Perhaps ‘The Marvels’ struggled due to the MCU and its audience aging

The lackluster performance of ‘The Marvels’ at the box office raises questions beyond the usual superhero fatigue or debates about diversity casting. While some critics attribute the film’s struggles to oversaturation in the superhero genre or the impact of the SAG-AFTRA strike, a deeper analysis suggests that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is grappling with a more profound challenge — transitioning to a new era.

In contrast to its predecessor, ‘Captain Marvel,’ which enjoyed a soaring success with over $1 billion in global box office revenue, ‘The Marvels’ faced an uphill battle, opening with a modest $47 million domestically. Several factors contributed to this underperformance, including the limitations imposed by the SAG-AFTRA strike, preventing the cast from promoting the movie until just a day before its release. Additionally, the market is flooded with superhero content, making it harder for individual films to stand out.

A compelling narrative is crucial for engaging audiences, and ‘The Marvels’ appears to have fallen short in this regard. While some attribute the film’s challenges to the inclusion of diverse characters, such as three female leads, this argument lacks merit when considering the success of other diverse superhero films like ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ The latter, featuring an Afro-Latino boy and a teenage white girl as the main heroes, enjoyed a robust opening weekend, earning just under $120.7 million.

To understand the full picture, it’s essential to recognize that Marvel hasn’t successfully navigated the transition to a new generation of superheroes and fans. The television shows and recent films lack the distinctiveness that characterized earlier MCU releases. Not all recent TV series have garnered universal acclaim, with exceptions like ‘Ms. Marvel,’ which introduced Kamala Khan and received positive reviews.

The claim that ‘The Marvels’ suffered due to casting decisions favoring women, particularly women of color, doesn’t withstand scrutiny. A 2019 CBR.com article highlighted that, leading up to ‘Captain Marvel,’ female superheroes in the MCU received only around 10% of screen time compared to their male counterparts. However, Marvel’s female fanbase constitutes 47%, suggesting a more balanced interest among audiences.

Hollywood has long assumed that geek culture is predominantly male, centered around a limited range of stories involving characters like Batman or Superman. The skewed demographic breakdown of ‘The Marvels’ opening weekend audience — 61% male and 39% female — reveals a persistent gender imbalance. This, combined with the age breakdown indicating that 45% of the audience comprised men over 25, signals a challenge in appealing to younger viewers.

Gen Z, a demographic that prefers streaming on personal devices, may not be showing up in theaters as expected. The data from a Morning Consult poll underscores this point, with Gen Z respondents accounting for only 9%, compared to 40% for Millennials, 26% for Boomers, and 25% for Gen Xers. The age breakdown for ‘The Marvels’ audience further emphasizes the absence of younger viewers, with 33% in the 25-34 age group.

The struggle to resonate with a younger audience is not unique to ‘The Marvels.’ Marvel’s previous release, ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,’ also faced challenges, indicating a broader trend. The current approach of planning movie releases years into the future may not be effective in understanding the evolving preferences of a post-‘Avengers’ era.

While ‘The Marvels’ may not be an immediate success, its long-term impact could depend on Marvel’s ability to adapt to changing audience preferences. The film’s reception might improve through word of mouth, and it could find a more welcoming audience in the video on demand market. Marvel’s challenge lies in meeting the next generation on its terms, recognizing that the gravitational pull that drew fans to theaters for the past quarter-century is evolving. The success of ‘The Marvels’ may hinge on Marvel’s patience and willingness to explore new narratives that resonate with a diverse and younger audience, ultimately ensuring the future relevance of the MCU.

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