Summary
- Unforeseen issues, including union strikes and audience fatigue, pose a significant threat to the success of The Marvels before its release.
- The inability of the movie's stars to promote the film due to the strikes limits publicity and may impact box office performance.
- Viewers' preference for big-name superheroes makes it challenging for side heroes like the ones in The Marvels to garner attention and interest from audiences.
Disney has been working hard to build up excitement for The Marvels, but unforeseen issues around the movie’s release might kill its momentum and leave it dead on arrival before it even reaches the box office. WandaVision ended with Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) having a secret meeting with a Skrull promising to reunite her with an old friend. The end of Ms. Marvel saw the titular character (Iman Vellani) mysteriously swapped with Captain Marvel (Brie Larson). These perfectly teased breadcrumbs were all leading to an epic adventure in which these characters would come together for an epic meeting of powers.
Then the Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) went on strike and where later joined by the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). This union of industry workers fighting for contract updates, pay increases, and fair treatment was long overdue. In the midst of all this righteous chaos, however, actors were no longer allowed to promote new projects. How can The Marvels attract viewers without relying on the foundation of publicity? There’s also the exposure big studios have faced regarding dodgy roll-outs and questionable filming methods. Plus, fans have become unusually overwhelmed with the sheer amount of TV shows and movies being released. If fans are reaching their limit, will The Marvels be the straw that breaks the franchise’s back?
The Marvels can't be promoted by its stars
Marketing is a key part of getting butts in seats to watch new movies. Barbie has enjoyed some of the best publicity money can (and can only hope to) buy. Likewise, Marvel has made a career out of relying on the actors in their projects to spread the word. While many viewers scorned Captain Marvel, the 2019 movie still made back its own budget six times over in the box office. A large part of that was cast members like Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Lashana Lynch making appearances. They went on late-night and daytime shows. They did press junkets where they answered silly questions and serious questions, and even played games.
TikTok videos dedicated to celebrating the unlikely friendship between Larson and Jackson got people talking. Meanwhile, Parris, Larson, Vellani, and director Nia DaCosta can’t make those same moves unless they want to be labeled as ‘scabs’. This would put them at risk of being rejected by the very unions so bravely fighting for their rights. On the one hand, it’s honorable. On the other hand, it puts The Marvels at risk of performing poorly at the box office – at least until word-of-mouth can pick up the slack.
Superhero fatigue is still running rampant
Aside from the politics of it all, fans are just plain running out of steam and The Marvels might pay the price. In 2008, Iron Man started the momentum that carried the MCU into the big leagues of franchise building. Marvel Studios would release one or two movies per year and all of them performed very well in the box office. Since 2016, though, the studio has been pumping out around three movies per year. Captain Marvel was released the same year as Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. That’s not even counting all the TV shows released on Disney+!
It’s been a lot and, quite honestly, not always of the highest quality. It doesn’t help that Secret Invasion flopped so hard that’s got even hardcore MCU fans questioning their loyalty to the brand. It’s one thing to put out a lot of content. But something pretty bad has to be going on if fans of the franchise are on the verge of getting sick of it. There’s a chance that DaCosta can use The Marvels to remind them of why they fell in love with the MCU in the first place. There’s also a chance of the movie being the wind that finally kills the already-dwindling spark.
General audiences only want the big names now
Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel came into their powers of light manipulation and superhuman strength – among others – in their self-titled projects. The Marvels promises to finally give Rambeau her time in the spotlight as she develops her own marvelous powers and officially becomes Photon. There’s only one problem: most viewers aren’t interested in the side heroes. Rotten Tomatoes has been victim to its share of user tampering over the years. Yet, it’s still a pretty accurate marker for what MCU projects get the most attention and highest ratings. One look reveals that movies led by big-league superheroes like Deadpool or Spider-Man get the most traction.
Unfortunately, this leaves little room for smaller heroes or their equally fascinating journeys. This could spell disaster for The Marvels, especially since the actors can’t promote their characters in a way that would spark interest. They can’t go on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and grab the audience’s attention with unexpected stories from behind-the-scenes. DaCosta can’t go on The Graham Norton Show to tell funny stories that show similarities between themselves and their characters. Their ability to bridge the widening gap between potential viewers and buying tickets to see the movie is suffering.
The Marvels doesn’t come out for another three months, and already its box office future feels like it’s in grave danger. Promotion is all but impossible. MCU fans are getting overwhelmed with the amount of TV shows and movies being produced in a short amount of time. Side heroes aren’t getting the love they deserve. The cards are stacked against The Marvels, and it almost seems pointless for it to come out at all. There’s even fear that fans need to catch up on too many other shows just to understand what’s going on in the upcoming movie. But the MCU still has a chance to turn the beat around.
Just because the odds aren’t in the movie’s favor doesn’t mean it can’t still succeed. Vellani has been able to share cute stories about her friendship with Larson and Parris. New merchandise is sneakily giving fans a peak into what they can expect from the plot. The interest is there and it’s building, just not as quickly as Marvel Studios might hope. DaCosta, in particular, has a great opportunity to introduce fresh storytelling into the MCU when the franchise needs it most. The result could either be a box office smash or a giant embarrassment – only time will tell.
The Marvels is scheduled to premiere in theaters on November 10, 2023.