Captain America: Brave New World Tops Box Office but Struggles to Escape MCU’s Low Rankings

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The current situation for Julius Onah’s “Captain America: Brave New World” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t particularly stellar. Although it has held the top position at the domestic box office for three consecutive weeks, its earnings aren’t exactly record-breaking or exceptional. In truth, this blockbuster movie is still struggling to surpass expectations and move away from the bottom tier of the franchise’s history, suggesting that it may end up among the lower grossing Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

In this week’s top releases, Captain America 4 clashed with Alex Parkinson’s true-life drama, Last Breath. You can find the initial domestic box office figures for the Top 10 below. Let’s delve into the details together once you’ve had a look at the chart, and I’ll provide some analysis.

Captain America: Brave New World Remains In The Bottom Three Of The MCU Worldwide

Prior to its release, “Captain America: Brave New World” didn’t stir much excitement, receiving generally lukewarm responses from critics. Since then, the movie has struggled in other areas beyond maintaining the top spot on box office charts (which is more a reflection of its competition than its own merit). Firstly, it became one of the few MCU films to start with a seven-figure gross in North America, earning just $88.8 million in its opening three days. This was followed by a sharp 68% decrease in ticket sales over the weekend.

The progress of Captain America 4 hasn’t been favorable, and the recent box office earnings over the Friday-to-Sunday period aren’t bolstering its image. As reported by The Numbers, the movie featuring Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, and Giancarlo Esposito managed to earn only $15 million during the Oscars weekend. This brings the film’s domestic earnings to a total of $163.7 million so far.

For a film produced on a mid-range budget and originally created, delivering such a performance would indeed be impressive. However, we’re discussing the most renowned movie franchise ever, one that carried an estimated production cost of $180 million (as reported by The Hollywood Reporter). At present, the movie has grossed only $341.8 million globally, a figure that surpasses merely two other titles in its series: Nia DaCosta’s “The Marvels” ($199.7 million) and Louis Letterier’s “The Incredible Hulk” ($265.6 million). These films are coveted by any production, as they represent significant box office success within the storied legacy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

To surpass Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger ($269.8 million) in worldwide box office earnings for the franchise, the film needs to earn approximately $29 million more. This will help it outperform Cate Shortland’s Black Widow, which made $379.8 million at the box office (it’s important to note that Black Widow was also released on streaming platforms simultaneously).

Is there a chance it will do well? It’s not a certainty. Unlike this time last year when major films like Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two”, Mike Mitchell’s “Kung Fun Panda 4”, Adam Wingard’s “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”, and Gil Kenan’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” were due for release, the current situation is different. Now, the film’s success depends less on what other films are showing in cinemas and more on maintaining general audience interest. Those who were eager to watch “Captain America: Brave New World” prior to its release have likely already done so, and positive word of mouth isn’t drawing many people to theaters anymore.

Of course, people will keep watching its progress closely as it moves from theaters to online platforms and streaming services.

Last Breath Debuts In Second Place With A Soft Opening Weekend

In a nutshell, “Captain America: Brave New World” remained number one domestically as “Last Breath” failed to make a significant impact on cinema audiences. Based on the same-titled documentary and boasting a strong ensemble cast consisting of Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, and Cliff Curtis, the latest release garnered only $7.8 million in its initial three days across more than 3,000 cinemas.

Compared to Josh Ruben’s “Heart Eyes,” which garnered $8.3 million in its initial three days upon release in 2025, the drama “Last Breath” is showing promise with positive audience feedback, earning a “B+” grade from opening weekend CinemaScore surveys. However, it seems unlikely that “Last Breath” will see the same surge in attendance during its second weekend as the slasher film did due to Valentine’s Day. Despite this positive buzz, there doesn’t appear to be an overwhelming enthusiasm among viewers urging others to rush out and catch it while it’s still playing in theaters.

The Monkey Takes A Modest Drop In Its Second Weekend

In its second weekend, “The Monkey” by Osgood Perkins moved down to third place as “Captain America: Brave New World” continued to rake in large sums and “Last Breath” was released. Despite this shift, “The Monkey” is still earning money. Compared to its opening weekend, the ticket sales for this new Stephen King adaptation decreased by approximately 55 percent from $14 million to $6.4 million. To date, it has grossed $24.6 million domestically.

According to Vulture, the movie titled “The Monkey” had a production cost of between $10-11 million, which means its box office performance so far has been successful. However, it’s unlikely that the new film will achieve the same level of success as Osgood Perkins’ “Longlegs“, which earned over $126 million during its global run last year. Yet, given that this year will also feature at least two more King adaptations in cinemas – Mike Flanagan’s “The Life Of Chuck” starring Tom Hiddleston and Edgar Wright’s “The Running Man” starring Glen Powell – the new film is off to a good start.

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2025-03-02 23:38