Summary
- Sometimes box office success doesn't reflect a movie's overall quality in the MCU, as popular films may not be the most profitable.
- The popularity of older and newer MCU movies can vary, and certain films may struggle to find an audience despite fan-favorite characters.
- Factors like superhero fatigue, timing of release, and lack of connection to the present world can affect the box office results of MCU movies, leading to varying levels of success.
With a huge fictional movie universe such as the MCU, it would be easy to think that each film turns out to be a hit. That's not quite the case. Pre-Endgame, no MCU movie failed to cover its budget (and bring in extra money), some of them weren't nearly as profitable as the audience could assume.
10 Highest-Grossing Superhero Movies, Ranked
Superhero movies have dominated the box office for years, providing audiences with engaging blockbusters that have made billions of dollars.
And this doesn't happen only with older MCU movies but also the newer ones. Interestingly enough, a movie's box office gross doesn't always reflect its overall quality. Sometimes it's just a question of bad circumstances. Whatever the cause, the least profitable MCU movies are still popular among many fans who like to return to them to this day.
Updated on March 3, 2025, by Jake Fillery: With the impending fate of the MCU residing on the talent that carries The Avengers: Doomsday (2026), it's time to look back at the MCU's ups and downs with some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's biggest flops and lowest-grossing movies, including its most recent entries to see if The Avengers have what it takes to beat their greatest villain: superhero fatigue.
25 The Marvels
Worldwide Gross: $206 Million
The Marvels
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- November 10, 2023
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 105 minutes
- Director
- Nia DaCosta
- Writers
- Megan McDonnell, Elissa Karasik, Nia DaCosta
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 61%
- MCU Release Order: 33rd movie
- Estimated Budget: $274.8 million
By far the lowest gross of an MCU movie, and the most recent, The Marvels failed to find an audience, and begs the question of whether or not the MCU is on its last legs. Despite the premise of the film featuring Carol Danvers, Mala Khan, and Monica Rambeau teaming up to save the universe with their powers, the movie just didn't impress at the box office, and definitely did not make back its budget, potentially providing the MCU with its first actual flop.
This could be thanks to superhero fatigue or fans' lack of interest in this trio of characters. The MCU has been struggling as of late to find its fanbase, as most of their most iconic characters have since been retired or killed after Avengers: Endgame. Considering the MCU's lowest gross just so happens to be years after their very best with Avengers: Endgame, it might have Marvel Studios worried, as it holds the title of the lowest-grossing Marvel movie.
24 The Incredible Hulk
Worldwide Gross: $264 Million
The Incredible Hulk
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- November 4, 1977
- Runtime
- 95 minutes
- Director
- Kenneth Johnson
- Writers
- Kenneth Johnson
- Studio(s)
- Marvel
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 67%
- MCU Release Order: 2nd movie
- Estimated Budget: $150 million
The Incredible Hulk is the one MCU movie many people forget actually belongs to the cinematic universe. If it wasn't for the presence of General Ross and a brief cameo from Tony Stark in the post-credit scene, it might have as well been a completely separate movie.
One of the reasons is that Edward Norton played Bruce Banner in the movie and Mark Ruffalo only later took on the role of Hulk for Avengers (2012). The movie cost an estimated $150 million and made only slightly more, which explains why there hasn't been another Hulk solo movie ever since.
23 Captain America: The First Avenger
Worldwide Gross: $370 Million
Captain America: The First Avenger
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- July 22, 2011
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 124 Minutes
- Director
- Joe Johnston
- Writers
- Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
- MCU Release Order: 5th movie
- Estimated Budget: $149 million
No matter what Marvel fans think about Steve Rogers and his often no-nonsense character, the MCU wouldn't be what it is without Captain America. Yet, box office considered, Captain America's first solo adventure also seems to be the weakest one.
Perhaps it's because it once again has very little connection to the present world as about 99 percent of it takes place during World War Two. It does help to provide the background of Steve Rogers, though, and it costs even less to make than other MCU movies, only $140 million.
22 Black Widow
Worldwide Gross: $379 Million
Black Widow
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- Release Date
- July 9, 2021
- Runtime
- 134 minutes
- Director
- Cate Shortland
- Writers
- Eric Pearson
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%
- MCU Release Order: 24th movie
- Estimated Budget: $288.5 million
Black Widow's box office gross is the ultimate proof that sometimes movies come at a bad time. Had it premiered a few years back, before the pandemic and Captain Marvel's release, it's likely it would have been much more profitable. However, the movie's release was badly timed. Some fans also felt that Natasha Romanoff deserved her solo movie much earlier, not after her death in the MCU.
Finally, Black Widow isn't even technically Natasha's solo movie as it gives a considerable amount of space to Yelena Belova who replaced Natasha in the MCU. All of these aspects influenced the fact that the movie made only $379 million with a $200 million budget, in part due to its release on Disney Plus and fans' lack of desire to get back to the movies straight away.
