Has MCU fallen from fan grace?

Box office setbacks, shifting audience habits expose a struggling franchise

For over a decade, the Marvel Cinematic Universe defined the global box office with an almost uninterrupted run of commercial triumphs, yet the numbers emerging in 2025 paint a sharply different picture for a franchise once treated as Hollywood's most reliable powerhouse.

According to Slash Film, the MCU's troubles became more visible when 'Zootopia 2' posted a massive $559.5 million global opening over Thanksgiving, instantly pushing 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps', with $521.8 million, out of the year's worldwide top-10 list.

James Gunn's 'Superman', earning $616.6 million, has become the only superhero title to secure a position among 2025's highest-grossing films, signalling the continued erosion of Marvel Studios' once dominant presence in the global rankings.

Setting aside 2020, when 'The New Mutants' released during the pandemic to $49.1 million, this is the first year since 2011 that Marvel has not placed a single film in the worldwide top-10, underscoring a dramatic shift.

In 2011, only 'Thor' and 'Captain America: The First Avenger' reached cinemas as the studio prepared for 'The Avengers', which arrived in 2012 as a record-breaking $1.51 billion hit that pushed Marvel into unprecedented commercial territory.

From that moment, the MCU appeared unstoppable, with studio chief Kevin Feige maintaining a reputation for delivering interconnected storytelling that consistently translated into massive box office returns across multiple character arcs.

Yet recent years have shown clear signs of fatigue. In 2019, Disney crossed $10 billion globally for the first time, driven heavily by MCU successes like 'Avengers: Endgame', 'Captain Marvel' and 'Spider-Man: Far From Home'.

Even during the uncertain landscape of 2021, 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' reached $432.2 million when few films performed strongly, while 'Black Widow' suffered from its simultaneous streaming release, affecting its overall revenue.

The year ended with 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' reaching $1.9 billion, leading some to believe the franchise had bounced back, though that film functioned as an exceptional event uniting multiple generations of fans.

Despite that brief resurgence, audience habits were shifting, and the brand power of the Marvel logo was no longer enough to guarantee that every release would be treated as an essential theatrical outing.

The last undisputedly dominant MCU year was 2022, when 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness', 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' and 'Thor: Love and Thunder' all finished inside the global top-10, though quality concerns lingered.

While these titles drew significant earnings, some of them were criticised when compared with their own earlier instalments, particularly 'Thor: Love and Thunder', which struggled to match the acclaim of 'Thor: Ragnarok'.

Complicating matters was the studio's simultaneous push into Disney+ series, including 'WandaVision' and 'Loki', which expanded storytelling but also overwhelmed audiences with a sense of required viewing across multiple formats.

The original promise of interconnection became a burden as casual viewers felt the narrative web demanded too much commitment, leading many to selectively engage rather than follow everything labelled as MCU.

By 2023, these structural weaknesses were more evident. 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' performed strongly at $845.5 million, although it benefitted from being a trilogy conclusion with an established fanbase.

In stark contrast, 'The Marvels' became the lowest-grossing MCU film at $206.1 million, a collapse that made earlier underperformers like 'Eternals' appear more successful when examined in hindsight.

'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' also underachieved with $476 million, contributing to a pattern of audience disengagement that reflected worsening sentiment around the franchise's creative direction.

The studio enjoyed a major hit in 2024 with 'Deadpool & Wolverine' earning $1.3 billion, setting a record for an R-rated film, though this too leaned heavily on nostalgia and long-established character appeal.

Crucially, the MCU has failed to launch any new major franchise since 'Endgame'. 'Shang-Chi' awaits a sequel, while 'Eternals' effectively stalled, leaving the studio increasingly dependent on older characters and returning stars.

This dependence is reflected in the return of Robert Downey Jr, who will portray Doctor Doom in 'Avengers: Doomsday', an attempt to recapture earlier excitement as the Multiverse Saga moves toward its 2027 conclusion.

However, the ongoing saga has struggled to maintain momentum. In 2025, both 'Captain America: Brave New World' and 'Thunderbolts' fell short of financial expectations, earning $415.1 million and $382.4 million respectively.

Notably, 'Thunderbolts' received strong reviews, suggesting positive reception is no longer enough to guarantee the enormous turnout Marvel films once commanded at cinemas around the world.

The cumulative picture across the pandemic era and its aftermath shows an undeniable decline, with Marvel's commanding position eroded by changing audience habits, franchise fatigue and intensifying competition from other studios.

Industry observers now question whether Marvel Studios can rebuild its global status or whether its peak already lies firmly in the past, as audiences gravitate toward releases perceived as genuine cinematic events rather than brand-led offerings.

The coming years will test whether the studio can adapt its creative strategy, restore its appeal and re-establish confidence before the Multiverse Saga reaches its endpoint with 'Avengers: Secret Wars' in 2027.

For now, attention will return to 'Avengers: Doomsday', scheduled to arrive in cinemas on December 18, 2026, offering Marvel another chance to measure whether its capacity to command global attention can still be revived.