan base eager for new franchise releases, a movie title needs more than just being part of a popular series to draw in casual viewers. Unfortunately, the required hype was lacking, and that’s evident from the “B-” grade awarded by CinemaScore surveys to Captain America: Brave New World. Even though history shows audiences sometimes adore films that critics pan, this instance appears different, as suggested by the less than favorable review.

If word-of-mouth about the new film during its opening weekend wasn’t positive enough to entice people to watch it, interest in the movie has dwindled rapidly. Instead of rushing out to catch the movie in theaters, many are now considering waiting a few weeks to stream it online or on their Disney+ accounts. The lack of immediate excitement surrounding the film means fewer people are eager to discuss it as part of popular culture, and this lack of enthusiasm is reflected in disappointing box office earnings.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the production cost of “Captain America: Brave New World” was approximately $180 million (excluding promotional and advertising expenses). At this point, the film has earned only $120.2 million in the U.S., with international ticket sales bringing its total global earnings to $268.4 million. For a point of reference, Shawn Levy’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” managed to gross an impressive $824.1 million during the same timeframe when it was released last summer.

Instead of the intended kickoff Marvel Studios had planned for 2025, there’s an unexpected start. However, fans have two more Marvel films to look forward to in the upcoming months: Jake Schreier’s “Thunderbolts” (set for May 2) and Matt Shakman’s “Fantastic Four: First Steps” (planned for July 25). By summer’s end, there might be a complete turnaround in discussions about the Marvel Cinematic Universe compared to how they are currently.

The Monkey Takes Second Place With Plenty Of Buzz

Last summer, Osgood Perkins’ movie “Longlegs” was one of the most successful films of the season, earning $22.4 million in its first weekend alone. The filmmaker’s subsequent release didn’t quite match that level of success during its initial cinema run, but “The Monkey” has already sold enough tickets to be considered a success.

As a passionate cinephile, I’m thrilled to share that the latest Stephen King adaptation, one of at least five slated for release this year, has made quite an impact with its $10-11 million budget and a staggering domestic box office earnings of $14.2 million within just three days! This impressive start places it as the second best opening weekend for a Neon feature, with “Longlegs” still holding the record. This is undeniably a triumphant moment for the horror genre, hinting at its potential dominance in 2025.

The film’s blend of grisly scenes and humor has been generating buzz for weeks now, and as reviews began to surface in early February, anticipation grew. I’m eagerly waiting to see how this movie fares in the coming weeks based on audience reactions.

Looking forward to the upcoming weekend, a fresh wave of excitement will sweep through cinema halls as Alex Parkinson’s drama “Last Breath,” inspired by real events and featuring Woody Harrelson and Simu Liu, takes over the box office. Tune in to TopMob next Sunday for my report on how this film fares in the Top 10. Keep an eye out for my article, and in the meantime, start making plans for your future movie experiences with our 2025 Movie Release Calendar.

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2025-02-23 21:07