21 Eternals
Worldwide Gross: $402 Million
Eternals
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- November 5, 2021
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 156 minutes
- Director
- Chloé Zhao
- Writers
- Chloé Zhao, Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, Kaz Firpo
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 47%
- MCU Release Order: 26th movie
- Estimated Budget: $236.2 million
The Eternals did not break the established MCU records or reach the $1 billion threshold that many previous MCU movies crossed, even if it was one of their boldest movies from Chloe Zhao, and featured a new direction for the franchise since Avengers: Endgame.
Once again, it's probable the timing of its release negatively influenced the success of the movie. Another reason for Eternals not hitting even the half-a-million mark could be that the general audience doesn't know the heroes very well, unlike Spider-Man or other well-established characters.
20 Captain America: Brave New World
Worldwide Gross: $415 Million
Captain America: Brave New World
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- February 14, 2025
- Director
- Julius Onah
- Writers
- Dalan Musson, Malcolm Spellman
- Studio(s)
- Marvel Studios
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 48%
- MCU Release Order: 35th movie
- Estimated Budget: $180 million
Captain America: Brave New World is the fourth installment of the franchise, in which Chris Evans retires from Steve Rogers to hand the shield down to Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson. A new Captain America must battle new threats as the world is introduced to Adamantium and a nefarious plot to bring about the rage of the U.S. President as the Red Hulk.
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Captain America: Brave New World isn't a downright financial flop, but it's one of the lowest-rated MCU movies. While it avoids the cosmic side of the MCU and the Multiverse, it doesn't reach the political thriller heights of previous entries. Though it's a fun ride, the total box office proves that a movie can't ride to huge success based on characters alone.
19 Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
Worldwide Gross: $432 Million
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
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- Release Date
- September 3, 2021
- Runtime
- 132 minutes
- Director
- Destin Daniel Cretton
- Writers
- Dave Callaham
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
- MCU Release Order: 25th movie
- Estimated Budget: $150 million
2021 wasn't a good year for the MCU movies profit-wise. At least until Spider-Man: No Way Home came along and changed things. Shang-Chi got positive reviews from the many people who saw it, but a lot of the viewers were scared to go into cinemas because of the pandemic.
Unlike Spider-Man, Shang-Chi's lower box office gross can be also explained by the fact that Shang-Chi isn't as well-known, and he usually plays a supporting part in the comics.
18 Thor
Worldwide Gross: $449 Million
Thor
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end- Release Date
- April 21, 2011
- Runtime
- 114 minutes
- Director
- Kenneth Branagh
- Writers
- Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Don Payne, J. Michael Straczynski, Mark Protosevich, Stan Lee
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
- MCU Release Order: 4th movie
- Estimated Budget: $150 million
The first Thor solo movie is close to a Shakespearean drama, albeit one set in a fantasy world. It primarily focuses on the conflict between Thor, Loki, and their father Odin as well as Loki's attempt to get control over Asgard. The movie dipped a toe into the cosmic, and the confusing appearance of bleached eyebrows Chris Hemsworth.
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The movie's still captivating to this day thanks to the excellent acting performances, but it doesn't feel as connected to the rest of the MCU universe as it once was. Its $150 million budget earned a solid profit but other Thor movies did better at the box office.
17 Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania
Worldwide Gross: $476 Million
Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- February 17, 2023
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 125 minutes
- Director
- Peyton Reed
- Writers
- Jeff Loveness
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 46%
- MCU Release Order: 31st movie
- Estimated Budget: $200 million
After the box office results of the two previous Ant-Man (and Wasp) movies, probably nobody expected that the third installment would earn as much as the most profitable MCU movies. But Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania surprised even the most skeptical viewers - and not in a good way. The movie cost 200 million dollars to make and earned just $476 million, still enough to pay itself but not much more.
As for the cause of its lack of financial success, either the fans are getting tired of Ant-Man or the movie's story failed to captivate them as much as other MCU movies... Which, considering the MCU's overall quality, doesn't necessarily make Quantumania a bad movie, but the reliance on CGI and a lackluster overarching MCU villain like Kang just wasn't enough to fill seats.
16 Ant-Man
Worldwide Gross: $519 Million
Ant-Man
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- July 17, 2015
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 117 minutes
- Director
- Peyton Reed
- Writers
- Adam McKay, Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Paul Rudd
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%
- MCU Release Order: 12th movie
- Estimated Budget: $130 million
With only a $130 million budget, Ant-Man was profiled from the start as a smaller, more down-to-earth MCU movie. His box office gross fits the description. While the movie managed to entertain the audiences and introduced a very sympathetic hero, Paul Rudd's Scott Lang, the story's stakes were pretty low in comparison to other movies, yet it still works even for a re-watch.
Then again, not every MCU movie has to focus on saving the entire world or even the universe. Ant-Man would go on to play a more prominent part in the MCU because it was thanks to him that the Avengers were able to travel in time and reverse the snap.