The Biggest Box Office Flop of 2023: A Film with $237 Million in Losses

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is losing momentum but rest assured: it still brings in a lot of money

If you follow the news of cinema and series, you are not without knowing that between July and November 2023 there was a major strike movement in Hollywood. Actors and screenwriters wanted to review agreements which, according to them, were no longer at all in line with market reality. What about revenues from broadcasts on platforms, what about the use of artificial intelligence or salaries in an inflationary context? Many films have been paused or canceled, with unionization imposing a total stoppage of members' work in the event of a movement.

However, many films were ready and released throughout the year. Marketing campaigns have sometimes been limited, but nothing could stop Barbie, Oppenheimer, Super Mario Bros. The Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 or Fast X and Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse to be successes. On the other hand, the toll is heavy for one of the MCU films. Launched in 2021 and following the Infinity Saga concluded by Avengers: Endgame, the Multiverse Saga struggles to generate the same enthusiasm. We are obviously still looking at very large figures that would make any production studio pale, but the trend is there: only one film from the new saga has passed the billion dollar mark generated at the box office. It is Spider-Man: No Way Home, driven by the popularity of the character.

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The Marvels: a colossal failure that Deadpool 3 will have to compensate for

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness came close to $1 billion with $955 million in revenue, but Black Panther Wakanda Forever, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Thor: Love & Thunder, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The Eternals and Black Widow are all pretty far from it. cThe explanations are multiple, ranging from the consequences of the pandemic to the wear and tear of the public, through the use of less popular characters and the multiplication of linked series. Anyway, theThe Marvel Cinematic Universe is less profitable, without collapsing. On the other hand, it is a film which worries much more, and which is quite simply the feature film which has generated the most losses. This film is The Marvelsdirected by Nia DaCosta known for her work on Candyman.

According to data published by Deadline, the film released in November recorded a net loss of $237 million, stagnating at $218 million generated for $455 million spent. Fortunately, Disney and Marvel should be able to count on Deadpool and Wolverine, expected in theaters on July 24. Direct sequel to Captain Marvel, which had passed the billion mark, The Marvels would have encountered the problem of series and lack of promotion. Miss Marvel did not perform as it should have, and the strike only ended a few days before the film's release. On the critical side, The Marvels only got a 62% on Rotten Tomatoes. On the other hand, it benefits from a score of 82% from the public. In terms of failures, The Marvels is followed by The Flash (-155 million), Indiana Jones and the Clock of Destiny (-143 million) and Wish (-131 million).