MCU No Longer a Box Office Guarantee After 2025 Flops: DCU Rising

by

A fresh report shines a light on Marvel Studios, claiming that their box office dominance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has waned somewhat, while DC Comics is poised for a comeback with James Gunn and Matt Reeves at the helm.

Marvel’s Decline

Based on Variety’s report, Marvel launched three movies this year that didn’t perform as well financially as their previous versions. Each film managed to generate only minimal profits, and this was prior to accounting for advertising expenses.

According to Kevin Feige’s 2025 Marvel Cinematic Universe lineup, the anticipated films are “Captain America: A New World Order” (earning $415.1 million), “Thunderbolts” (with a revenue of $382.4 million), and “The Fantastic Four: Beginnings” (grossing $515.8 million).

In Kevin Feige’s 2025 Marvel Cinematic Universe schedule, the expected films are “Captain America: New World,” earning an estimated $415.1 million; “Thunderbolts,” projected to gross approximately $382.4 million; and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” anticipated to generate around $515.8 million.

Not as much demand

One source revealed to the media that although becoming part of the MCU remains an “extraordinary, transformative experience,” the interest isn’t at the same level it once was: “I’m not receiving as many requests from clients wanting to join the MCU as I did five years ago.

Marvel has reduced its production rate to stabilize their operations. Industry insiders refer to the upcoming Avengers movies as “unshakeable,” but standalone projects seem to be problematic areas for them now.

According to one executive, “Standalone films may be struggling due to the feeling that they’re not necessary to watch right away.

The MCU Is No Longer a Guarantee

The larger takeaway is that Marvel movies no longer guarantee box office dominance.

“Any movie could be huge, but nothing is close to a guarantee,” one director told the site.

As costs keep escalating, struggling titles such as “Thunderbolts,” “Captain America: Brave New World,” and “Fantastic Four: First Steps” underscore a significant shift – it seems Disney can no longer rely on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to generate consistent profits.

Rise of DC

Regarding DC, the report points to Superman and Batman as being the standouts.

One communications expert commented, ‘Gunn’s initial film production was outstanding,’ reflecting a sentiment that when Batman and Superman cooperate harmoniously, there’s no bound to their potential achievements.

While another executive has reservations about Gunn’s upcoming movies, they do acknowledge that this is a move forward in some capacity.

Another executive expressed, ‘It’s disappointing that ‘Supergirl’ and ‘Clayface’ are up next, but it shows confidence in our initial choice.'”

Or even more casually:

“The exec wasn’t exactly thrilled about ‘Supergirl’ and ‘Clayface’, but he thought it was a bold move for the first pick.

DC vs Marvel

Gunn also has Man of Tomorrow going into production early next year for a July 2027 release.

Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II hits October 2027.

Supergirl on June 26, 2026, and Clayface on September 11, 2026.

It seems the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is taking a break until the release of “Avengers: Doomsday” in December 2026, followed by “Secret Wars” about a year later. Meanwhile, Sony’s got “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” scheduled for release in July 2026.

Read More

2025-09-13 09:02