Summary
- The Marvels has received mixed reviews from critics, with its opening box office being the lowest of any MCU movie to date.
- Despite its flaws and financial struggles, the audience reception for The Marvels has been more favorable, with appreciation for its lighthearted tone and fast-paced story.
- The passion from fans of the characters and movie confirms the continued interest in the MCU, providing both good and bad lessons for Marvel to consider in future projects.
As the cosmic sequel gears up for its second box office weekend, the latest episode of Screen Rant‘s own Pitch Meeting series is looking at The Marvels. A follow-up to Captain Marvel, WandaVision and Ms. Marvel, the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie saw Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan become entangled through their light powers and must put a stop to the vengeful Kree warrior Dar-Benn before she can destroy various worlds to save her own. Critics have been largely mixed on The Marvels, with the opening box office proving to be the lowest of any MCU movie to date.
Just a week after its release, Screen Rant‘s Pitch Meeting series has returned with its new episode aiming its sights on The Marvels. The video, as seen at the top of this article, pokes fun at some of the MCU sequel’s flaws, including the “homework” it assigns to audiences with its multi-title sequel story, as well as the various tonal inconsistencies, namely the jump from world-ending threats to humorous cat-driven set pieces. The episode does, however, acknowledge the entertainment to be had in the movie, including Samuel L. Jackson’s more quippy Nick Fury and Kamala’s family.
Why The MCU Needs The Marvels (Even With Its Division)
Coming in roughly $15 million shy of its original projections, The Marvels seemingly marked a new low for the MCU, becoming not only its lowest box office opening since The Incredible Hulk, but also the franchise’s lowest overall, only bringing in just $46.1 million domestically. Critics were similarly lukewarm on the sequel, netting a barely Fresh approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes of 62%, with reviews largely noting the same issues mentioned in the Pitch Meeting episode above.
Conversely, audiences have been much more favorable in their reactions to the movie, giving it an 84% approval rating on the review aggregate, with appreciation shared for its lighthearted tone and fast-paced story. This score is also a drastic improvement on the first Captain Marvel movie, which was review bombed by audiences, as well as landing just higher than Ms. Marvel‘s largely positive 80% score. Some box office analysts have also defended The Marvels‘ low box office opening, noting that it outgrossed its competitors by a fairly wide margin, potentially indicating that said release weekend was ultimately a slower one for theaters in general.
The original Captain Marvel Rotten Tomatoes score sits at just a 45% approval from Audiences, with The Marvels nearly doubling it.
Despite its various flaws and early financial struggles, it’s the audience reception that proves The Marvels is one of the more important efforts in the MCU. It’s unclear if the fervent defense from fans of the characters and movie will result in better subsequent weeks at the box office, especially as it goes against the likes of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, it does at least confirm that the passion remains for the franchise, a recent concern amid the rising superhero fatigue. With the general consensus also acknowledging the entertainment value of the sequel, it’s clear there are as many good lessons for Marvel to take from The Marvels heading into future projects as there are bad ones.
Source: Pitch Meeting