After the flop of ‘The Marvels,’ questions mount for Disney over MCU’s future

Walt Disney Co., whose latest superhero film “The Marvels” concluded last weekend as the lowest-grossing film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is closing out a year that has served as a rude awakening for the once-unshakeable Marvel brand. Those figures pale in comparison to the studio’s 2022 releases like “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “The Marvels’” 2019 predecessor, “Captain Marvel”. Most notably, “The Marvels” marketing efforts lacked the typical promotional blitz featuring the film’s stars Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and “Ms. “One of the downsides of the Disney+ series and releasing so much Marvel content around the calendar is that the theatrical experience has been somewhat de-emphasized, so you’re seeing that as audiences have somewhat been trained to expect blockbuster MCU content at home,” said Brandon Katz, an analyst with the data firm Parrot Analytics. The company has previously outlined a release schedule through 2025 for what is known as “Phase Five” of the MCU driven by films including “Deadpool 3,” “Captain America: Brave New World,” and “Fantastic Four.” Due to production delays caused by the strike, “Deadpool 3” is set to be the only Disney-released Marvel title planned for next year, though audiences will still see Marvel characters on screen via Sony Pictures’ “Madame Web,” “Kraven the Hunter,” and “Venom 3.” Other entries — like those featuring the villain Kang the Conqueror, who was previously touted by Marvel boss Kevin Feige as a key character for “Phase Five” — remain in limbo as star Jonathan Majors is currently on trial for misdemeanor assault.